Two input presentations explored how current policies may provide incentives to promote crop diversification. Barbara Pancino discussed how to promote crop diversification across Europe, then Bálint Balázs presented new governance solutions for legume-based food systems.
During the facilitated breakout sessions, we discussed enablers and barriers to crop diversification and legume-based food systems. The first group identified the following enablers:
- Need for more R&D projects;
- Horizontal linkages between companies/firms;
- Cluster management;
- Dietary guidelines;
- Introduction of a minimum compulsory amount of local food in public kitchens (long-term contract);
- Infrastructure;
- Reward for diversification.
The second group identified the following barriers:
- Lack of variety in diets (also for livestock);
- Standardization of production processes;
- Lack of technology (depending on the context);
- Lack of knowledge on how to diversify production (management and organization);
- Lack of access to R&D projects and funds;
- Cost of food: low income families can afford only “standardized” food and then demand only that, resulting in low demand for diversified food.
More information
Contacts
- Barbara Pancino (University of Tuscia, Italy/Diverfarming) bpancino(at)unitus.it
- Bálint Balázs (ESSRG, Hungary/TRUE) balazs.balint(at)essrg.hu
Web links
- Zenodo.org: New governance solutions for legume based food systems
- CropDiversification.eu: Website of the crop diversification cluster
- ZENODO.org: First European Conference on Crop Diversification: Book of Abstracts. For workshop info see page 359 at https://www.zenodo.org/record/3516329
tap and then scroll down to the Add to Home Screen command.