Promoting sustainability of food production

WP 1.1 addressed sustainability in food production as a governance and measurement challenge rather than solely a technical optimisation problem. The Work Package assumed that environmental, economic, social and institutional dimensions interact structurally within agri-food systems, and that sustainability must therefore be made measurable, comparable and operational for enterprises and territories.

A first research line focused on food system governance. Comparative analysis of European case studies examined how organisational networks, value chain structures and public–private coordination models influence sustainability outcomes. This work led to the development of the Food System Governance Matrix, a synthetic analytical framework designed to map governance configurations according to territorial scale and strategic objectives. Rather than prescribing an ideal model, the matrix functions as a decision-support tool for interpreting alternative governance arrangements and informing policy design.

Participatory methodologies were systematically applied to translate analytical findings into operational strategies. Co-creation processes conducted in complex urban contexts involved anti-waste hubs, markets, civic organisations and logistics operators. These initiatives generated shared future scenarios, service concepts and pre-prototypical organisational solutions, while also clarifying the competencies and structural conditions required for effective multi-actor collaboration.

A second research axis addressed sustainability measurement across agri-food value chains. Composite indicators were developed, including the Sustainability Index and the Sustainability by Certification Index, designed to evaluate the adoption of sustainable practices and the diffusion of social and environmental certifications. A simplified environmental self-assessment tool, inspired by life-cycle principles but tailored for SMEs and cooperatives, was also developed to lower barriers to impact measurement and facilitate decision-making at enterprise level.

Further analysis examined sustainability reporting practices among agri-food SMEs. Findings highlighted limited diffusion and structural limitations in simplified reporting frameworks, particularly in capturing biodiversity, soil health, pesticide use, product quality and territorial impacts. A recurrent criticality concerned the absence of a supply chain perspective, which restricts the capacity of reporting tools to reflect interdependencies among actors.

From a regulatory standpoint, WP 1.1 developed an integrated ethical–legal framework connecting agricultural policies, European and national legislation, certification systems, commercial practices, anti-waste measures and green public procurement instruments. The analysis confirmed the role of certification and labelling in strengthening transparency and trust, while identifying regulatory fragmentation as a structural weakness affecting governance coherence.

Research on social innovation and short supply chains further contributed to the evaluation of territorial impacts. Participatory Guarantee Systems were analysed as alternative certification models based on trust and shared quality criteria. Tools such as the Local Multiplier 3 were applied to assess the economic impact of small enterprises on local economies, providing quantitative evidence of territorial value generation.

WP 1.1 strengthened the analytical and operational foundations for sustainability governance in food production systems. By integrating governance modelling, participatory experimentation, sustainability metrics and regulatory analysis, the Work Package supported more transparent, accountable and territorially embedded value chains.