Independent Dialogue
Geographical focus:
Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Montenegro, Poland, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Uzbekistan
Discussion topic outcome
How are you and your business contributing to the food system now? What challenges limit your positive impacts? The SME's participating in the dialogues as well as other representatives of the food industry have shared some of the key barriers they experience from their point in the system. It was a rich discussion in all breakout groups. Overall the actions of SMEs are fragmented, not coordinated. Each of the SMEs have shared their dedication to produce and deliver “Good Food for All”, either via use of new technologies including innovations in business models (e.g. direct sales), bio agr
... Read moreiculture etc. It was interesting to notice however, that SMEs would embrace these innovations not as a result of incentives by regulators and governments, rather as a response to unfavourable market conditions and inability to compete with big business. Some key barriers identified included: - outdated legislation - the regulator is lagging behind - unfavourable market conditions - competition with big companies - insufficient education of farmers on "good food" and overall resistance to change - inappropriate distribution of products in households and food processing businesses and food waste - insufficient digitalization of the industry - the importance of maintaining local crop biodiversity conservation through the cooperation of local seed growers, farmers and seed exchange - lack of sustainability context - need to restructure value chains - lack of expertise in new technologies, lack of high-quality personnel - negative outcomes of digitalization - social aspects of the digitalisation and future of work - lack of education for consumers on "good food" Read less
Action Track(s): 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Keywords: Data & Evidence, Environment and Climate, Finance, Governance, Human rights, Innovation, Policy