Deliverable 1.1 Database of private and public SFSC advisors in the 27 MS and the UK

Short food supply chains (SFSCs) are a means for both producers and consumers to gain better positions in the value chain, improving trust transparency, food quality and safety. The EU4Advice project aims to bolster SFSC‐related advisory services to chain actors, to help them make their practices more economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable. To that end, it aims to create of a European network of advisors with knowledge and expertise on SFSC issues, and implement measures towards the effective integration of SFSC advisors into national AKIS (agricultural knowledge and innovation systems).

 
The specific objective of work package 1 in EU4Advice is to provide a basis for subsequent project actions. Task 1.1´s goal is to identify public and private short food supply chain (SFSC) advisors in each member state (27 EU countries) in the main agricultural production and related sectors, and to assess how these advisors are integrated into current national and/or regional AKIS (agricultural knowledge and innovation systems).The result is Deliverable 1.1 (D1.1), and the subject of this document: an advisory database with a minimum of 20 SFSC advisors per EU member state plus the UK. D1.1 further serves the overarching goals of EU4Advice insofar as in many European countries, SFSC advisors are not formally recognized as such, due in part to a lack of integration of issues relevant to SFSCs in national and regional AKIS. However, we found that there are many actors who effectively work in an advisory capacity within SFSCs without a formal title or certificate, providing critical advice and support in areas where there is a gap in formal SFSC advisory services. The advisors listed in the database therefore include those who exceed the typical definition and profile of a standard agricultural advisor, which varies according to the countries and represents those with a broader scope of skills and knowledge that effectively address the current challenges faced by farmers and food producers. This aligns with the project´s specific objectives in the grant agreement.