IKnowFood: Integrating Knowledge for Food Systems Resilience

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Systems of food production, trade and consumption are increasingly vulnerable to interconnected political, economic and ecological shocks associated with climate, environmental and ecosystem changes, shifts in farming practices and consumer lifestyles, and globalisation. In this project, we use the concept of resilience to investigate the sources of these vulnerabilities and to produce datasets, information resources, engagement approaches and business tools that will assist stakeholders in developing mitigation and adaptation strategies. Although the concept of resilience is used widely in current academic and policy fields, these usages have generally failed to shine light on food system complexity and the borderless, multi-stakeholder and cross-scale challenges that arise within it. We understand this complexity in terms of the structures, institutions and information that connect or divide food system stakeholders, and define the opportunities and constraints that they experience. Specifically, in the project we explore resilience on farm; in the supply chain; and among consumers, in order to: (1) deepen understanding of the food system and how stakeholders differ in their ability to respond to crises and stresses within global food supply chains; (2) investigate how structures, institutions and information can support individuals, communities and organisations to think and act in response to different types of change that emerge within the complexity of the global food system; (3) explore how new forms of data, mobile technologies, institutional models and incentive frameworks can shape information flows and behaviour, enabling researchers, technologists and food system stakeholders to resolve and respond in a timely fashion to pressures facing food consumption, production and trade; and (4) Provide a new model of food system resilience that sets an agenda for future interdisciplinary research and defines policy objectives for a resilient UK food system.

Our impact objectives will ensure that a new concept of food system resilience, associated barriers to resilience and policy objectives are effectively disseminated to all relevant external groups. We will deliver new and/or improved technology sensor and application technologies, ensure they can be taken up by end users successfully, and ensure learning on co-design in innovation systems for sustainable intensification is disseminated across the agri-technology industry. We will disseminate a decision support toolkit across a range of supply chain actors and ensure information on consumer resilience and food-related health literacy reaches community and public health policy makers. Furthermore the work will demonstrate effective mobile and ubiquitous platform technologies to support consumer decision making, and create user-centred designs that can support consumers. The outputs from this research will have direct relevance to different actors within the food system including; consumers and customers; farmers; retailers, manufacturers, processors, agricultural technologists, national, European and international food policy personnel; public health professionals; environmental agencies and NGOs.

Our methods to engage end-users for maximum impact will leverage an existing collaboration funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) hosted at York, which focuses on interdisciplinary approach to address key global challenges in food production, resilient food supply chains and improved consumer nutrition and behaviour change. This will provide the IKnowFood with access to 8 Knowledge Exchange Fellows working with businesses; databases to identify actors to participate in, disseminate and benefit from this research; and the opportunity to present research outputs at a series of industry engagement events. In addition, our Science Advisory Group will meet annually to advise on the direction of the project, and will enhance the project profile within policy, business and public discourse. One platform for user engagement will be the custom built website created for a general audience but with sections designed to guide different types of visitors to the information and outputs most relevant to them. The website will also provide a platform to link users with related projects and institutions including farmer practitioner networks and the newly funded What Works and Agri-innovation Centres.

We will look to influence the following stakeholders:
Farmers: All 3 Universities have strong links with various farmer networks and the N8 AgriFood Programme has provided a way of synthesising those links for impact on a wider scale. The NFU, CABI, ADAS, LEAF, the Food and Environment Research Agency (FERA) and Innovative Farmers all have strong links with the University of York around food production.
Suppliers and Retailers: York already has links with a number of networks including BURNS (Building Up Resilience in Supply Chains). This network involves producers, processors, logistics experts, manufacturers, retailers, think tanks (Food & Drink Federation), policy makers and NGOs. Plus we will work with the Institute of Grocery Distribution and The British Retail Consortium.
Technology Producers: The University of York's Digital Creativity Hub will ensure learning from information technology co-production will reach large scale technology companies like IBM and Google which have long-term strategic memorandums of understanding with York.
Agricultural technologists: The University of Manchester has strong links with agricultural technologists who will play a key role in the sensor and application technology developments.
Consumers: both York and Liverpool have direct links to designated consumer cohorts which will be used to disseminate key tools and findings. Furthermore they have strong links to policy groups such as Public Health England, Regional Health and Well-being boards plus Global Health Policy Groups