Periodic Reporting for period 1 - DIVINFOOD (Co-constructing interactive short and mid-tier food chains to value agrobiodiversity in healthy plant-based food)
Reporting period: 2022-03-01 to 2023-08-31
What is the problem/issue being addressed by DIVINFOOD? Why is it important for society?
Biodiversity is in rapid decline. This concerns both wild diversity and agrobiodiversity which includes all the species and varieties used for food. This decline is mostly due to the industrialisation of agriculture and the standardisation of food production. As a result, since 1900, 75% of plant genetic resources have been lost and 60% of human energy intake comes from 3 crops: wheat, maize and rice. This heavy reliance on a small number of varieties is a threat to food security and deprives consumers of the nutritional quality of other species. At the same time, demand for healthy, local, plant-based products is growing in Europe. The Covid-19 crisis has amplified these expectations of local products, but has also encouraged the expansion of local food policies aimed at relocating food production and developing short food supply chains. Small-scale producers and processors offer local food products valuing neglected and under-utilised species (NUCs) in short chains, thus helping to both reverse the decline in biodiversity and meet this demand. However, they face many challenges, from insufficient availability of suitable varieties to difficulty in developing viable business models.
What are the overall objectives of DIVINFOOD?
The overall objectives of DIVINFOOD is to contribute to reverse the agrobiodiversity decline by producing knowledge and tools to support farmers and small-scale processors to develop short and mid-tier supply chains valuing NUCs and meeting consumer expectations of local, healthy plant-based food. DIVINFOOD focuses on legumes and minor cereals, whose use in short and mid-tier chains is increasing, and whose potential for health and agroecology is high. The production of knowledge and tools, from breeding to marketing, involves citizen-consumers and relies on 9 living labs (LLs) gathering all concerned stakeholders in 7 partner countries (Denmark, France, Hungary, Italy, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland).
Biodiversity is in rapid decline. This concerns both wild diversity and agrobiodiversity which includes all the species and varieties used for food. This decline is mostly due to the industrialisation of agriculture and the standardisation of food production. As a result, since 1900, 75% of plant genetic resources have been lost and 60% of human energy intake comes from 3 crops: wheat, maize and rice. This heavy reliance on a small number of varieties is a threat to food security and deprives consumers of the nutritional quality of other species. At the same time, demand for healthy, local, plant-based products is growing in Europe. The Covid-19 crisis has amplified these expectations of local products, but has also encouraged the expansion of local food policies aimed at relocating food production and developing short food supply chains. Small-scale producers and processors offer local food products valuing neglected and under-utilised species (NUCs) in short chains, thus helping to both reverse the decline in biodiversity and meet this demand. However, they face many challenges, from insufficient availability of suitable varieties to difficulty in developing viable business models.
What are the overall objectives of DIVINFOOD?
The overall objectives of DIVINFOOD is to contribute to reverse the agrobiodiversity decline by producing knowledge and tools to support farmers and small-scale processors to develop short and mid-tier supply chains valuing NUCs and meeting consumer expectations of local, healthy plant-based food. DIVINFOOD focuses on legumes and minor cereals, whose use in short and mid-tier chains is increasing, and whose potential for health and agroecology is high. The production of knowledge and tools, from breeding to marketing, involves citizen-consumers and relies on 9 living labs (LLs) gathering all concerned stakeholders in 7 partner countries (Denmark, France, Hungary, Italy, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland).
What are the main results achieved so far?
The project started with a large European survey and several focus groups, dedicated to collect citizen-consumers’ expectations and aversions regarding the use of agrobiodiversity in food chains, from breeding to marketing. The results fed a ‘white paper’ used to guide DIVINFOOD’s activities, and disseminated in various events. Innovative mild processing approaches (as ancient eastern-like or dairy-like fermentation) have been optimized for legumes NUCs. Legumes and minor cereals species or varieties have been incorporated in a diversity of innovative/renew recipes and products. Typologies of farms using legumes and/or minor cereals have been produced in all regions, highlighting NUCs’ performances and best practices in matter of pre-processing. Trials of NUCs have been implemented in the nine LLs, under diverse agroecological farming systems. A list of tools and guidelines are ready to support task partners in the assessment of the ecosystem services provided by NUCs in LLs. The concept of the interactive catalog of underutilized cereals and legumes was refined, in interaction with concerned organisations and other EU and international projects. The multi-actor breeding of varieties for local adaptation and product quality has started in 8 of the 9 LLs of DIVINFOOD. A framework for LL facilitation and data production has been delivered from an inclusive approach and valued in a scientific publication. The database structure dedicated to register the data on the context and the impacts of the use of varieties was published and validated. Eight study cases of inspiring initiatives in matter of NUCs territorial governance and economic support have been done. The dissemination and training plan has been achieved. The DIVINFOOD teams are now equipped with all the essential communication tools they need and with a collaborative workspace. A large number of various events have been organized to raise people’s awareness about NUCs, disseminate DIVINFOOD’s results or train stakeholders, reaching more than 1,000 people. A user guide/tutorial to use digital tools for open governance/community management has been produced. DIVINFOOD developed strong relations with the projects funded on the same topic. Finally, all procedures and tools have been developed to ensure the project follows its objectives and compliance with the ethics requirements of the European Commission, as well as to facilitate communication and collaboration between the members of the project.
