VISIONARY investigates Europe’s food systems, asking key questions: What is preventing us from making the transition to more sustainable food systems? How can these bottlenecks be overcome? What policy and business changes are needed to promote sustainable farming practices?

The importance of reconsidering European food systems in a global context was highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic when it became clear that the global food supply chain is prone to failure in the face of shocks.

Current food systems suffer from the overuse of chemicals in food production, monoculture systems and the negative environmental impact of intensive livestock farming on land and at sea, leading to soil degradation and a negative impact on water and biodiversity. Substantial change in the food system is urgently needed to make agriculture more economically, environmentally and socially sustainable.

VISIONARY aims to improve the sustainability of agriculture by promoting those practices in food production systems that are more environmentally friendly, economically viable and socio-culturally appropriate and by helping to remove barriers to their adoption.

Highclere Consulting (HCC) is responsible for writing the communication, dissemination and exploitation plan and monitoring activities. We are also coordinating the case studies in Romania in work package 4 which focus on the concept of Local Gastronomic Point and Small Producers.