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Project Topic
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The Mediterranean Agri-food value chain, which represents a complex systems involving several local actors, such as farmers, small-scale food manufacturers, and local distributors among others, is challenged by the dual objective of (i) enhancing competitiveness, which is currently challenged by non-optimized organizational model, long supply chain and imported low price products of global markets, and (ii) improving sustainability of the productions and increase safety and quality of food products. The main objective of ValICET is to deploy an ICT solution and develop innovative processing technologies and business models that will allow enhancing the competitiveness of local actors of the agri-food supply chain by ensuring stakeholders (small-scale farmers, equipment manufacturers, processors, local retailers and consumers) engagement and, especially, meeting consumer demands for functional and healthier and locally produced foods with clean labels and at a fair price. Particularly, the project aims at developing novel strategies for the valorisation of wastes and by-products from post-farming processes of Mediterranean agri-food systems and the design of eco-friendly processes to recover high-added value bioactives to be reintroduced in the agri-food chain as food ingredients/additives within the circular economy framework. The functional ingredients/additives with high nutritional value, antioxidant capacity and antimicrobial activity can contribute to reduce post-farming food losses during transportation and storage, to improve the nutritional and sensory quality and to extend the shelf-life of Mediterranean food products such as fruits, bakery, wine and dairy products. ValICET will use an innovative approach (inter-linking expertise from academia and food industry) to hypothesize innovative solutions, leading to the maximal exploitation of food wastes and food by-products potentialities, through their conversion into value-added foods for human consumption. Implementation of innovative and sustainable processes to produce added-value products from local food manufacturers, while delivering marketing strategies and business models will contribute to (i) optimize the local Agri-food supply chain production (ii) decrease the negative impact of food waste and by-product in the environment, (iii) reduce food losses during storage and transportation, (iv) improve sociological understanding (particularly consumer perception), and (v) enhance the competitiveness of local cluster by identification of new production and market opportunities with consequently increased profit for the companies of the entire chain. This “multi-actor approach” research concerning farmers, LE, SMEs, retailers, and consumers will facilitate the cooperation among different stakeholders supporting innovative value chain design that will improve the competitiveness of small-scale farmers, manufacturers, local distributers against the large-scale production of global markets. Moreover, the production of innovative extracts and food ingredients with valuable properties will bring economic and social advantages, creating new jobs and marketable value-added products. Consumer behaviour analysis applied to the food products developed in the frame of ValICET will give consumer feedback providing new insights to define strategies in the product design and marketing strategies. Consumer studies will allow to access the best mechanisms to establish close relationships between all actors in the food chain and the final consumers. An ICT tool will be developed to ensure the competitiveness of food producers in domestic and foreign markets through the divulgation of local and traditional products as well for the communication and new supply chain arrangements among small producers, enterprises and consumers.
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