There is a need for a comprehensive method to assess and promote sustainability, innovativeness, and competitiveness in agri-food value chains. Existing frameworks often overlook the crucial role of collaboration between different actors (farmers, processors, retailers) in driving meaningful sustainability-oriented innovation.
The CO-FRESH project developed the Sustainability-oriented Innovation Collaboration (SICO) framework. This innovative tool addresses the challenge by providing a set of indicators to assess not only the environmental, social, and economic impacts (the Triple Bottom Line) of an innovation but also the effectiveness of the collaboration process itself. It helps value chain actors to reflect on how they work together to achieve sustainability goals.
The SICO framework serves as a practical, action-orientated tool for practitioners who want to establish or improve collaboration for sustainable projects. By using the framework's indicators, actors in the value chain can better understand the factors that determine impactful innovation. This leads to better-designed, more effective collaborations, ultimately improving the overall sustainability and competitiveness of the fruit and vegetable sector.
The SICO framework is highly relevant for Ireland as it supports the goals of the National Strategy for Horticulture 2023-2027. It offers a structured approach for Irish horticultural actors to analyse and improve their value chains. By focusing on collaboration, it can help Irish producers, processors, and retailers work together more effectively to transition towards more sustainable and competitive food production models.
This framework is a valuable tool for farmers and producer organisations. It can be used to assess the strength of your existing partnerships and identify areas for improvement when working on innovative projects. It provides a common language and set of metrics to discuss sustainability with partners, helping to ensure that collaborations are effective and lead to tangible benefits for your business and the environment.
Find out more about this innovation by contacting Leo on leo@erinn.eu
