FOODSAFETY4EU - MULTI-STAKEHOLDER PLATFORM FOR FOOD SAFETY IN EUROPE

Project Information

FOODSAFETY4EU

Grant agreement ID: 101000613

DOI

10.3030/101000613

Project closed

EC signature date 4 September 2020

Start date 1 January 2021

End date 31 December 2023

Funded under

• SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry, marine, maritime and inland water research, and the bioeconomy

Total cost

€ 3 000 000,00

EU contribution

€ 3 000 000,00

Coordinated by

CONSIGLIO NAZIONALE DELLE RICERCHE
Italy

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - FOODSAFETY4EU (FOODSAFETY4EU - MULTI-STAKEHOLDER PLATFORM FOR FOOD SAFETY IN EUROPE)

Reporting period: 2022-07-01 to 2023-12-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The EU evidence-based food safety framework is based on the General Food Law (Regulation (EC) No 178/2002) - the cornerstone of the EU regulatory framework - that covers the entire agri-food sector, having almost the highest food safety standards in the world. However, recent consumer concerns on the transparency of the process of safety assessment of our foods as well as technological developments and innovations have shown that there is a need to reflect on the EU food safety system of the future, which is linked to the larger process of re-framing the entire Food System. The European Commission is strongly committed to driving and accelerating the food system transformation towards increased sustainability through the Farm to Fork strategy, the European Green Deal policy, bioeconomy strategy and the Food 2030 R&I policy for food and nutrition security. Food Safety is at the centre of Food 2030 R&I policy and linked to all its pathways. The challenge of transforming the food system safely towards increased sustainability requires a systemic approach; it should also include the assessment of new technologies while fulfilling EU citizens' concerns and expectations in terms of transparency and trust. In this context, FS4EU contribution to address this societal challenge consists in the provision of the multi-stakeholder platform co-designed and fed by different actors from the EU Food Safety System.
FS4EU established a new long-term Science-Policy-Society interface: the EU FOOD SAFETY FORUM. Scientists, companies, EC, EFSA, other Food Safety Authorities and civil organizations have been conducted to this interface through a 3years structured participatory process, by co-designing new schemes to advance the FSS from a reactive system to an interactive one. In this way, the Consortium consolidated the multi-actor engagement, feeding the digital platform with the Knowledge Centre for Food Safety in Europe and digital tools, and providing co-created input for EU policies and strategies (including a new model of SRIA).

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

FS4EU has finalized the multi-stakeholder platform that includes digital tools, digital resources and a structured participatory process from a long-term perspective.
10 DIGITAL TOOLS have been developed to support communication and relationships within the FS4EU platform; the expert finder app was launched to foster interaction. The platform has been launched and presented in several events.
Through the 4 FOOD SAFETY OPERATIONAL LABS (FSOLabs), the CO-CREATION PROCESSES IN SOCIAL LABS has provided the following results through 3learning cycles on:
· IMPROVEMENT OF ROADMAPS FOR THE FUTURE FSS – INTEGRATION AND FORECASTING: net map analysis, surveys conducted at Hub levels, new roadmaps for risk assessment (FSOLab 1);
· DEFINITION OF THE RESEARCH & INNOVATION FRAMEWORK FOR THE FUTURE POLICIES (FSOLab2 and 3), a map and gap analysis of research programmes and funding opportunities in Food Safety including results from experts interviews. 2 pilot actions to set up a) a Food Safety Knowledge Network for the alignment of transnational funding cycles and research priorities; b) a Food Safety Systems alliance for a fast-response Strategic Research & Innovation Agenda (SRIA) with expected future themes and priorities.
· STRATEGIES TO IMPROVE PUBLIC AWARENESS OF FOOD SAFETY AND THE CIVIL SOCIETY ENGAGEMENT (FSOLab 4): surveys for different stakeholders were implemented in 2021 and 2 pilot actions involving a national FOOD SAFETY Authority (Raising awareness about food safety and food safety system actors among consumers and civil society in Tunisia) and Industry (Safe Food in a Circular World in Czechia). Storyboards and materials for their implementation have been finalized. 4 workshops realized at the Hub level for engagement of the public.
The process of CO-DESIGNing THE PLATFORM STRATEGY AND BUSINESS MODEL FOR LONG-TERM COOPERATION produced the platform concept, the stakeholders’ portrait together with the motivation matrix and transactions boards. The business model of the Platform and sustainability plan finalized.
The FS4EU Forum as a Science-Policy-Society interface has been held in Brussels in 2023, supported by a series of actions for liaisons with institutions and policymakers.
Strong action of DISSEMINATION, COMMUNICATION AND EXPLOITATION has been conducted to enhance the project positioning in the FS scenario, by using combined tools, materials and channels: 1 website, 7 social media campaigns, 13 events, 29 FS4EUpdates, 15 glossary, cards. 15 Agreements and synergies to boost the engagement of key players have been set (i.e. DISH cluster with 5 EU-funded projects), resulting in a network of 62 Supporting Partners, cooperating with 23 FS4EU beneficiaries.
All the activities have been supported by an intensive COORDINATION AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT, that ensured the project’s bodies functioning and institutional linkages, as well as the overall compliance of the ETHICS REQUIREMENTS.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The project has supported the European Food Safety System of the future in its transition towards sustainability, by proposing a new approach based on a structured participatory process through the implementation of a multi-stakeholder platform. The main results – a new Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA), roadmaps for the alignment of future research programs, at the national and EU levels, and new communication models to enhance the public confidence through transparency and access to the integrated knowledge, guidelines and digital tools to access food safety resources and knowledge –contribute to better position and keep the focus on Food Safety in the EU framework in line with the Food2030 strategy.
The European Food Safety Forum with the FS4EU platform is being positioning as a one of the reference platforms for the entire Food Safety community, thus having an impact on challenges at the policy-society level related to the Food System transformation, by providing :
1. input for new standards and procedures to enforce Food Safety legislation;
2. input and methodologies for updating the research agendas at the country level;
3. reports and position papers useful for EU policies;
4. business model to provide logistic and technical support for a permanent structure, and dedicated agreement (TOR);
5. new knowledge for further implementation in new projects and/or other initiatives.

FS4EU has contributed to enhancing the awareness of food safety and sustainability, through a massive communication action and messages sustaining the behaviour towards better healthy choices (holistic approach, safe&healthy diets). This will also have an effect on enhancing consumer trust in the transparency of the EU food safety system, thus contributing to the implementation of the new transparency regulation.
Moreover, FS4EU has introduced in the EU Food Safety System a cooperative platform. The networks created and consolidated across food safety stakeholders groups for collaboration and harmonization (“out of silos”) are expected to set and feed a long-term collaboration based on co-creation. This could have an impact also in pushing a proactive behaviour by the industry, that has been successfully engaged and included in the overall process. Finally, the project is boosting a collective learning process, that includes also the consumer perspective, thus favouring the circulation of new skills and competencies.

FS4EU co-created communication material

FS4EU knowledge center

FS4EU approach

EU Food Safety Forum