Periodic Reporting for period 1 - Data4Food2030 (Pathways towards a fair, inclusive and innovative Data Economy for Sustainable Food Systems)
Reporting period: 2022-09-01 to 2024-02-29
The digital transformation of food systems has entered a twilight zone: data-driven innovations have proven to be promising, but it is still unclear how to upscale adoption and have broader acceptance. The Data4Food2030 project aims to improve the data economy for food systems (DE4FS) by expanding its definition, mapping its development, performance and impact to create new insights and opportunities. This contributes to a more competitive and sustainable food system in the EU and supports implementation and adaptation of relevant policies such as a Digital Single Market, Green Deal and the Common Agricultural Policy. Data4Food2030 is a 4-year project that aims to 1) enlarge the knowledge base and insight into the DE4FS, 2) develop a system that monitors and evaluates the development, performance and impact of the DE4FS on relevant EU policies 3) identify drivers and barriers and tum these into opportunities, recommendations and solutions, 4) test solutions and evaluate recommendations in case studies and through stakeholder dialogues and 5) provide future scenarios and a roadmap and sustain the monitoring system to support policy development and accelerate the desired future state of the DE4FS. Data4Food2030's approach is targeted at an improved future state of the DE4FS from which clear design principles, recommendations and solutions are derived for improving and adapting policies and practices at public and private level. As an essential part of the project, stakeholders are deeply engaged to provide input to various DE4FS concepts and evaluate several project outcomes to increase the impact of the project. Nine case studies provide real-life examples of the DE4FS at micro- and meso-economic level, deploying data and technologies, which are used for mapping and improvement to promote data-enabled business models. In this way, Data4Food2030 creates credible pathways to navigate properly through the twilight zone towards a fair, inclusive and innovative DE4FS.
Following an iterative and multi-actor approach, an open knowledge base is being developed for which the first building blocks have been delivered; a working definition for the DE4FS and the first version of the conceptual framework. An online webinar was organized to share these first results. Continuous validation is taking place with a large range of stakeholders from many disciplines and roles to validate these building blocks through collaboration with the 9 case studies and key stakeholders. To make sure that the knowledge base does not only concern economic and technological aspects of the DE4FS, environmental, ethical, legal and societal aspects (ELSA) such as fairness, inclusiveness and the quality of human and social life are also being researched in the form of literature reviews. To ensure future contribution to the scientific community, 4 scientific publications and a book have been planned. The first design of the monitoring system presents indicators to visualise and monitor the development of the DE4FS and an overview of several ‘dimensions’ of the DE4FS on a macro level, for EU member states and at the meso/micro level for case studies. Stakeholders have been identified and mapped into 4 different categories. Through interview and scenario workshops stakeholders from the target groups were able to participate in key dialogues about their ideas and concerns about the DE4FS and provide their experiences with the DE4FS. Values, needs, interest and concerns related to the DE4FS were collected in interviews and focus group discussions (infographic). Scenario workshops in 6 different countries have been completed and in each workshop 2 to 3 scenarios for the future DE4FS at the national level were developed. Many activities took place inside the case study consortia, which are projects on their own, each aiming to share data from specific parts of the food system to represent to different types of stakeholders in the agri-food domain. Collaboration between the real life examples of the DE4FS (the case studies) has led to a better understanding of the concepts of data spaces and Data Sharing Initiatives (DSIs) and the interaction between case studies.
Working definition of the DE4FS: “The DE4Fs is a spatial and temporal dynamic ecosystem, composed of numerous sub- ecosystems with loosed boundaries, where resource-integrating, service-providing and value-creating actors are connected by direct and indirect interactions and shared institutional arrangements to create value propositions though resources, institutions, technologies, data, relationships… connecting data ecosystems and Food Systems, as well as the broader economic, societal, digital, technological, and natural environments in which they are embedded in and connected to“. Five first-level core elements of the DE4FS have been identified, based on the literature review and the discussion organised during the workshop of the 30th of November, which are: 1) actors, stakeholders, (2) resources, both natural and human ones, (3) service provision, relating to the usefulness of the DE4FS, (4) institutional and governance arrangements, (5) related ecosystems, components that are outside the DE4FS but connected to it in one way or another.
Source: Conceptual Framework of the DE4FS - online webinar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZU43u-1k-A(opens in new window)
While the term “data economy” is new for many food system stakeholders, they are aware of the role of data in their daily professional lives. Still, many stakeholders experience limited control and influence on data economy processes. Food system stakeholders perceive they are mutually connected and interdependent in data economy. Hence, collaboration and joint solutions are needed, but they are also complex and challenging to achieve. To achieve fair data economy for sustainable food systems that is beneficial for all the food system participants and the environment, food system stakeholders expect proportional regulations, legal guidance and participatory governance. Key stakeholder recommendations and preconditions to arrive at fair DE4FS are: 1) policy interventions to address the issues of power imbalances, data privacy and security, and interoperability, 2) collaboration and mutual agreements between food system stakeholders on data sharing and correct use of data and 3) improving data literacy and skills of food system stakeholders (to support data-driven decisions and practices for a sustainable food system).
Source: Infographic – Stakeholder dialogues (Data4Food02030 website - https://data4food2030.eu/stakeholder-dialogue/(opens in new window))
Source: Conceptual Framework of the DE4FS - online webinar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZU43u-1k-A(opens in new window)
While the term “data economy” is new for many food system stakeholders, they are aware of the role of data in their daily professional lives. Still, many stakeholders experience limited control and influence on data economy processes. Food system stakeholders perceive they are mutually connected and interdependent in data economy. Hence, collaboration and joint solutions are needed, but they are also complex and challenging to achieve. To achieve fair data economy for sustainable food systems that is beneficial for all the food system participants and the environment, food system stakeholders expect proportional regulations, legal guidance and participatory governance. Key stakeholder recommendations and preconditions to arrive at fair DE4FS are: 1) policy interventions to address the issues of power imbalances, data privacy and security, and interoperability, 2) collaboration and mutual agreements between food system stakeholders on data sharing and correct use of data and 3) improving data literacy and skills of food system stakeholders (to support data-driven decisions and practices for a sustainable food system).
Source: Infographic – Stakeholder dialogues (Data4Food02030 website - https://data4food2030.eu/stakeholder-dialogue/(opens in new window))