This article outlines the main conclusions from Chapter 5 of the FOSTER deliverable, which addresses R&I policy support options for furthering food systems science at national, regional and local level in the EU. You can access the complete deliverable on the FOSTER website here.
The chapter titled “Network analysis” examines the key stakeholders involved in the FOSTER Change-Driven Initiatives (CDIs) and presents stakeholder maps that illustrate both the current and desired landscape of stakeholder engagement, highlighting gaps, opportunities, and potential areas for collaboration.
A Network Analysis has been made to assess the FOSTER CDIs relationships with several actors in the food system at a regional, national and European level. This assessment allowed us to take stock of the CDIs current relationships, desired relationships and missing or inactive relationships so as to create a map of each CDIs network. The goal of this exercise is to give clarity to the CDIs, the research partners and policy makers of the network the CDIs operate in, so we can understand what is holding CDIs back and what opportunities exist for helping the CDIs ambitions and guiding researchers and policy makers on how to make better decisions for supporting the CDIs ambitions.
FOSTER is like a vehicle and the passengers are researchers, policy makers and civil society (the latter via the CDIs). We have put these people in a vehicle together, so they can discuss and talk to each other on their journey about what they all think their end destination should look like. While we agree on the need for a changed food system, visions on what that food system looks like and how one can get there differ amongst FOSTER partners.
On their journey the FOSTER partners are using a map which is supposed to guide them with knowledge and innovation to support in making decisions about which road to take towards the future. But the map is difficult for the FOSTER partners to understand because it was designed for farmers and primary producers. So, the researchers, CDIs and policy makers have decided they want to improve the map and make changes to it so they can all read it better. The Network analysis is an important step in this process as the CDIs represent budding food system actors. Understanding perceptions of their current network is key to understanding the challenges CDIs face and to uncovering opportunities to increase their influence and power in the food system.
The main information the researchers in FOSTER wanted to understand can be summarised as the following:
- Who do the CDIs have contact with in the food system at this moment?
- What is the relationship with each actor they work with?
- Are there actors in the food system they have no contact with and if so why? And would they like this to change?
If you are an actor of the food system, lets say a farmer, you will have a network of other people around you, who help you do your job. For example, the processor who comes to collect the produce you grow, or the company who supplies you with fertiliser. As a farmer you rely on these people to achieve your goals in the food system. If for example you didn’t know any processors you would not be able to get your produce to the market as efficiently as a neighbouring farmer and you would have a harder time selling your produce to make an income.
In the same way the CDIs have a network around them which is crucial to them carrying out their work. The CDIs work across different parts of the food system addressing diverse goals such as digitalisation of agriculture or amplifying the voices of underrepresented stakeholders. Others aim to promote healthy and sustainable dietary habits. These efforts involve a wide range of stakeholders with different geographical scopes and different perspectives on cooperation and engagement. The CDIs were asked to describe their relationships and had the following insights to share:
- Governmental organisations are important for all CDIs because they want to be able to influence policy making. These connections however are few and far between because the CDIs lack the economic weight and influence that other actors like food companies have to sway and influence governmental organisations.
- NGOs are actors who can share the same vision as CDIs and are important for collaborating on and sharing information on topics they both care about.
- Financial organisations are important for CDIs creating funding and acquisition opportunities. The large contrast in collaborations with financial organisations with some CDIs having multiple connections in their network to others having zero is one interesting area we can explore further in FOSTER. Is it important for everyone to have such an actor in their network?
This process of looking inward and comparing to their fellow CDIs was carried out for industry associations, manufacturers and media in order to get a rich picture of each CDIs network. With this information now gathered FOSTER can work with the CDIs to better understand their networks and guide them in building new connections. This can help them in taking the necessary steps to building the new FOKIS map which will guide them to their destination.
FOSTER is a vehicle driving food system actors to a destination they know of but are not in agreement on what it looks like or how to get there. The current map FOSTER partners have to guide them AKIS is not easily understandable or made for the partners. One step in creating this new map is to understand the who CDIs work with so we know how they work and how they can better understand the new map we are creating (FOKIS).