The first step to build the community was represented by the identification of SFSC good practices (GPs). It was produced an interactive, intuitively navigable handbook for their identification, collection and recording. The ‘GPs recording template’, generated information relevant to end-users and EIP-AGRI practice abstracts. These tools were used throughout the project lifetime for the GPs collection.
SKIN partners were actively performing the collection of GPs, divided in two phases. During phase 1 partners collected GPs in their regions/countries, whereas in phase 2 additional GPs were identified outside the SKIN area in order to enlarge the GPs repository and cover different cases. More than 160 good practices have been collected (
http://www.shortfoodchain.eu/good-practices/(s’ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre)). Based on these, overall trends and bottlenecks were found and foresight scenarios for the development of SFSCs in Europe were developed. SKIN partners built up a strategy on ‘How to create the stakeholder database’ and an internal stakeholders list of contacts was created with about 3.000 stakeholders, whereas the SKIN community has grown with more than 200 registered people. Guidelines for learning and brokering activities and for stakeholders engagement were delivered and used as main tools during networking events. Partners are now inviting stakeholders to join the virtual community of practice in order to maintain the SKIN network alive after the project end.
The organization of 6 Innovation Challenge Workshops (ICWs) represented an important occasion to strengthen the network, meet stakeholders, share GPs and catch new ideas. These ICWs were focused on different topics, in particular it was discussed about fresh products, new skills in agriculture, AKIS, consumers, technologies, logistics and regulations. In every ICW roughly 50 people participated and experts were invited to discuss on specific topics and share their experiences also as GPs. Generally, the ICWs were organized to combine field visits directly at the GPs premises and a networking session to improve interaction among participants. During these events the experts and GPs representatives were interviewed and 36 short videos are available on the project website. Moreover, out of each ICW different materials for dissemination purposes were prepared and distributed through the dissemination channels.
39 Regional Nodes (RNs) were identified around the SKIN countries and a dedicated section was dedicated on the project website to disseminate the news related to the RNs events. Moreover, several initiatives and activities, including coaching and internal coaching for trainers, to support multidisciplinary groups and promote new innovative projects were carried out.
