Presentation of the I-CON Project at the 11th International European Forum (Igls-Forum) (161st EAAE Seminar) on System Dynamics and Innovation in Food Networks

IGLS-FORUM Series is a joint initiative by agri-food groups of leading European and international universities and business schools providing a discussion platform for the European and international scientific community. It is endorsed by international scientific associations in agricultural economics, agribusiness, engineering, and information research.

The objective of this Forum is to provide an interdisciplinary and creative discussion environment that generates new ideas for innovative and multidisciplinary research.

Its focus is on the analysis of the food system dynamics and interdependencies; the identification of drivers for sustainable system dynamics in the decision sphere of the system actors (e.g. chain management, consumers, agencies, policy, ets.); and on the identification and promotion of potential system innovations.

An article Food SMEs needs on food safety, labelling will be presented at the forum by Adrienn Hegyi from Campden BRI Hungary.

The food sector together with other value-chain related sectors represents one of the most important, potential fields to leverage improvement of socio-economic situation in remote areas. Understanding of their needs, challenges are crucial and also support them with practical solutions to handle their challenges in time.

In the I-CON CE Interreg project, the partners from Central Europe countries, together with Austria, Italy and Germany, aimed to design and implement a sustainable transnational action plan to generate competitive advantages for SMEs and proactive hints for intermediaries and institutional representative levels.

As an initial part of this work the SMEs’ needs were explored focusing on pre-selected key areas: food safety, labelling, packaging and mechatronic. In the above mentioned article the food safety and labelling SMEs are presented with the potential solutions. All of the collected needs, solutions were checked by stakeholders, decision makers in SEE countries involved in the project to have a global picture about the real needs.

Website: http://www.fooddynamics.org/index.html