The FOX project announces its Final Conference: “Small-Scale, Big Impact: Innovative Approaches for Local Food Processing”
Last Updated : 25 September 2023Brussels, 21 September 2023 – Shortening food supply chains is one of the key aspects to stimulate the uptake of sustainable food systems transformation: what if we could bring food processing closer to farmers in an economically feasible way? FOX – Food Processing in a Box, a Horizon 2020 funded project, is set to host its highly anticipated final conference “Small-Scale, Big Impact: Innovative Approaches for Local Food Processing” on the 26th of September 2023 in Brussels, discussing the environmental and economic advantages of utilizing mobile processing containers in the European fruits and vegetables sector.
Distinguished speakers include Ana Patricia Lopez, Research Programme Officer at DG Agriculture and Rural Development (European Commission), Minna Huttunen from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Finland, and the FOX project coordinators Kerstin Pasch from DIL (Deutsches Institut für Lebensmitteltechnik e.V.) and Ariette Matser from Wageningen University.
From its start in June 2019, FOX has been dedicated to the development of small, flexible, and mobile container units designed for the processing of fruits and vegetables as well as for processing solutions to upcycle plant-based food side streams. The primary objective has been to drive a transition towards healthier and more sustainable food production practices, in line with the Farm-to-Fork Strategy, an integral part of the European Green Deal, which seeks fairer, healthier, and more environmentally conscious food systems.
The event will showcase the FOX project’s achievements over its nearly 4,5-year journey in six regions in Czech Republic, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, and Spain.
The event is divided in two sessions: in the morning attendees will have the chance witness a live demonstration of a mobile processing unit, at the Brussels Food Bank Brabant, in collaboration with the ZEROW project. The afternoon session will include a panel discussion at the Atelier des Tanneurs, where stakeholders will discuss the project’s outcomes and shed light on the forthcoming steps, along with their policy implications.
Key event information
- Event: FOX Final Conference: “Small-Scale, Big Impact: Innovative Approaches for Local Food Processing”
- Date: 26th September 2023
- Location: Brussels (In the morning (AM) at the Brussels Food Bank Brabant (Rue de Meudon 60, 1120 Brussels), in the afternoon (PM) at the Atelier des Tanneurs (Rue des Tanneurs 60A, 1000 Brussels)
- Find more info here and contact debora.serra@eufic.org to register.
About the FOX project
FOX – Food Processing in a Box is a 4,5-years long project funded by the European Union. The project aims to contribute to food systems transformation through the development of local food processing units, where fruits and vegetables are mildly processed, minimizing the use of resources and by using more sustainable packaging materials. The project’s impact extends across six FOX regions, where the mobile units have been tested as well as their impact on the local community.
Contact
Marie-Christine Thurm, Media relations, EUFIC