What is the work in progress to achieve DIVINFOOD objectives?
A review of scientific literature and a database of 1,129 marketing initiatives valuing NUCs have been done to identify enabling food environments and supply chains for NUCs. Raw material and mild processed food made with NUCs have started to be characterized along a diversity of nutritional/health, organoleptic/sensorial and technological quality parameters. Easy to apply, low cost quality evaluation tools of NUCs raw materials started to be developed. Exchanges on knowledge and innovation in mild/minimal processing have begun through the launch of a Community in Practice that will be consolidated in the next months. Data on farms using the NUCs targeted in the project is being collected and a second year of farming and multi-actor breeding trials (for cereals) has been started. Molecular breeding tools for white lupin are developing. Several software packages are explored to facilitate data registration and visualisation on the use of varieties in specific environments. The conceptualisation of the new economic business models valuing NUCs is in progress. Some practice abstracts are being prepared, as well as scientific and professional publications.
The project started with a large European survey and several focus groups, dedicated to collect citizen-consumers’ expectations and aversions regarding the use of agrobiodiversity in food chains, from breeding to marketing. The results fed a ‘white paper’ used to guide DIVINFOOD’s activities, and disseminated in various events. Innovative mild processing approaches (as ancient eastern-like or dairy-like fermentation) have been optimized for legumes NUCs. Legumes and minor cereals species or varieties have been incorporated in a diversity of innovative/renew recipes and products. Typologies of farms using legumes and/or minor cereals have been produced in all regions, highlighting NUCs’ performances and best practices in matter of pre-processing. Trials of NUCs have been implemented in the nine LLs, under diverse agroecological farming systems. A list of tools and guidelines are ready to support task partners in the assessment of the ecosystem services provided by NUCs in LLs. The concept of the interactive catalog of underutilized cereals and legumes was refined, in interaction with concerned organisations and other EU and international projects. The multi-actor breeding of varieties for local adaptation and product quality has started in 8 of the 9 LLs of DIVINFOOD. A framework for LL facilitation and data production has been delivered from an inclusive approach and valued in a scientific publication. The database structure dedicated to register the data on the context and the impacts of the use of varieties was published and validated. Eight study cases of inspiring initiatives in matter of NUCs territorial governance and economic support have been done. The dissemination and training plan has been achieved. The DIVINFOOD teams are now equipped with all the essential communication tools they need and with a collaborative workspace. A large number of various events have been organized to raise people’s awareness about NUCs, disseminate DIVINFOOD’s results or train stakeholders, reaching more than 1,000 people. A user guide/tutorial to use digital tools for open governance/community management has been produced. DIVINFOOD developed strong relations with the projects funded on the same topic. Finally, all procedures and tools have been developed to ensure the project follows its objectives and compliance with the ethics requirements of the European Commission, as well as to facilitate communication and collaboration between the members of the project.
What is the work in progress to achieve DIVINFOOD objectives?
A review of scientific literature and a database of 1,129 marketing initiatives valuing NUCs have been done to identify enabling food environments and supply chains for NUCs. Raw material and mild processed food made with NUCs have started to be characterized along a diversity of nutritional/health, organoleptic/sensorial and technological quality parameters. Easy to apply, low cost quality evaluation tools of NUCs raw materials started to be developed. Exchanges on knowledge and innovation in mild/minimal processing have begun through the launch of a Community in Practice that will be consolidated in the next months. Data on farms using the NUCs targeted in the project is being collected and a second year of farming and multi-actor breeding trials (for cereals) has been started. Molecular breeding tools for white lupin are developing. Several software packages are explored to facilitate data registration and visualisation on the use of varieties in specific environments. The conceptualisation of the new economic business models valuing NUCs is in progress. Some practice abstracts are being prepared, as well as scientific and professional publications.
Varieties are usually assessed along agronomic or technological parameters, in relation to biophysical environments and with sophisticated methods. From trials and exchanges in LLs, and with the help of adapted tools, the DIVINFOOD teams are feeding the first interdisciplinary and participatory database on the use of varieties in specific agro-ecological and socio-economic environments, starting to highlight their multiple performances and the ecosystem services they provide for humans, territories and the planet through easily observable criteria and easy-to-use assessment methods. From citizen-consumers’ expectations collected in the European survey and focus groups, the DIVINFOOD team get first concrete insights to develop an innovative reverse methodology approach valuing agrobiodiversity to generate food diversity, as well as new short and mid-tier chains shaping an enabling food environment for NUCs. Foundations have also been laid in LLs for multi-actor breeding extending participation to food system stakeholders not usually represented in research projects (e.g. chefs, regular consumers), in synergy with the innovative breeding tools being developed in laboratories. Finally, first data have been produced to develop new business models for farms and small-scale food companies valuing NUCs.