The Data4Food Cluster, a collaboration of different EU-funded projects, has released a report examining data sharing and its role in supporting sustainable food systems across Europe. The cluster brings together projects focused on data-driven innovation in food and nutrition, including FoodDataQuest, FOODITY, DRG4FOOD, and SOSFood, with the aim of creating a framework that supports transparency, traceability, and responsible use of data throughout the food value chain.  

Together with these projects, FoodDataQuest organised a dedicated workshop focused on data sharing for sustainable food systems. During the workshop, participants engaged in structured discussions and collaborative exercises to reflect on how data is currently generated, accessed, and used across different parts of the food system. The exchanges addressed concrete challenges faced by research projects, innovators, and practitioners, including limited data accessibility, lack of interoperability between systems, unclear governance frameworks, and issues related to trust and data ownership. The workshop also highlighted practical needs for improving collaboration between stakeholders and ensuring that data-driven tools can effectively support sustainability goals.  

Insights gathered during these sessions formed a key input to the Data4Food Cluster report. This report outlines how data can be used to inform decision-making and enable more sustainable practices across food production, distribution, and consumption. It emphasises the importance of data sharing as a tool for improving transparency and empowering stakeholders, while recognising that access to data remains limited in many areas of the food sector. In particular, issues such as interoperability, data governance, and trust were identified as key factors that affect how data is shared and used for sustainability objectives.  

The Data4Food Cluster report contributes to ongoing discussions on how digital technologies and data management can support the European Union’s broader sustainability goals, including those articulated in the Food 2030 agenda and related policy frameworks that seek to foster innovation, circularity, and resilient food environments. 

You can access the report here.