Lab4Supply

The project “Multi-agent Agri-food living labs for new supply chain Mediterranean systems: Towards more sustainable and competitive farming addressing consumers’ preferences and market changes” (LAB4SUPPLY) is coordinated by CREDA (Center for Agro-Food Economics and Development) of the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC). LAB4SUPPLY is formed by 9 Partners from 7 different countries in the Mediterranean area (Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Egypt, Algeria and Morocco) and funded under the PRIMA- SECTION 2 by the participant National Agencies within the 2020 Call (Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area).

The main objective of LAB4SUPPLY is to provide a PRACTICAL SOLUTION to address the current difficulties of MEDITERRANEAN SMALLHOLDERS AND TRADITIONAL FARMERS, who face the main challenges that arise in the Agri-food value chain. The Project will offer INNOVATIVE AND VIABLE SOLUTIONS and opportunities to allow local smallholders to increase their competitiveness and profitability, using OPTIMIZED AGRI-FOOD SUPPLY CHAIN and improving ADAPTATION CAPACITY to unexpected market changes, which at the same time are better perceived by the consumers. The project purpose is to empower agri-food smallholders in the Mediterranean agricultural systems through the definition, enhancement and transfer of competitive and efficient food supply chain alternatives that address farmer’s capacities and markets’ needs.

During 36 months, from July 1st, 2021 until June 30th, 2024, with a total Grant of 1.120.070€, LAB4SUPPLY will analyse FIVE FULL AGRI-FOOD SUPPLY CHAINS (from farm to fork) that will integrate ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL indicators, with a bottom-up approach considering the stakeholders' perspectives. The LAB4SUPPLY is structured in three main technological pillars: 1) to develop a MULTIDIMENSIONAL FRAMEWORK for an aggregated analysis on the supply chain; 2) to create and AGRI-FOOD INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM LIVING-LAB with multi-agent approach, to test the framework in the 5 agri-food supply chain cases of study, and 3) to develop a DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM ICT TOOL FOR SMALLHOLDERS.

The participatory approach of the project is based on the creation of an Agri-food Innovation Ecosystem (AIE) Living-Lab (LL) that will be the arena to collect information from the food sector and consumers and to transfer and apply the new optimized models. This approach will be unfolded by the joint creation of two levels of interaction: a face-to-face one through the creation of an Agri-food Stakeholders Platform (ASP) and a “digital” one through a Decision Support System (DSS) ICT tool consumer/farmer-centred developed with the aggregated indicators and inputs generated in the different activities, providing small-holder with key and intuitive information on new markets and opportunities, contributing to a better decision making.