HelpFood 4.0 - Food Ecosystem Scalabilit

HelpFood 4.0 aims to test and demonstrate the importance of designing and supporting social infrastructures to make food circular sustainability more practicable by scaling up and replicating the socio-digital innovation experimented in other RIS countries (Italy, Spain, Portugal). The project explores the role of food as an element of reconnection between farmers, citizens, and “eaters” (i.e., citizens more aware of sustainable food issues) through the promotion of Community-Supported Agriculture models as sustainable examples of production, distribution, and consumption of food.

The project starts from the empirical research developed during the pilot project HelpFood in 2021 and envisages the scaling up and replication of the socio-technical innovation experimented in other RIS countries. In terms of competitiveness and evolution of sustainable food systems within the RIS countries, this project will: (i) enhance the competitiveness of the local ecosystems by identifying new production and market opportunities, with increased returns for the companies as already demonstrated by the EU Geographical Indications’ system; (ii) support innovative value chain design that will improve the competitiveness of small-scale farmers and local distributors; (iii) optimize the local Agrifood supply chain with new digital functionalities and services; (iv) increase citizens' awareness and understanding of the benefits provided by alternative food systems; (v) improve the economic sustainability of local farmers and export the CSA model in other RIS countries; (vi) measure and monitor well-being and progress using both quantitative and qualitative research methods and techniques, (vii) engage local policymakers to make the distribution model more systemic.