Nov 7, 2022
After two successful co-creation workshops – the goal-defining workshop in June 2021 and the implementation workshop in January 2022 – and an intense design and implementation period, the first version of the ICT platform for trustworthy traceability information on Feta cheese production is available.
Information from key phases, including milk collection, milk mixing and cheese processing operations is captured using the ICT system and registered in Blockchain. Blockchain, an innovative technology being piloted in food industry, allows for immutability and integrity of the information.
The usage of Blockchain, as a decentralized ledger, presents technological and organizational challenges, e.g. related to data volumes that can be handled. The combined usage of private (project – based) and public (Ethereum testnet) along with optimized data management and coding techniques employed in the case study, contribute to its smooth usage.
The case study is well aligned with the tectonic changes in the Ethereum landscape in terms of consensus algorithms. The Merge, executed on September 15, 2022, completed Ethereum’s transition to proof-of-stake consensus, officially deprecating proof-of-work and reducing energy consumption by ~99.95%.
The case study’s ‘smart contracts’ (i.e. computerized rules executed in Blockchain verifying that the operational parameters comply with the legislation framework and best practices) are PoS compliant, while we are currently migrating from Ropsten testnet to the new recommended testnet Goerli.
Stay tuned, as in the coming months the platform will be further enhanced and piloted.
Text and image contributed by Andreas Papadakis
Nov 3, 2022
Today, the forest berry value chain is long and international. Local berry picking and processing have almost disappeared and have instead been replaced by foreign berry pickers in collaboration with large wholesalers. There is a national market for forest berries, but to get this value chain to develop further we need to tackle a series of challenges.
To show that the berry industry can change, FAIRCHAIN has developed a special app. The app was developed by RISE to be used for mapping berry fields and, via digital models made by SLU, we can help berry pickers predict which areas have a high yield of berries.
During the first part of 2022, FAIRCHAIN also devoted itself to finding partners who want to do tests with picking, cleaning and selling berries, in a new concept that we call “Bär-i-bygden” (Berries in the Village). The purpose of Bär-i-Bygden is to engage with the local population in Bjurholm, a small municipality in northern Sweden. The idea is to use Bjurholm as a kind of geographically limited demo site to test how we can create co-learning and engagement around berries. In September, we organized a berry festival in Bjurholm.
The aim was to get more people to see the possibilities with our wild berries, to create more cooperation in the area and, in this way, bring more creative product development around berries and berry processing. Over 400 people participated in the event.
Text and Image contributed by Alexander Walhberg, RISE
Oct 25, 2022
A new issue of the FAIRCHAIN project newsletter is now available!
You will find find:
- An overview of the work carried out halfway into the project
- Information about the Sustainable Food System Innovation Platform
- An explanation of the FAIRCHAIN assessment framework for business model generation and sustainability
- Updates on the Greek and Swedish case studies
- Our dissemination actions
- News from sister projects
You can read the October 2022 issue of the newsletter here. To receive the next issue directly in your mailbox, fill out the registration form.
Oct 24, 2022
The FAIRCHAIN project will chair a special session dedicated to innovation for small and medium food producers and enterprises at the 36 edition of the EFFoST International Conference. The presentations will focus on technical and technological innovations specifically geared at SMEs developed and demonstrated by different EU-funded projects as well as deployment challenges and supporting factors. The session will take place on 9 November from 11h05 to 12h50 GMT.
PROGRAMME
Introduction & objectives – Geneviève Gésan-Guiziou (FAIRCHAIN coordinator), National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (INRAE)
Agrifood Innovation: New Needs in the FOOD 2030 Scenario – Jonas Lazaro-Mojica, Food Drink Europe
Innovative upgrades to value and packaging of small quantities of liquid food products – Imca Sampers (Ghent University), Geneviève Gésan-Guiziou (INRAE)
Biotechnology tools for clean label plant-based new foods – Inés Echeverría, Centro Nacional de Tecnología y Seguridad Alimentaria (CNTA)
Supporting a frozen fruit value chain of small farmers for optimising production, reducing environmental footprint and re-using data for certification and subsidies – Marianna Gkavrou, NEUROPUBLIC SA
A second chance for food surplus: a digital marketplace to promote circular economy and avoid food waste – Elisa Carloni, University of Bologna
Collaborative Artificial Intelligence for Sustainable Manufacturing in the Food Industry – Juan S. Angarita-Zapata, University of Deusto
Round table discussion – Katherine Flynn, ISEKI-Food Association (moderator)
Oct 23, 2022
FAIRCHAIN results were presented by partner Synelixis at Agrotica, the largest trade fair in the Balkans and the Southeastern Mediterranean for agricultural machinery, equipment, and supplies. The event was held on 20-23 October 2022 in Thessaoliniki, Greece.
Oct 6, 2022
The EU4ADVICE project held its kick-off meeting in Amsterdam on 6-7 October. FAIRCHAIN was presented by a representative of ISEKI-Food Association as a key project that EU4ADVICE should build on since both projects seek to upscale short food supply chains and use the Innovation Platform. We look forward to a fruitful collaboration with EU4ADVICE!
