Be Connected

VISION / MISSION

Experience-sharing

Facilitation of on-the-ground-processes

Learning journeys

VISION

We envision interconnected Sustainable Regional Food Networks (SRNF) become the common food systems: “Food is a Collaborative Commons”

MISSION

We take care of relationships around food to enable interconnected living examples of Sustainable Regional Food Networks (SRNF) around the world.

STRATEGY

1. Making visible the stories from living examples of existing Food Networks, initiators, food network co-creators and food-change-makers around the world.
2. Inviting people to participate on the journey of developing the interconnected Sustainable Regional Food Networks
3. Holding spaces for listening, sharing and mutual appreciation on the journey of the emergence of Food Networks.
4. Together we prototype and co-create living examples of the future food systems.

ACTIVITIES

A) Prototyping New Ways of community-based food supply

  1. We monitor and evaluate the concepts and principles of the living examples of SRFN
  2. We support the teams and entrepreneurs of the living examples to learn peer to peer and to scale up their models
  3. We develop modules for Vocational Education and Training (for special topics e.g. farm-to-table, food network building, social food) and we train the trainers in different SRFNs

B) We are net-weaving globally to interconnect food networks and living examples.

  1. We operate the platform (our website at the moment) and the blog to give visibility to living examples of different SRFNs 
  2. We have weekly calls to coordinate the activities around the globe

C) We engage and contribute in global discussions around the global food system.

  1. We collaborate with summer schools of WFSC at ETH University and other universities
  2. We engage with SFS Programme of One Planet Network as MAC Members
  3. We have speeches in universities, in farmers networks, in NGO forums and workshops, in different summits around the globe

D) We co-create and prototype the direct exchange between Sustainable Regional Foodnetworks to Hacking global trade.

  1. We are prototyping the exchange of products like Tulsi Tea Mix from Nepal, Prickly Pear Jam from Portugal and Dried Berries from Kosovo, between the networks to create global solidarity

Academy

We collaborate with research and academia and contribute with case studies, living laboratories and best practices from the existing Food Networks.
This is our conceptual working model for Sustainable Regional Food Networks (SRFN).

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BACKGROUND : SUSTAINABLE REGIONAL FOOD NETWORKS (SRFN)

The food system of the future calls for food networks that are made up by value-generating, collaborative and reciprocal partnerships between equal actors, where cultural, environmental and social values and benefits come before purely economic profits and with the overall objective of ensuring food and nutrition security to everyone.

This can happen through the understanding of food as a “collaborative common” that encourages respectful and ethical practices of production and consumption of food and that is based on the development of networks of like-minded individuals as the key to transform the existing food system.

Our mission is to develop, implement and disseminate an innovative food-system approach as an alternative to the industrialized and commodified food supply chains dominant nowadays. To achieve this, the Food Networks aims at creating a working-model based on the combination of academic research, vocational training, entrepreneurial activities, public actor support and consumer engagement.

OUR MODEL

Our Food Networks model is based on 4 pillars and their respective sub-principles:

1. Good governance: New rules for an increased collaboration
  • A) Permanent Stakeholder Dialogue and Participation
  • B) Stakeholder Empowerment, Equality, and Shared Responsibility
  • C) Fairness, Transparency and Accountability of Processes and Products
  • D) Associative Economics
2. Ecological Sustainability: Resilient and diversified food system
  • A) Production methods following agro-ecological principles
  • B) Processing to preserve food in resource efficient way
  • C) Efficient & ecological distribution enabling direct linkage between producers and consumers
  • D) Responsibility in Consumption:
3. Sustainable Livelihoods: A collaborative relationship
  • A) Contributing to community building
  • B) Strengthening the local economy
  • C) Respect existing and create new cultural dimensions in food
  • D) Fostering innovation and facilitating transformation
4. Social Learning & Innovation Exchange
  • A) Developing and maintaining instruments for social learning and innovation:
  • B) Creating innovations in production, processing, retailing
  • C) Vocational education/skill development and entrepreneurial training
  • D) Research of new methods and techniques

Academy

We aim at creating a working-model based on the combination of academic research, vocational training, entrepreneurial activities, and public actor support and consumer engagement.