Periodic Reporting for period 2 - BIOVALUE (Fork-to-farm agent-based simulation tool augmenting BIOdiversity in the agri-food VALUE chain)
Période du rapport: 2023-04-01 au 2024-09-30
Crop biodiversity, the cultivation of multiple crops at the farm level is a crucial element of biodiversity in Europe’s agriculture and is related with several eco-problems in soil fauna, weeds, pests, and predators at the farm level and the agro-ecosystem. However, crop diversification over the last decades declined due to several driving forces across the food chain (processing technologies, cost impact) as well as consumers’ food preferences.
Therefore, biodiversity at crop level should be maintained and reinforced. Here comes the BIOVALUE project offering pertinent and seminal solution through a fork to farm approach. Hence, biodiversity form consumer’s food dish, to Agro-food supply chain, up to the farm is studied and potential innovative approaches would be suggested. Diverse food-dish to diverse crop cultivation will proliferate benefits to consumers’ health and to the whole ecosystem with huge effects upon mitigating climate change.
The project will offer guidelines on nutritional values of diversified dishes, meals and novel food products. In addition, new underutilized crops could be re-introduced into European farming by using machine learning techniques and artificial intelligence forecasts. These new entrants among others could be integrated into agro-ecosystems, the food chain and of course the European diet. Our ultimate vision within this project is to generate recurring and spreading effects such as landscape transformation, diverse food supply chains and mainly “diverse” food dishes. The whole look of the European plains will start changing from oligo-cultural systems to poly-cultural ones with unprecedented benefits for the environment and consumers’ health.
Therefore, biodiversity at crop level should be maintained and reinforced. Here comes the BIOVALUE project offering pertinent and seminal solution through a fork to farm approach. Hence, biodiversity form consumer’s food dish, to Agro-food supply chain, up to the farm is studied and potential innovative approaches would be suggested. Diverse food-dish to diverse crop cultivation will proliferate benefits to consumers’ health and to the whole ecosystem with huge effects upon mitigating climate change.
The project will offer guidelines on nutritional values of diversified dishes, meals and novel food products. In addition, new underutilized crops could be re-introduced into European farming by using machine learning techniques and artificial intelligence forecasts. These new entrants among others could be integrated into agro-ecosystems, the food chain and of course the European diet. Our ultimate vision within this project is to generate recurring and spreading effects such as landscape transformation, diverse food supply chains and mainly “diverse” food dishes. The whole look of the European plains will start changing from oligo-cultural systems to poly-cultural ones with unprecedented benefits for the environment and consumers’ health.
During RP1 all planned deliverables and milestones were successfully completed and submitted.
These deliverables form the foundational background on agri-food value chains and biodiversity for the consortium's ongoing work.
Underutilized/nonutilized crops for breeding and experiments were selected, multiplied, and distributed to partners, ensuring smooth experiment implementation.
Novel food dishes using these crops were developed, described, and shared with the public through a recipe booklet promoting diverse, healthy nutrition.
Preliminary tests and product selection for studies on biodiversity in food value chains were also finalized, supported by a high-performing data warehouse for data-intensive applications and AI models.
During the second 18-month period, all activities adhered to the scheduled timeline, achieving key results, including:
A conceptual analytical framework for value chain analysis integrating biodiversity dimensions and a hybrid Sankey analysis.
The BIOVALUE tool, employing agent-based modeling to simulate agri-food value chain interactions.
Evaluation of the BIOVALUE tools current working version.
Creation and evaluation of innovative recipes from underutilized crops.
Environmental sustainability assessments of these crops with actionable insights for sustainable practices.
Advancements in breeding programs, trials, and environmental assessments.
Labeling, certification, and traceability protocols to boost product credibility.
Extensive dissemination efforts, reaching 165,000+ stakeholders through workshops, publications, and digital outreach.
These deliverables form the foundational background on agri-food value chains and biodiversity for the consortium's ongoing work.
Underutilized/nonutilized crops for breeding and experiments were selected, multiplied, and distributed to partners, ensuring smooth experiment implementation.
Novel food dishes using these crops were developed, described, and shared with the public through a recipe booklet promoting diverse, healthy nutrition.
Preliminary tests and product selection for studies on biodiversity in food value chains were also finalized, supported by a high-performing data warehouse for data-intensive applications and AI models.
During the second 18-month period, all activities adhered to the scheduled timeline, achieving key results, including:
A conceptual analytical framework for value chain analysis integrating biodiversity dimensions and a hybrid Sankey analysis.
The BIOVALUE tool, employing agent-based modeling to simulate agri-food value chain interactions.
Evaluation of the BIOVALUE tools current working version.
