Consumer involvement

The overarching vision of this partnership is to involve consumers and end-users in Agri-food innovation, as an innovative approach to both regional growth and as part of the solutions to the global food challenges.

Consumer involvement

The overarching vision of this partnership is to involve consumers and end-users in agrifood innovation, as an innovative approach to both regional growth and as part of the solutions to the global food challenges.

With this thematic partnership on Consumer Involvement in Agrifood Innovation we want to empower communities of consumers by exploring and developing different paths to enhance consumer involvement in the innovation process in this sector. This partnership aspires to take a leading role in the transition of the Agrifood sector. For a healthy and resilient food system, active involvement and understanding of consumers is crucial for developing the sector in corporation with academia, businesses and public institutions. Mutual understanding between parties in the value chain is essential for trust in the food sector value chain, and to develop a food supply chain that answers to future consumer and market demands. Questions to be addressed are: What do future user demands mean for existing business models and what are the needs for transforming business models in the future? What ways are there to let consumers engage in product design and production innovation? How can consumers play an active role as partners in innovation? What options are there for living labs aimed at not only product development, but actual improvement of the way we deal with our food in everyday life? How can consumer involvement help to increase sustainability in the food-chain? What does this mean for the fit between demand and supply?

Thematic working areas

This partnership aims to develop methods for enhancing and channeling consumer involvement in Agri-Food innovation. And it stimulates (investments in) pilot-projects to validate various methods, by exploring the paths among which this can be achieved.

This thematic partnership will be based on three pillars, addressing the following topics:
 

Joint Research and innovation

This pillar refers to research and innovation activities where the consumer or end user is involved as a partner instead of just being a subject of research.


Awareness and public debate

This pillar refers to activities that are aimed at encouraging a direct dialogue with consumers and end users throughout the entire food value chain.


Future business models

This pillar refers to development of new business models anticipating and responding to the changing relationship between actors in the Agrifood value chain. It also addresses the necessary innovative ecosystem for economic clustering, where new business models can flourish.

List of regions involved

Contact details of the leading regions

Contact details of DG REGIO

Past events

  • S3Partnership/ERIAFF working group, 13 November 2019. Call for Regions
  • Science meets regions in Aarhus, q3 2019
  • PXL S3 Workshop in Östegötland, Jan-Feb 2019
  • Stakeholder meeting in Östergötland, 22 October 2019
  • 10 October 2018 - Presentation at EWRC in Brussels
  • 11 June 2018 - Operational Meeting, introduction of Foodbait Project in Seinäjoki, Finland
  • 6-7 September 2018 - Partnership meeting combined with Danish Food Festival in Aarhus
  • 17 May 2018 – Partnership meeting in Brussels
  • 18 May 2018 – presentation of S3P for the ERRIN-Bio-economy working group and Commission officials
  • 5 June 2018 – presentation of S3P for Latin American delegation in connection with the INNOVACT project
  • 11 June 2018 – S3P AF Working Committee Meeting in Seinajoki, Finland
  • From 11-13 June 2018 – ERIAFF Conference: Launching presentation of the thematic partnership on Consumer Involvement in Agrifood Innovation in Seinajoki, Finland
  • 12 June 2018 -- Partnership meeting in Finland
  • 3 July 2018 -- Partnership meeting in Brussels

Related documents

Monitoring reports containing a management report and a progress report prepared by the lead regions are available here:
Monitoring report Consumer Involvement July-December 2020
English
(303 KB - PDF)
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