FIT4FOOD 2030: food system improvement through R&I

In recent decades in Europe and in Catalonia, great advances have been made in improving food systems. However, we are currently faced with multiple food-related challenges, some posing risks to health and to the planet as a result of dietary changes reflecting new lifestyles, obesity and health inequalities, poor food literacy, environmental degradation, climate change, increased global demand for food, the scarcity of natural resources, food waste, etc. These complex, persistent and interconnected challenges are a matter of increasing attention and concern.

There is a growing consensus that we need to urgently achieve a more sustainable, resilient, responsible, diverse, competitive and inclusive food system that address challenges in a holistic, comprehensive and collaborative manner. The R&I system is a key transformative tool for a systemic approach inspired by Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) and Open Science (Osc). We need to design and facilitate systemic reflection processes involving multiple social actors so as to better take into account different disciplines and perspectives in designing strategies, action plans and shared solutions with the highest possible social impact.

Responding to these challenges to facilitate transformative change in the food system is the EC’s FOOD 2030 political strategy (EU Research & Innovation Policy Framework for Food and Nutrition Security in Europe, based in part on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. To support the development and implementation of this regulatory framework, the FIT4FOOD 2030 project was launched in 2018.

FIT4FOOD 2030 project objectives

The objective of the FIT4FOOD 2030 project is to transform the R&I system by developing a network and instruments for food system improvement that integrate a systemic RRI and OSc approach. The plan is to establish a sustainable multi-stakeholder platform called the FOOD2030 Platform, aimed at mobilizing a wide variety of stakeholders at the city, regional, country and European level to support the FOOD 2030 regulatory framework and its action plan.

This platform will be composed of three interconnected structures:

• A think-tank, to act as a link between the EC and member states.
• Policy Labs, which aim at aligning public and private policies and programmes.
• City Labs, in charge of creating transformative networks based on a systemic RRI approach and of facilitating learning among actors involved in R&I decision making.

These structures will interact regularly in exchanging information and planning and executing actions to support FOOD2030.

What’s the role of Living Lab for Health?

The Living Lab for Health, which acts at the City Lab level, has created a multi-actor transformative platform called FIT4FOOD Bcn. This network focuses its work on the challenges faced in promoting healthy and sustainable diets and especially on the transition from the current promotion model.

Further information

For further information on Fit4Food Bcn and its activities, visit the following URL: https://www.irsicaixa.es/en/fit4food-bcn

Visit the Fit4Food 2030 project website to view our Living Lab for Health webinar.

For more detailed information about the platform or the FIT4FOOD 2030 project, or to participate in our CoPs, email us at LivingLab@irsicaixa.es or visit the project website at https://fit4food2030.eu/