Food Sustainability Observatory

About the project

The Food Sustainability Observatory conducts empirical and multidisciplinary research to develop and disseminate knowledge about the opportunities and impacts of technological, supply chain and business model innovation for sustainable value creation within the agri-food system, bringing together academics, companies, startups, non-profit organizations and policy makers within a neutral and pre-competitive network.

Principal Investigators: Raffaella Cagliano, Federico Caniato, Paola Garrone, Marco Melacini, Alessandro Perego

Researcher team: Giulia Bartezzaghi, Federica Ciccullo, Claudia Colicchia, Mattia Iannantuoni, Annalaura Silvestro, Andra Riandita

Funders: multiple

Duration: 2017-onwards

Partners: multiple

VISIT THE WEBSITE

KEY RESEARCH QUESTIONS

OUTPUTS & IMPACT

KEY RESEARCH QUESTIONS

Launched in June 2017, the Food Sustainability Observatory aims at giving a concrete contribution to the sustainable transformation of the agri-food system through scientific empirical research and dissemination activities, which focus on the role of innovation. It creates a neutral and precompetitive network in order to support agri-food companies to move from often “isolated” product and technological innovations to systemic innovations in business models and processes for the creation of shared value along the supply chain and in society.

Specifically, the Observatory aims at:

mapping and analyzing the emerging technological, process and organizational solutions oriented to sustainability in the agri-food system through the census of sustainability-oriented agri-food startups at the Italian and international level;
analyzing the different types of vertical and cross-sectoral collaboration which can be activated in the agri-food system and their contribution to the creation of sustainable value;
analyzing innovative business practices oriented to sustainability and circularity, identifying the key drivers, barriers and enablers for their implementation along the agri-food supply chain.

The main research areas focus on the circular management of food, enabled by innovative practices of surplus food prevention and management along the supply chain and new sustainable food packaging solutions, and on innovative models of “short” agri-food value chains, including the new trends of local proximity, disintermediation and information richness for the benefit of producers and consumers.

The Observatory organizes interactive workshops and seminars with the Partners and Sponsors and other key stakeholders of the community and public conferences targeting the civil society at large. The Research results are disseminated through scientific papers, reports, articles on national newspapers and sectoral magazines and online channels (website and social media).

OUTPUTS & IMPACTS

Bartezzaghi G., Ciccullo F., Garrone P., 2018, Le nuove frontiere dell’innovazione per la sostenibilità agroalimentare, Slide Booklet of the Research 2017-18 (First Edition), Food Sustainability Observatory, School of Management del Politecnico di Milano
Bartezzaghi G., Ciccullo F., Garrone P., Pranlas Descours L.G., 2018, Born sustainable, Soon International? An Empirical analysis of Agri-food Startups, 5th Annual AIB-CEE Chapter Conference, Krakov, 12-14 September 2018, AiIG Conference, Castellanza, 11-12 October 2018
Bartezzaghi G., Cagliano R., Caniato F., Ciccullo F., Garrone P, Melacini. M., Perego. A., 2018, Innovazione, collaborazione e circolarità: i tre ingredienti per la sostenibilità del sistema agroalimentare, Booklet Report of the Research 2017-18 (First Edition), Food Sustainability Observatory, School of Management del Politecnico di Milano

Articles and quotations on national newspapers and agri-food specialized magazines

Bartezzaghi G., Spreco alimentare, le alleanze per ridurlo, Food, Year 28, n°10, October 2018
Garrone P., Oltre le leggi. La lotta allo spreco? Si fa con l’innovazione, Buone Notizie, 10 July 2018
Bartezzaghi G., Ciccullo F., Startup agri-food, chi attira i capitali, Food, Year 28, n°5, May 2018
Bartezzaghi G., Ciccullo F., Largo alle startup dell’agri-food, Food, Year 28, n°2, February 2018
Quotations in articles of well-known national newspapers and sectoral magazines (such as Repubblica, Corriere della Sera, Ansa, Airone)

Articles and quotations on national newspapers and agri-food specialized magazines

Bartezzaghi G., Spreco alimentare, le alleanze per ridurlo, Food, Year 28, n°10, October 2018

