Co-creating sustainable and competitive value chains for fruit and vegetables
Results and outcomes of the CO-FRESH Horizon 2020 project
The Horizon 2020 Innovation Action CO-FRESH is drawing to a close. Its aim was to redesign and pilot innovative systemic approaches to agri-food value chains and to scale this up at the European level. The CO-FRESH project provided techniques, tools and insights as to how to make agri-food value chains more environmentally sustainable, socio-economically balanced and competitive. The project has been implementing technological and non-technological innovations in seven pilots of agri-food value chains to test how the combination of technological and non-technological innovations at several levels and steps (from farmer to the food-processing to consumer) can improve environmental and socio-economic benefits in terms of sustainability.
Results and outcomes of the project include:
- List of identified sustainable, innovative and competitive agri-food value chains – inventory of 100+ value chains and their general characteristics, including different types of sustainability-oriented innovations implemented in these value chains, as well as various models of collaboration.
- A description of all innovations was provided by categorising them into 6 types
- Implementing new farming techniques and technologies (such as Integrated Crop Protection Management, smart Decision Support Systems, biodiversity conservation practices etc.)
- Implementing new food products for a healthier diet
- Implementing new food packaging systems
- Organising the value chain for food waste reduction and valorisation of residual streams
- Improving seasonal workers' living conditions
- Shortening the value chain/bringing producers and consumers together.
- Portfolio of innovative, sustainable, and competitive business models – 20 innovative business models in agri-food value chains selected from 100+ value chains mapped within the project. These include business models that strengthen the position of farmers in the agri-food value chain, and that involve producer organisations, family businesses and SMEs.
- Seven pilot cases - implementing 19 co-created innovations (technological & non-technological) to help the agri-food sector unlock its full potential to achieve economic, social and environmental sustainability and foster cooperation. The innovative solutions are currently being implemented in corresponding pilots. The results will be disseminated in the last months of the project (finishing in March 2024).
- Networking activities & joint policy brief – to maximise impact across Europe, CO-FRESH is closely cooperating with sister projects: FAIRCHAIN, PLOUTOS, FOODRUS. LOWINFOOD. Thematic workshops and cross-exchange visits are currently taking place to present the main CO-FRESH outcomes and have the opportunity to exchange with the main actors of the value chain. The project is also interacting with Operational Groups and other innovative projects to produce a joint policy brief on the challenges and solutions to sustainability aspects in the agri-food value chains.
- Practice abstracts – the inventory of practice-oriented outcomes resulting from CO-FRESH and sister projects’ innovative knowledge are published on the Sustainable Food System Innovation Platform created by the Horizon 2020 project SMARTCHAIN.