Periodic Reporting for period 1 - FoSSNet (Pan-European Food Systems Science Network)
Reporting period: 2024-02-01 to 2025-07-31
The vision of FoSSNet is that strengthened and deepened academic networks are a necessary element of a new knowledge and innovation governance structure for Europe’s food system. This new structure is needed because the current governance in the European research area is insufficient to address the emerging challenges of nourishing Europe in a healthy, sustainable and fair way.
In recent years, there has been growing interest in inter- and transdisciplinary research to address the multifaced and complex challenges of food system transformation. However, despite transformational contributions to knowledge production, technological innovation, societal wellbeing, and economic growth, limitations in the current knowledge and innovation systems—especially regarding disciplinarity, scalability, and societal responsibility—reduce their ability to meet emerging societal challenges. Instead, it becomes clear that diversity of knowledge, perspectives and competences is needed to overcome current barriers within the food system to enhance food systems outcomes in a fair and better-balanced way. While such perspectives are applied to research and education across much of Europe, Food System Science (FSS) is at its infancy and needs to find a more solid place into academia and research policies. Within the FSS community there is a lack of engagement and collaboration amongst the various academic paradigms, and a lack of interaction among scientists in the academic world and those in the realms of business, civil society, policy and regulation, both limiting the potential of transformative change. Additionally, food systems science is geographically biased towards Western Europe. Its evolution needs to be underpinned by enhanced governance drawing together food system science with other academic disciplines and other forms of knowledge including that of practitioners in policy and systems transformation. Therefore, FoSSNet aims to establish a Europe-wide network for Food Systems Science that harnesses existing knowledge, advances the field of food systems science and education conceptually and methodologically, facilitates integrated food systems thinking, and develops pathways for science-policy-society linkages.
The overall objective of FoSSNet is to establish an inclusive inter- and transdisciplinary pan-European network for food systems science and advance open and inclusive science and education for food systems transformation. The approach of FoSSNet is to foster inclusiveness, cooperation and communication within and across scientific disciplines and across academia, industry and civil society.
In recent years, there has been growing interest in inter- and transdisciplinary research to address the multifaced and complex challenges of food system transformation. However, despite transformational contributions to knowledge production, technological innovation, societal wellbeing, and economic growth, limitations in the current knowledge and innovation systems—especially regarding disciplinarity, scalability, and societal responsibility—reduce their ability to meet emerging societal challenges. Instead, it becomes clear that diversity of knowledge, perspectives and competences is needed to overcome current barriers within the food system to enhance food systems outcomes in a fair and better-balanced way. While such perspectives are applied to research and education across much of Europe, Food System Science (FSS) is at its infancy and needs to find a more solid place into academia and research policies. Within the FSS community there is a lack of engagement and collaboration amongst the various academic paradigms, and a lack of interaction among scientists in the academic world and those in the realms of business, civil society, policy and regulation, both limiting the potential of transformative change. Additionally, food systems science is geographically biased towards Western Europe. Its evolution needs to be underpinned by enhanced governance drawing together food system science with other academic disciplines and other forms of knowledge including that of practitioners in policy and systems transformation. Therefore, FoSSNet aims to establish a Europe-wide network for Food Systems Science that harnesses existing knowledge, advances the field of food systems science and education conceptually and methodologically, facilitates integrated food systems thinking, and develops pathways for science-policy-society linkages.
The overall objective of FoSSNet is to establish an inclusive inter- and transdisciplinary pan-European network for food systems science and advance open and inclusive science and education for food systems transformation. The approach of FoSSNet is to foster inclusiveness, cooperation and communication within and across scientific disciplines and across academia, industry and civil society.
Following the FoSSNet vision, the development of an inclusive inter- and transdisciplinary pan-European network foradvancement of open and inclusive food systems science and education for food systems transformation, is approached through six interconnected steps. The main achievements under each of the steps are presented below:
1. With the aim of developing a shared conceptual understanding of food systems science (FSS), a conceptual framework for food systems and a working definition of food systems science have been co-developed among FoSSNet partners and food systems science researchers external to the project.
2. As a first step towards building a FSS network, the 1st European food systems science conference has been held in March 2025 gathering experts within FSS to discuss preliminary project results and work together to define and pursue a value proposition that resonates across the network.
3. To support inclusion in FSS, a tentative analysis of existing power dynamics and inequities in food systems science and beyond, as well as successful examples of establishing inclusive collaborations, has been made, based on extensive literature reviews and empirical research.
4. Under the overall aim to support transdisciplinary FSS, an analysis of existing research agendas under the topic of FSS has been made . Furthermore, three place-based territorial labs for inter- and transdisciplinary research have been designed and initiated.
5. An analysis of existing challenges, shortcomings and strengths in the current European landscape of food systems education has been carried out. Based on this analysis, curricula and summer schools for food systems science are currently under development.
6. Inputs on building a solid foundation for a sustainable network are collected from the 1st European FSS conference to consolidate FoSSNet into a European food-oriented knowledge and innovations system.
1. With the aim of developing a shared conceptual understanding of food systems science (FSS), a conceptual framework for food systems and a working definition of food systems science have been co-developed among FoSSNet partners and food systems science researchers external to the project.
2. As a first step towards building a FSS network, the 1st European food systems science conference has been held in March 2025 gathering experts within FSS to discuss preliminary project results and work together to define and pursue a value proposition that resonates across the network.
3. To support inclusion in FSS, a tentative analysis of existing power dynamics and inequities in food systems science and beyond, as well as successful examples of establishing inclusive collaborations, has been made, based on extensive literature reviews and empirical research.
4. Under the overall aim to support transdisciplinary FSS, an analysis of existing research agendas under the topic of FSS has been made . Furthermore, three place-based territorial labs for inter- and transdisciplinary research have been designed and initiated.
5. An analysis of existing challenges, shortcomings and strengths in the current European landscape of food systems education has been carried out. Based on this analysis, curricula and summer schools for food systems science are currently under development.
6. Inputs on building a solid foundation for a sustainable network are collected from the 1st European FSS conference to consolidate FoSSNet into a European food-oriented knowledge and innovations system.
With the overall aim of supporting the development of a knowledge and innovation system for food, FoSSNet aspires to advance food systems science and education through network building, conceptual and methodological developments, and a research-based approach to advancing inclusion in the FSS domain.
Through the achievements, FoSSNet has provided a space and knowledge base for shared thinking and visioning around a future knowledge and innovation system capable of informing decisions and policies for a food system that is more sustainable, healthy and fair.
Through the achievements, FoSSNet has provided a space and knowledge base for shared thinking and visioning around a future knowledge and innovation system capable of informing decisions and policies for a food system that is more sustainable, healthy and fair.