On Food Perspective

Food and agricultural issues are often narrowly addressed in terms of soil availability, calories per person, and tons per hectare, while overlooking the fact that food, or more accurately, eco-agro-food systems, are central to many other critical concerns, including nutrition, health, culture, labor, and development.

If considered from a systemic and holistic perspective, the food system seems like a prism through which to observe, understand and change our reality. Food encompasses multiple dimensions of knowledge and people’s life. 

Therefore, it should go far beyond its mere, most common association with ‘production’ and ‘consumption’ to include, instead, references to its level of sustainability evaluated in terms of quality, safety and security within a broad political, cultural and symbolic perspective.

To accomplish this, we use several scientific research tools ranging from the most critical specialised institutions to leading national companies known in the field. 

According to the UN 2030 Agenda and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), OnFoods aims to produce innovative, scientific and technological outcomes to improve food and nutrition systems while promoting people’s and the planet’s sustainability, health and well-being.

The food system, understood as the eco-agro-food complex, significantly contributes to anthropogenic impacts (land use, water exploitation, biodiversity loss, and greenhouse gas emissions). Consequently, it is the system that we must act on to mitigate the effects of climate change and reduce food-related diseases and related costs.
 

The challenges are far-reaching: tackling undernutrition and malnutrition, food security, equitable access to natural resources and food, and sustainable management of production and distribution processes. But also recognition of the role of women in supply chains, tackling waste, promoting virtuous food behaviours, food education programs and efficient policies.

Through our research and innovation network, we are developing new strategies and tools to help ensure the safety of the food we eat, from production to consumption.

Significant differences can exist in how our bodies digest, absorb, and utilise nutrients based on our genetics, environment, and lifestyle factors. This growing understanding of interindividual differences in human responses to food intake has highlighted the need for a more personalised approach to human nutrition. 

Our research deepens our understanding of the multiple factors individual responses to food, including genetics, gut microbiota, and lifestyle factors.

The pandemic disrupted global supply chains, causing shortages and price spikes in many regions, while the conflict has disrupted agricultural production in Ukraine, a key food exporter.

To address these challenges, the OnFoods project focuses on strengthening the resilience of food companies and the food system as a whole. This entails developing contingency plans for supply chain disruptions and promoting more sustainable and resilient farming practices that can adapt to changing environmental conditions.
 

It is essential to cultivate interdisciplinary expertise to tackle the complex challenges the food system presents to achieve this goal.

This involves bringing together specialists from various fields, such as agriculture, food science, economics, and policy, to collaborate on research and innovation projects that can contribute to building a more sustainable and resilient food system.