FOSTER- Fostering food system transformation by integrating heterogeneous perspectives in knowledge and innovation within the ERA

Project aim: The vision of FOSTER is to build a foundation from which a new Knowledge and Innovation (K&I) governance structure for Europe’s food system can emerge. This new structure is needed because the current K&I system in the European Research Area (ERA) is insufficient to address the emerging challenges of nourishing Europe in a healthy and sustainable way. While great progress in satisfying food demand has been made over receding decades, the growing awareness of the health and environmental outcomes of the current system, and how these interact with society, call for a new approach to K&I.

About the project: Europe’s food system has achieved high levels of food security and food safety. But it is currently under pressure to nourish people sustainably. In this context, the EU-funded FOSTER project will provide fresh insights into how food systems can be built to be more inclusive and better governed. The project will build an online platform to disseminate the latest information and knowledge, as well as trends and scenarios of future EU food systems. The project will also implement summer schools focused on the integration of related disciplines and citizen science initiatives. Initiating a co-learning process with regional citizen-driven initiatives is also on the project’s list of activities. Project findings will be disseminated via workshops and conferences. FOSTER gathered 17 partners and will last 4 years.