Multi-actor collaboration dynamics and capacity building network inside and between Agriculture Knowledge and Innovation Systems (AKIS) to foster the upscaling of Short Food Supply Chains (SFSCs) across Europe

The EU4Advice project aims to establish strong foundations and enabling structures to ensure effective capacity building of Short Food Supply Chains (SFSC) actors through fluent knowledge transfer.


In line with the new CAP post 2020, the Farm to Fork (F2F) Strategy and the Green Deal, EU4Advice will develop enabling methodologies and tools to connect SFSCs advisors in a common network with the aim of fostering the upscaling of consumer-producer chains across Europe. SFSCs are a mean for producers to increase their bargaining power and to improve their position within the value chain and for consumers to increase trust, transparency, quality and safety of their food. Political and socio-economic barriers and gaps need to be addressed in order to enhance the scope, and realise the benefits of, SFSCs across Europe. One key challenge to achieve this goal is to improve national Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems (AKIS) by implementing new governance models that facilitates the integration of SFSCs advisory services.


Through a multi-actor approach involving advisors, policy makers, researchers, farmers and consumers, and by implementing a living lab methodology, EU4Advice will create the foundations for the establishment of a network of SFSC-advisors across Europe that will be appropriately structured and connected to a diversity of stakeholders within the national AKIS. The development of networking tools, contents for SFSCs advisors, a tailored dissemination, communication and exploitation strategy, and impact assessment plans will create the appropriate ecosystem for the effective transfer of knowledge among stakeholders in the 27 EU members and associated partners in Norway and the UK.