On October 9th and 10th 2024, SPI participated in a two-day event of the FOSTER project, comprising a Project Meeting and a Joint Workshop of FOSTER consortium and FOSTER science-policy expert panel. The event was held in Brussels, Belgium at the Representation of the State of Lower Saxony to the European Union.
On October 9th, project members – including academic partners, Change Driven Initiatives (CDIs) and the Chair of the FOSTER Expert Panel, Janet Dwyer – came together to reflect on FOSTER’s progress over the past two years. The main theme was exploring FOSTER’s contributions to transforming the food system and enhancing knowledge and innovation within it.
On October 10th, the Joint Workshop allowed CDIs and expert panel members to meet in person for the first time. This exchange facilitated a dialogue aimed at improving governance and policies that foster knowledge and innovation. The project’s ultimate goal is to identify ways to adapt, include, and govern knowledge and innovation systems that help transform Europe’s food system to enhance public health, protect the environment, promote fairness, and support sustainable businesses.
This gathering introduced participants to the FOSTER project’s mission and vision, the participating food initiatives, and relevant EU policy instruments, setting the stage for continued collaboration in promoting food system transformation.
SPI was represented by Susana Seabra and Hugo Magalhães and hosted the session on communication and dissemination within the project meeting and organised and hosted the session on the needs and opportunities for innovation and transformation in the Sci-Pol Expert Panel meeting.