Creation and evaluation of innovative recipes from underutilized crops.
Environmental sustainability assessments of these crops with actionable insights for sustainable practices.
Advancements in breeding programs, trials, and environmental assessments.
Labeling, certification, and traceability protocols to boost product credibility.
Extensive dissemination efforts, reaching 165,000+ stakeholders through workshops, publications, and digital outreach.
Crop biodiversity, the cultivation of a multitude of crops at the farm level, is an element of agricultural biodiversity, and creates differentiations in soil fauna, weeds, pests, and predators at the farm level and agro-ecosystem. More importantly, crop biodiversity has been reported to increase agricultural productivity through the replenishment of agricultural soils and control of pest infestations, leading to greater farm income security and stability. However, crop diversification over the last decades declined due to several driving forces across the food chain (processing technologies, cost impact) as well as consumers’ food preferences. Therefore, crops (cereals, legumes, leafy vegetables and fruity vegetables) that can enrich biodiversity significantly are scarcely present in the agri-food value chain and in consumers’ food diets since they are no longer economically viable. However, there are often market failures due to the existence of externalities and the public-good nature of biodiversity conservation. In addition to market signals, farmers’ agrobiodiversity choices reflect a number of factors aside from market prices, including the social, political, and cultural conditions in which they operate. They are generally exogenous to the farmers’ own decisions, but are strongly influenced by policy at the national and international level.
The overall objective of the BIOVALUE project is to set-up a holistic approach to the analysis of the link among biodiversity, the agro-food value chain , the environment and consumer’s preferences and health by employing a bottom-up approach to optimize the introduction of underutilized/nonutilized genetically diverse crops in the agri-food value chain throughout Europe by explicitly analysing agent interactions and behaviour in the value chain and various future climatic and water availability scenarios and to spur a selfgrowing dynamic process of biodiversity by mobilising the market and social drivers.
BIOVALUE aims to introduce a holistic approach of studying biodiversity by advancing and combining Food-chain and production methodologies in a seminal and applicable way.
BIOVALUE builds a strong theoretical behavioural simulation model to assess how production and consumption decisions affect individual agents and the entire value chain and consequently how they can be altered towards a biodiverse agro-food chain.
BIOVALUE starts by setting up seven paired experimental case studies, permitting the collection of high-level field data, analyzing them and using them to strengthen biodiversity at farm level and throughout the Value chain.
Furthermore, testing of final novel processed food products and dish recipes on an international consumer base will provide data on consumers’ preferences and willingness-to -pay and consume diverse and healthy food dish.
The impact of biodiversity throughout the agro-food chain has been demonstrated to a large extent and the relation between biodiversity and health also was raised.
Farming activities will be improved by introducing under/non-utilized crops and raise the awareness at the farm level and consumption.
A holistic approach was established by connecting diet and biodiversity attracting the awareness of consumers on the issue of human-environment health interlinkages.
Combined advanced methods for studying agro-food supply chain will be developed which can use AI and Big data to study biodiversity enhancement.
The overall objective of the BIOVALUE project is to set-up a holistic approach to the analysis of the link among biodiversity, the agro-food value chain , the environment and consumer’s preferences and health by employing a bottom-up approach to optimize the introduction of underutilized/nonutilized genetically diverse crops in the agri-food value chain throughout Europe by explicitly analysing agent interactions and behaviour in the value chain and various future climatic and water availability scenarios and to spur a selfgrowing dynamic process of biodiversity by mobilising the market and social drivers.
BIOVALUE aims to introduce a holistic approach of studying biodiversity by advancing and combining Food-chain and production methodologies in a seminal and applicable way.
BIOVALUE builds a strong theoretical behavioural simulation model to assess how production and consumption decisions affect individual agents and the entire value chain and consequently how they can be altered towards a biodiverse agro-food chain.
BIOVALUE starts by setting up seven paired experimental case studies, permitting the collection of high-level field data, analyzing them and using them to strengthen biodiversity at farm level and throughout the Value chain.
Furthermore, testing of final novel processed food products and dish recipes on an international consumer base will provide data on consumers’ preferences and willingness-to -pay and consume diverse and healthy food dish.
The impact of biodiversity throughout the agro-food chain has been demonstrated to a large extent and the relation between biodiversity and health also was raised.
Farming activities will be improved by introducing under/non-utilized crops and raise the awareness at the farm level and consumption.
A holistic approach was established by connecting diet and biodiversity attracting the awareness of consumers on the issue of human-environment health interlinkages.
Combined advanced methods for studying agro-food supply chain will be developed which can use AI and Big data to study biodiversity enhancement.