Periodic Reporting for period 1 - RADIANT (ReAlising DynamIc vAlue chaiNs for underuTilised crops)
Berichtszeitraum: 2021-09-01 bis 2023-02-28
The RADIANT project proposes inclusive and strategic solutions, supported by practical tools and stakeholder engagement methods, to establish Dynamic Value Chains (DVCs) for underutilised crops (UCs). UCs have significant potential in addressing hunger, malnutrition, and inequality, but they are often overlooked. RADIANT focuses on a core collection of 15 well-developed UCs to promote their inclusion in biodiverse value chains. The project includes 20 farm-based partners called AURORA Farms, which serve as hubs for knowledge sharing and co-creation, showcasing the integration of UCs in value chains and connecting farmers with consumers. The project's objectives are to showcase successful transitions to agrobiodiversity-inclusive systems, promote best practices in land management and marketing, improve UC management and breeding through participatory and ex-situ approaches, highlight the functional traits of UCs (nutrition, health, and environmental benefits), develop a coherent framework for quantifying UCs' value along value chains, create new markets for UCs in existing agrifood systems, and build capacity among farmers, civil society, and policymakers to embrace agrobiodiversity and enable the transition.
In the RADIANT project, several key activities were established. The main results achieved so far include the setting of four CREATOR workshops in different regions to facilitate collaboration and discussion on topics like new technologies for underutilized crops (UCs) valorization, barley value chain, vegetable production systems, and woody crops (Figure 1). Additionally, 38 participatory farmers were recruited to share their experiences with growing UCs. Progress was also made in developing CropBASE-EU and the e-RADIANT app. Screening and participatory breeding activities were implemented at the AURORA Farms (Figure 2). Two deliverables and five scientific publications were produced. The deliverables focused on adapting CropSTORE Data Input Sheets (CS-DIS) for gathering information on breeding and value chain work within the RADIANT project. CropBASE-EU was expanded to include a wider range of crops suitable for European agroclimatic conditions. The publications covered topics such as the performance of wild leafy greens under different cultivation systems, the use of biofertilizers and biostimulants for improving UCs' tolerance to environmental stresses, and the response of UCs to climate change.
The work also aimed at highlighting the potential of UCs and their by-products as biomass sources, their functional profile and health benefits, and the use of ecodesign to reduce the environmental impact of food production, resulting in five scientific publications. The ecosystem services provided by AURORA Farms (Figure 3) were analyzed in-depth, considering agroecological techniques, socio-political aspects, environment, and resilience. Additionally, data collection from RADIANT partners focused on assessing the resilience of UC value chains. Workshops were held to integrate life cycle assessment, ecosystem services, and economic dimensions into a framework. This framework was published as a deliverable report and is being tested using data from a case study farm. The environmental value of using UCs in beer production was also demonstrated in a scientific publication.
The impact of key policy fields on UCs at the EU level was assessed through a literature review and policy document analysis. One deliverable report and a policy template were produced, providing information on existing policies and creating a repository of policy solutions. Policy stories based on key-informant interviews were planned to analyze specific policy solutions and governance approaches. One scientific publication focused on policies enabling sustainability in children's diets was published. A workflow for assessing UC value chains was designed, and improvements to current business models were suggested. Methodologies for collecting end-user information and mapping value chain actors were developed. DVC research and analysis were conducted for AURORA Farms and UCs across Europe. One deliverable report was produced.
Regarding communication activities, the project's communication strategy, branding, and video production were described in two public deliverables. The plan for the exploitation and dissemination of results was initiated. The UC-Cluster was established to foster collaboration among SFS-01-c projects. Additional deliverables covered project quality guidelines, risk and data management, meta-data repository, ethics-related reports, and a publication explaining the project's Theory of Change Approach.
Overall, the RADIANT project (Figure 4) made significant progress in various research areas related to UCs, including value chains, breeding, sustainability, policy analysis, and communication.
The work also aimed at highlighting the potential of UCs and their by-products as biomass sources, their functional profile and health benefits, and the use of ecodesign to reduce the environmental impact of food production, resulting in five scientific publications. The ecosystem services provided by AURORA Farms (Figure 3) were analyzed in-depth, considering agroecological techniques, socio-political aspects, environment, and resilience. Additionally, data collection from RADIANT partners focused on assessing the resilience of UC value chains. Workshops were held to integrate life cycle assessment, ecosystem services, and economic dimensions into a framework. This framework was published as a deliverable report and is being tested using data from a case study farm. The environmental value of using UCs in beer production was also demonstrated in a scientific publication.
The impact of key policy fields on UCs at the EU level was assessed through a literature review and policy document analysis. One deliverable report and a policy template were produced, providing information on existing policies and creating a repository of policy solutions. Policy stories based on key-informant interviews were planned to analyze specific policy solutions and governance approaches. One scientific publication focused on policies enabling sustainability in children's diets was published. A workflow for assessing UC value chains was designed, and improvements to current business models were suggested. Methodologies for collecting end-user information and mapping value chain actors were developed. DVC research and analysis were conducted for AURORA Farms and UCs across Europe. One deliverable report was produced.
Regarding communication activities, the project's communication strategy, branding, and video production were described in two public deliverables. The plan for the exploitation and dissemination of results was initiated. The UC-Cluster was established to foster collaboration among SFS-01-c projects. Additional deliverables covered project quality guidelines, risk and data management, meta-data repository, ethics-related reports, and a publication explaining the project's Theory of Change Approach.
Overall, the RADIANT project (Figure 4) made significant progress in various research areas related to UCs, including value chains, breeding, sustainability, policy analysis, and communication.
RADIANT aims to gather evidence and strategically apply it to promote the effective adoption of UCs across different regions and socio-economies in EU Member States. The expected outcomes include optimized tools such as CropBASE-EU and the e-RADIANT App, which will facilitate knowledge transfer for farmers to select the best UCs for their specific region and value chain options. Multi-environment field phenotyping will allow the identification of UC accessions adapted to changing climatic conditions, resistant to diseases, and with improved nutrient efficiency. Genetic breeding predictive models will be developed based on project research, enabling the cultivation of UCs with increased nutritional value. Guidelines for Food Business Operators will be established, ensuring accurate labelling based on scientific data. The project will develop a self-assessment tool for farmers to evaluate the ecosystem services provided by UCs. Advanced technologies will be engineered to shorten the supply chain and provide competitive advantages to farmers. A framework for assessing the environmental sustainability and resilience of UC value chains will be created, along with a traceability system based on blockchain technology. The Underutilised Crops Cluster, will enable collaboration and knowledge co-creation among stakeholders interested in UC value chains. The research will contribute to understanding the performance and sustainability of European UC farms, including adaptability, environmental impact, cost prices, economic feasibility, and policy considerations. By promoting UCs and sustainable farming practices, the project aims to support territorial development and contribute to the societal discourse on agricultural diversity and sustainability.