By Luminita Ciolacu and Sofia Reis
From: ISEKI-Food Association
The Sustainable Food Systems Innovation (SFSI) platform recently hosted its first online member’s event, offering a dynamic look into the future of knowledge sharing platforms at European level. If you missed the live session, the full recording is now available to watch — and it’s well worth a view for anyone engaged in sustainable food systems, innovation networks, or EU-level policy and collaboration.
A Comprehensive Introduction
The event began with an in-depth overview of the SFSI platform, designed to serve as a central hub for sharing knowledge, good practices and more, accelerating sustainable transitions in the food sector. Built by EU funded projects, SFSI platform aims to be an online tool where all actors of the food value chain can find reliable knowledge through a user-friendly digital interface.
What Participants Said
In a dedicated interactive segment, participants responded to several Slido poll questions designed to gather user preferences and expectations for the future of the SFSI Platform. The feedback provided a detailed look into how stakeholders perceive the platform and where they see its potential. The ‘Training’ section was highlighted as the platform’s most appreciated feature, while the ‘Case Study’ section was seen as the most practically useful inventory followed by innovations. While many participants were engaging in the SFSI platform for the first time, others offered constructive suggestions for improvement, including: enhancing interconnectivity between SFSI and other EU platforms, creating more opportunities for co-creation and member networking, ensuring alignment with ongoing EU project grants, enabling users to be proactively invited to new projects based on their competences and experience.
Keynote and Expert Panel on the Future of Knowledge Sharing platforms
A keynote presentation was given by Peter Rakers (Essence Engage) who underlined the impact of AI on all levels of knowledge, followed by a lively expert panel discussion exploring “The Future of Knowledge Sharing Platforms at EU Level.” Moderated in an interactive format with real-time Slido questions and audience Q&As, the panel brought together voices from across the food system. Lisa Williams Van Dijk (Highclere Consulting & EU-FarmBook), Elena-Teodora Miron (LFO & ModernAKIS), Christian Jochum (HAUP) and Chiara Roticiani (Food2030 project collaboration Network)emphasized that knowledge sharing platforms must go beyond simple repositories to become active facilitators of collaboration, learning, and impact.
Core Themes: Trust, Transparency, and AI
Several key themes emerged during the discussion:
- Transparency and Trust: Panellists agreed that credibility and openness are vital for the success of any knowledge-sharing initiative. Users must trust the information and the platform that provides it.
- AI and Community Synergy: The conversation explored also how artificial intelligence can complement community-driven processes, helping users filter, personalize, and engage with complex data while preserving the human touch that drives real change.
- Governance Models: The discussion highlighted the importance of sound governance structures to ensure inclusivity, accountability, and long-term sustainability of platforms like SFSI platform.
Supported by EU Projects
The event was made possible by managing (COREnet, EU4Advice, FAIRCHAIN, WATSON, WASTELESS) and actively contributing (EUFarmBook, FOLOU, HuMUS, Hungry Ecocities, , INOVFARMER, MED-LINKS, OREN) projects of the SFSI Platform.
Looking Ahead: How Participants See the Future of the SFSI Platform
A particularly insightful part of the poll involved asking participants how they envision the evolution of the SFSI platform over the next five years. This question was asked both at the beginning and the end of the event, revealing a shift in perspective. At the start, 43% of respondents saw the platform primarily as a space to find specific knowledge on food sustainability. By the end, only 23% maintained that view, as 43% see now the platform as a digital community to discuss food sustainability topics or to match-make, up from just 17% at the beginning. This change suggests that the event helped broaden participants’ understanding of the platform’s potential and inspired a more ambitious vision for its development.
Watch the Recording and Stay Connected
📺 [Watch the event recording here]
📧 For more information, contact: sustainablefoodplatform@iseki-food.net