Project description
Towards a balanced distribution of value in fruit, vegetable and dairy sectors
A complex network of interrelated sectors and actors make up the EU food system – from farms and processing to packaging enterprises, warehouses, distributors, wholesalers and retailers. One way to boost competitiveness is to create innovative intermediate food value chains that support the scaling-up of small and medium-sized actors, either by providing means for growth or by leveraging the coordination and connection of complementary actors. The EU-funded FAIRCHAIN project will inspire and encourage larger actors to downscale to address the growing consumer demand for local high-quality products. Specifically, the project will test recently developed technological, organisational and social innovations to expand the production of affordable nutritious food. Special attention will be paid to the post-harvest steps, namely the processing and retail sectors.
Objective
FAIRCHAIN addresses the growing need for a significant transformation of current food systems by developing competitive intermediate food chain alternatives adapted to small and mid-sized actors. FAIRCHAIN specifically aims to:
-Foster the emergence of innovative intermediate food value chains that support the scaling-up of small and mid-sized actors facing unsustainable conventional dominant agri-food system. This requires to specific technological, organisational and social innovations as well as regulatory and policy adaptations to widely deliver food in a fair and sustainable way.
-Inspire and encourage larger actors to down-scale conventional food value chains and better address the growing need of consumers to consume local high quality and safe products. The emergence of intermediate food value chains should put pressure on dominant actors, forcing them to align with best practices in terms of offering opportunities to local suppliers and ensuring an equitable distribution of costs and benefits.
The main goal of FAIRCHAIN is to test, pilot and demonstrate recently developed technological, organisational and social innovations, realising a shift up to TRL7 and enabling small and mid-sized actors to scale-up and expand the production of affordable nutritious food in competitive intermediate food value chains.
FAIRCHAIN will address the dairy and fruit&vegetable sectors, which hold a strategic economic position in Europe. Both are prone to integrate a large variety of innovations, correspond to an increasing consumer demand for nutritious and healthy food and need to meet the challenge of sustainably delivering perishable commodities to consumers.
FAIRCHAIN will consider the entire value chain. More focus is given to postharvest steps rather than the production step in itself because the power imbalances created in market relationships are mainly attributed to the increasing concentration in the processing and retail sectors in conventional food supply chains
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Keywords
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Funding Scheme
IA - Innovation actionCoordinator
75007 Paris
France
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Participants (26)
Legal entity other than a subcontractor which is affiliated or legally linked to a participant. The entity carries out work under the conditions laid down in the Grant Agreement, supplies goods or provides services for the action, but did not sign the Grant Agreement. A third party abides by the rules applicable to its related participant under the Grant Agreement with regard to eligibility of costs and control of expenditure.
91120 Palaiseau
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501 15 Boras
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8020 Graz
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9000 Gent
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80686 Munchen
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75595 PARIS
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Legal entity other than a subcontractor which is affiliated or legally linked to a participant. The entity carries out work under the conditions laid down in the Grant Agreement, supplies goods or provides services for the action, but did not sign the Grant Agreement. A third party abides by the rules applicable to its related participant under the Grant Agreement with regard to eligibility of costs and control of expenditure.
50000 Saint Lo
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Legal entity other than a subcontractor which is affiliated or legally linked to a participant. The entity carries out work under the conditions laid down in the Grant Agreement, supplies goods or provides services for the action, but did not sign the Grant Agreement. A third party abides by the rules applicable to its related participant under the Grant Agreement with regard to eligibility of costs and control of expenditure.
75595 Paris
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
9000 Gent
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00186 Roma
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78150 Le Chesnay
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
7711 Mouscron
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1290 Versoix
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34100 Chalkida
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
1963 Vetroz
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
1648 Hauteville
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
14000 Caen
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
200 16 KORINTHIA
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
1070 Wien
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
75007 Paris
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75680 Paris
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Legal entity other than a subcontractor which is affiliated or legally linked to a participant. The entity carries out work under the conditions laid down in the Grant Agreement, supplies goods or provides services for the action, but did not sign the Grant Agreement. A third party abides by the rules applicable to its related participant under the Grant Agreement with regard to eligibility of costs and control of expenditure.
39800 Poligny
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3960 Bree
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1725 POSIEUX
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750 07 Uppsala
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39801 POLIGNY
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