Per i professionisti

La gestione delle risorse idriche su scala paesaggistica è fondamentale per affrontare le sfide ambientali e idrologiche dell'agricoltura europea. A causa della frammentazione della proprietà terriera, la gestione deve andare oltre le singole proprietà e allinearsi ai sistemi idrologici, richiedendo una governance collaborativa che coinvolga gli agricoltori e gli altri stakeholder. Questo studio (Milestone 9) sulle motivazioni e le barriere dell'azione collettiva per ridurre l'impatto sulle risorse idriche utilizza i principi di progettazione (DP) di Elinor Ostrom come strumento diagnostico per valutare la solidità istituzionale in tre casi: la gestione dell'irrigazione in Spagna e Ungheria e la regolazione dell'azoto basata sui bacini idrografici in Danimarca. Il caso spagnolo mostra un forte allineamento con i DP, con organizzazioni nidificate e guidate dagli utenti e il riconoscimento legale dei diritti collettivi. Il caso ungherese mostra un forte controllo dall'alto verso il basso, ma manca la capacità di attuare iniziative di gestione idrica complesse e collettive, nonché la necessaria cooperazione dal basso verso l'alto, il coordinamento e la guida professionale. Il caso danese si discosta notevolmente dai PS a causa del limitato coinvolgimento delle parti interessate e dell'autonomia degli utenti. Questi risultati dimostrano come il contesto istituzionale e la progettazione della governance influenzino la legittimità e l'efficacia della gestione idrica. Sebbene i principi di Ostrom offrano un valido punto di riferimento istituzionale, essi forniscono una visione limitata dei fattori comportamentali che influenzano la partecipazione degli agricoltori. Proponiamo che la ricerca futura sui principi di Ostrom debba incorporare prospettive comportamentali per comprendere meglio i successi e i fallimenti dei programmi agroambientali collettivi per l'uso sostenibile delle risorse idriche. Il nostro lavoro successivo andrà oltre l'analisi istituzionale per esplorare le leve e le barriere comportamentali nei programmi agroambientali collettivi.

This article is the corresponding output to “Deliverable 5.3 - Review of food systems models and their behavioural assumptions”.

In this article, we present a scoping review of agent-based models (ABMs) in food systems, focusing on how behavioural insights are incorporated. We find that many models lack behavioural justification and highlight the need for a stronger foundation of behavioural assumptions.

We suggest the following tentative guidelines to support future ABM development in food system modelling:

• Behavioural justification. Behavioural choices should be justified by theory or data. E.g., by using the MoHuB framework to identify relevant behavioural theories.
• Model parsimony. Models should be kept as simple as possible by focusing on specific parts of the food system and limiting spatial scope to what’s necessary to answer the research question.
• Transparency and documentation. The use of standardized protocols, such as ODD + D, is recommended to improve transparency, reproducibility, and comparability.

This study (Deliverable 2.1) consists of a systematic literature review to map levers and lock-ins to give an overview of drivers for behaviour change and their relevance to specific actors in the food system and specific value chains. This was achieved by performing an umbrella review of systematic and structured literature reviews conducted in relation to the behavioural aspects of sustainability transition in food systems. This review resulted in a systematic mapping of the factors influencing behavioural change of food system actors (so called 360° Reviews) and a narrative synthesis of the recommendations made by the selected reviews.

Report on the generic and specific drivers associated with the policy context
This Deliverable 6.1 compiles, analyses and contrasts the outcomes from two tasks of VISIONARYs ‘Science-Policy Interfaces and relationship building’. The two taks ‘Policy and regulatory context mapping’ and ‘Participatory foresight exercises’ ran in parallel and intertwined. The purpose of this analysis is two-fold. First, it aims to feed into the design of the experimental research to be undertaken in the various empirical tasks included in other VISIONARY work packages. Second, it allows for identifying and discussing relevant policy gaps that need to be tackled in the EU and UK policy cycles to come.

This working paper on drivers and barriers in value chain initiatives is part of VISIONARY project Milestone 15. This document presents an analysis of drivers and barriers to enabling sustainability innovation in seven agribusiness initiatives in seven partner countries (Denmark, Germany, Hungary, Romania, Spain, Poland, UK).

This report presents the findings of a study conducted as part of the VISIONARY project, which explores the challenges and opportunities within European food legume value chains. The study focuses on identifying the barriers that limit the adoption of plant-based proteins, particularly legumes, in Denmark, Germany, Poland, and Spain. It also explores potential strategies and levers to boost the uptake of these products. The key findings highlight the obstacles to adoption and pinpoint leverage points that could drive greater acceptance of legumes in these countries.

This report marks a significant step in our exploration of sustainable value chains through detailed case studies, focusing on value chain initiatives and business models. We examine individual case studies across seven partner countries: Denmark, Germany, Hungary, Romania, Spain, Poland, and the UK. Our analysis employs a practice-based approach to understanding how sustainability is integrated into these value chains. By studying real-world practices within organisations and across supply chains, we gain insights into the connections—both supportive and challenging—that impact sustainability efforts. This perspective sheds new light on the internal dynamics and broader implications of sustainable practices within value chains.

Work Package 1: Engagement, communication, dissemination and exploitation
Milestone 1 

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This Analytical Framework will steer the empirical research of the VISIONARY project, with regards to policy interventions, to novel value chain initiatives and business models, and to leverage points in the agri-food systems. The Analytical Framework adopts a novel approach combining two substantially different approaches: quantitative, experimental and behavioural economics on the one hand, and qualitative, comprehensive systems thinking approaches on the other.

This publication gives an overview of the 16 foresight workshops undertaken in eight European countries with our science policy interfaces (SPI) participants - around 270 stakeholders from the food system, among them farmers, policymakers, scientists, retailers and NGOs. The foresight exercise framed their discussion of some of the most pressing issues of our food systems: agricultural water management, the future of organic food and farming, and the promotion of plant-based products along the value chain.

This Initial Conceptual Framework assembles VISIONARY’s theoretical and conceptual foundations, explaining the systemic character of the food system and its transitions towards sustainability, the role of food actors’ behavioural factors in conditioning such transition and the interaction between research and policy-making to accelerate. This initial framework sets the foundations for the ‘Empirically grounded Conceptual Framework’ to be released in the summer of 2025. After a preliminary review of the approaches revolving around food system transition towards sustainability and its behavioural dimension (in particular of farmers and consumers), the document focuses on two main domains: ‘behavioural food policies’ and ‘sustainable business models’. Finally, the document deepens into the transdisciplinary approach of the project, based upon the concept and implementation of Science-Policy Interfaces.