Transforming Agri-Food Value Chains for Sustainability and Competitiveness in Europe

Jun 15, 2023

The main objective of CO-FRESH – Horizon 2020 Innovation Action – is to redesign and pilot innovative systemic approaches to agri-food value chains to scale up this innovation at the European level. The CO-FRESH project aims to provide techniques, tools and insights on how to make agri-food value chains more environmentally sustainable, socio-economically balanced and competitive. The project is implementing technological and non-technological innovations in 7 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.

Interesting results and outcomes of the project so far:

  • 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.
  • 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 farmers’ position in the agri-food value chain, and that involve producer organizations, family businesses and SMEs.
  • 7 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.
  • Networking activities & Joint Policy Brief – to maximise impact across Europe, CO-FRESH is closely cooperating with sister projects selected under topics RUR-06-2020 and RUR-07-2020: FAIRCHAIN, PLOUTOS, FOODRUS, Thematic workshops and cross-exchange visits will be organized with these projects (Sept’23 – Feb’24) to present the main CO-FRESH outcomes and have the opportunity to exchange with main actors of the value chain. The project is also interacting with Operational Groups within the EIP-AGRI, with SCAR SWG AKIS and Food Systems, whereby a joint policy brief on the challenges and solutions to sustainability aspects in the agri-food value chains will be jointly developed.
  • Practice abstracts – a package of abstracts resulting from CO-FRESH innovative knowledge, which are following the EIP-AGRI common format and are ready for practice. The project will produce at least 100 practice abstracts during its lifetime, whereby some of them are already published.

At this moment, innovative solutions are being implemented in corresponding pilots. The first results and prototypes will be presented in the General Assembly of the project in September in Pamplona.