The MATS project, spanning three periods, completed 36 deliverables across eight work packages. Research outputs were widely disseminated via the project website, social media, and partners’ channels, including 36 YouTube videos, 7 case study videos, 18 case study reports, 11 policy briefs, 27 blogs, 5 newsletters, 7 peer-reviewed publications, 8 discussion papers, and 2 e-books, and 978 social media posts. The project engaged stakeholders through a total of 309 engagement activities reaching 93,539 people: 24% policymakers, CSOs, and private sector representatives; 13% academics; and 63% potential beneficiaries like farmers and consumers.
The main research results in the different six WPs are specifically described below:
WP1 examined governance, actor roles, and power imbalances, integrating human rights perspectives to identify rightsholders and duty bearers. It analysed global agri-food trade trends for six products, EU Non-Tariff Measures, trade agreements with developing countries, and Voluntary Sustainability Standards in relation to the SDGs.
WP2 developed a transferable and integrated mixed-methods analytical framework, adaptable to regional contexts, providing transferable impact pathways and context-specific sustainability indicators as showcased by 15 case studies. The framework focused on five dimensions: social, economic, environmental, human, and governance, ensuring methodological consistency for future analyses.
WP3 assessed linkages between agricultural trade, investments, environmental sustainability and human well-being through the 15 case studies, identifying 31 leverage points for sustainable trade. Half related to policies and governance, nine to economic factors, six to social capital, and one to human capital. WP3 applied an integrated modelling framework, combining participatory systems mapping, quantitative systems models, and a Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model to evaluate policy impacts on sustainability, biodiversity, and economic actors over time and space.
WP4 analysed institutional and legal frameworks, revealing policy misalignments across regions and commodities. CAP subsidies sometimes conflicted with biodiversity and climate goals, while stringent EU regulations disproportionately affected small-scale producers. It emphasized integrating Multilateral Environmental Agreement (MEA) principles into trade agreements, strengthening policy coherence, and introducing binding environmental and social provisions.
WP5 developed transition pathways for sustainable trade through stakeholder engagement, creating a 2035+ vision for equitable, resilient food systems. It outlined pathways across four dimensions: policy/governance, economy/markets, social/human aspects, and natural capital, identifying 34 actions organized into short-, medium-, and long-term roadmaps.
WP6 facilitated multi-stakeholder dialogue via the Sustainable Trade Hub, sharing findings from modelling, case studies, and legal assessments. Results were disseminated through the MATS website in French and English, featuring case studies, academic and non-academic outputs, and event repositories. Targeted outreach ensured relevance to value chain and policy actors, fostering inclusive engagement and actionable insights for sustainable trade transformation.
