Fostering food system transformation by integrating heterogeneous perspectives in knowledge and innovation within the ERA

Project Information

FOSTER

Grant agreement ID: 101059954

DOI

10.3030/101059954

EC signature date 7 June 2022

Start date 1 September 2022

End date 31 August 2026

Funded under

• Food, Bioeconomy Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment

Total cost

€ 5 063 631,25

EU contribution

€ 5 063 631,25

Coordinated by

DIL DEUTSCHES INSTITUT FUR LEBENSMITTELTECHNIK EV
Germany

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - FOSTER (Fostering food system transformation by integrating heterogeneous perspectives in knowledge and innovation within the ERA)

Reporting period: 2024-03-01 to 2025-08-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The EU project FOSTER will contribute to accelerating the needed transformation of our food system. Our contribution lies in reflecting on and re-considering the existent scientific knowledge base as well as the associated knowledge and innovation systems that feed into the food system in the European Research Area.
Science, knowledge and innovation are key in addressing the emerging challenges of providing a healthy and affordable diet for EU citizens through a sustainable food system. To achieve this desired outcome, it is essential to identify challenges as well as opportunities within and around our European food system.
VISION & MISSION
FOSTER is a collaboration of academia with citizen initiatives, innovation advisors and advocacy groups, which we group together as change-driven initiatives (CDI). These different actors bring in heterogeneous perspectives in FOSTER.
How knowledge is produced and facilitated by the various actors, how it is transferred, shared and used by others and ideally leads to innovation is called our knowledge and innovation system (KIS). We expect that changing our KIS will serve as a ‘lever’ to change how our food is produced, processed, distributed, consumed and its waste is discarded or re-used. In FOSTER we share the expectation that we can help transform the food system (outcomes) by enriching the knowledge base, and we acknowledge that there is a need for a new vision of our Knowledge and Innovation governance structure for our food system in Europe.
FOSTER’s mission is to develop a foundation for a future and new knowledge and innovation system. Such a food-oriented knowledge and innovation (‘system’) in FOSTER we call ‘FOKIS’. We consider FOKIS as a consistent further development of AKIS (Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems), the currently very well established agricultural knowledge and innovation system in Europe, to meet the complex requirements of food systems. FOKIS will effectively accelerate the transition processes towards sustainable food systems across all EU member states. In FOSTER we will not only develop the FOKIS design but getting a step further and linkage around specific groups of food system actors underrepresented in AKIS. In FOSTER we specifically look at CDIs, and via these, at transition networks of change agents, including food professionals, food democracy activists and citizen initiatives, vulnerable communities, with their linkages to knowledge actors (scientists, innovation advisors) and, very relevant, policy makers from domains related to food systems. According to our mission, these change agents need to be better embedded in the European Research Area for food systems and foster collaboration between networks of science and practitioners.
Our research, experiences and understanding of FOKIS will be compiled in "FOSTER’s Theory of Change" for a future knowledge and innovation system. The FOSTER partners and external experts will develop recommendations targeted to decision-makers in policy and science.

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

Engaging with citizens, and citizen science: Many people in Europe work in novel ways on (creating awareness of) relevant aspects of food production, processing, consumption, and waste management. As most of these people are not part of the formal networks of scientists and policy makers, in FOSTER, we connect them with these networks so as to stimulate joint exploration and mutual learning by (i) including ‘hotspots’ in which (researchers and) citizens work jointly on food (in FOSTER called Change Driven Initiatives (CDIs)) in the consortium, and (ii) supporting them in engaging citizens in research (‘citizen science’) on food system-related topics and innovative activities.

Reaching a high inter- and trans-disciplinarity within the European Research Area on food: In FOSTER, we aim to train people operating across the food system to acquire new skills and future-oriented insights that allow them to work together from a broader perspective: building new partnerships in an interdisciplinary and in a transdisciplinary manner; bridging the boundaries that exist between various types of knowledge (e.g. academic and non-academic knowledge); skills and competencies to enable people to bridge these boundaries, and to be able to reflect and thus gradually improve on their collaboration.
This happens in the FOSTER Summer Schools. The first event took place in October 2023 in Wageningen and participants become directly members of the FOSTER Mutual Learning Network.

Improving the science-policy interface: The interactions between scientists and policy-makers are often referred to as the ‘interface’ between science and policy. What policy-makers do, as well as what other parties like scientists, universities, but also companies do to influence what happens on the ground is often denoted with the word ‘governance’. Aforementioned changes like reorienting AKIS from centring on agriculture towards food (FOKIS) and broadening the range of knowledge ‘types’ including citizens’ and farmers’ knowledge, should come to bear on the governance that influences the dynamics in research and innovation and the food system.

Working with food system Foresight: FOSTER aims to support a broad set of policy-makers and citizens in having access to futures’ knowledge and effectively and efficiently bridging some of the knowledge gaps by applying this in food system change processes. To share this combined knowledge, a digital portal and a repository of food system science findings is built up. This platform includes topics that may be new to, or currently ignored in AKIS.

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)

Work carried out presents a co-learning journey for all involved (CDIs and other partners). The aim is to contribute to “build a foundation from which a new Knowledge and Innovation (K&I) governance structure for Europe’s food system can emerge” each a learning process as such. Learnings from these processes are ongoing and will be scientifically described and published.
Key results achieved so far are the development and description of the FOKIS concept; establishing co-creation and reflection processes (RMA – reflecting monitoring in action) with and within the CDI triangles; organization, evaluation and reflection of three Summer Schools in 2023-2025; highlighting new topics for food systems relevant for CDI partners through horizon scanning; developing contextual scenarios for food systems; analysing R&I policy support options for food systems science; discussion and reflection work with the FOSTER Science Policy Panel as well as extensive communication and dissemination activities.