Wageningen, The Netherlands - [28 February 2024] - A ground-breaking initiative, the FoodDataQuest project, was set in motion following a collaborative kick-off meeting on 8 and 9 February in Ghent, Belgium. Coordinated by ILVO (Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food), this initiative brings together a consortium of 15 institutions from eight countries with a shared vision of addressing the challenges in the agri-food industry through innovative data-driven strategies.

The project aims to bring about more sustainable and healthy diets by involving stakeholders across the food supply chain. More data, including new data sources, unconventional players, and enhanced data sharing will provide insights for the food industry that drive the move to sustainable and healthy diets.

The project will tackle social and environmental challenges in the food supply chain, which currently result in food insecurity, unhealthy diets, and environmental harms. Through a multi-actor approach, FoodDataQuest will co-create, and test advanced data-driven solutions powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) algorithms. This initiative stands as a beacon for a fair, healthy, and environmentally friendly food system, balancing data openness with the protection of stakeholders' private and sensitive information.

FoodDataQuest will pioneer four transformative use cases:

1. A DNA-data driven AI system for Food Sustainability and Traceability: Developed by AGROKNOW and BIOCOS, this approach aims to enhance the olive oil supply chain's sustainability and traceability, valorizing local species and producers while optimizing strategies against climatic challenges.
2. Reimagining Food Services in Healthcare: This initiative, led by Intrasoft, SYREON, University Medical Center Maribor, and GS1, focuses on improving patient health and reducing food waste in hospitals and elderly care homes, shifting towards nutritious, sustainable food options.
3. F2F Food Sustainability Insights: Led by ILVO, GS1, Colruyt Group, Nijsen company,and Palau Project, this use-case promotes a shift to sustainable, healthy diets by processing a blend of agricultural and unconventional data to support food quality and consumer choices.
4. Enhancing Consumer Awareness of Eco-Friendly Choices: Coordinated by Wageningen University, with Tampere University and Palau Project as partners, this use-case aims to provide consumers with personalized eco-friendly choices through high-density data-driven communication, utilizing AI technologies to guide sustainable lifestyle decisions.

The ambitious goal of FoodDataQuest is to inspire a global movement towards data-driven innovations that fuel sustainable food systems. As the consortium progresses, it is committed to sharing its findings and developments, thereby engaging citizens and industry stakeholders in its journey towards a transformative food ecosystem.

EFFoST is a proud partner of this new project and will contribute to partner project management and coordination, as well as leading the communication and dissemination activities of the project developments and set up recommendations for policymakers and stakeholders. 

For more information about FoodDataQuest and its activities find us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and visit our project website.