Workshops, seminars and other dissemination activities

22 October 2018, Giulia Bartezzaghi, Filippo Renga, “Presentation of Digital Innovation Observatories. Focus on Food Sustainability and Smart AgriFood”, Workshop organized by the Food Sustainability Observatory jointly with the Smart AgriFood Observatory for a delegation of the Information Center of Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Affairs of China, Politecnico di Milano, Milan
17 October 2018, Giulia Bartezzaghi, Raffaella Cagliano, Federico Caniato, Federica Ciccullo, Paola Garrone, Marco Melacini, “Workshop di Kick-off Osservatorio Food Sustainability Seconda Edizione 2018-19”, Workshop organized by the Food Sustainability Observatory, involving agri-food companies, startups, no-profit organizations and other relevant stakeholders, Politecnico di Milano, Milan
2 October 2018, Giulia Bartezzaghi and Paola Garrone participated as speakers to two seminars within the Conference “Salone della CSR e dell’innovazione sociale”, organized by Bocconi University, Milan
19 June 2018, Giulia Bartezzaghi, Raffaella Cagliano, Federico Caniato, Federica Ciccullo, Paola Garrone, Marco Melacini, Alessandro Perego, “Innovazione, Collaborazione e Circolarità: i tre ingredienti per la sostenibilità del sistema agroalimentare”, Public conference organized by the Food Sustainability Observatory involving supply chain actors, no-profit organizations and local public institutions and registering 200 attendees, Politecnico di Milano, Milan
8 May 2018, Giulia Bartezzaghi, Participated as moderator to the Seminar “Impatti – Valutazione condivisa del rapporto costi/benefici”, one of four thematic working sessions of the Workshop “Come si recupera il cibo nei quartieri di Milano. Mappatura, ascolto, collaborazione tra associazioni ed istituzioni attive contro lo spreco alimentare”, promoted by Milano Food Policy (Milan Municipality) in collaboration with Fondazione Giangiacomo Feltrinelli, Milan
26 April 2018, Giulia Bartezzaghi, Damiano Frosi, Maria Pavesi, “Innovazione digitale e sostenibilità, le nuove prospettive”, Seminar promoted by Credito Cooperativa di Caravaggio Adda e Cremasco – Cassa Rurale, Caravaggio
11 April 2018, Giulia Bartezzaghi, Raffaella Cagliano, Federico Caniato, Federica Ciccullo, Paola Garrone, Marco Melacini, “Sostenibilità e collaborazione: quali opportunità per il sistema agroalimentare?”, Workshop organized by the Food Sustainability Observatory (First Edition of the Research, 2017-18), involving agri-food companies, startups, no-profit organizations and other relevant stakeholders Politecnico di Milano
8 March 2018, Giulia Bartezzaghi, Federica Ciccullo, Paola Garrone, “Le startup Agrifood: motore di innovazione per la sostenibilità”, Workshop organized by the Food Sustainability Observatory in collaboration with Number 1 Logistics Group and Assologistica, involving agri-food companies, startups and other relevant stakeholders, inside the Green Logistics Expo in Padovafiere, Padova
18 January 2018, Giulia Bartezzaghi, Raffaella Cagliano, Federico Caniato, Federica Ciccullo, Paola Garrone, Marco Melacini, “I nuovi modelli di business per la sostenibilità nell’Agrifood”, Workshop organized by the Food Sustainability Observatory (First Edition of the Research, 2017-18), involving agri-food companies, startups, no-profit organizations and other relevant stakeholders, Politecnico di Milano, Milan
30 November 2017, Giulia Bartezzaghi, Participation as speaker to the Seminar “Eccedenze alimentari e donazioni. La filiera si mobilita: il progetto LIFE-Food.Waste.StandUp”, within the Conference “Il futuro che ci aspetta. Una DMO sostenibile di fronte alle nuove sfide. Discutine con noi”, organized by Federdistribuzione, Coffee House di Palazzo Colonna, Rome
23 November 2017, Giulia Bartezzaghi, “Feed the Hungry: the potential of surplus food recovery”, Workshop organized by the Global Shapers Community of the Milan Hub, promoted by World Economic Forum, inside the Project “Improve”, targeted to master and post-graduate students, young researchers and professionals, Milan
20 Novembre 2017, Giulia Bartezzaghi, “L’innovazione per la sostenibilità alimentare: le nuove opportunità per il settore Food”, 6th Hospitality Meeting AIFBM 2017, NH Laguna Palace, Venice
10 November 2017, Giulia Bartezzaghi, Participation as speaker to the “Presentation of Life Food.Waste.StandUp Project. Se lo spreco zero è un’utopia ridurre le eccedenze e aumentare le donazioni è un obiettivo possibile”, organized by Federdistribuzione, Belvedere di Palazzo Lombardia, Milan
5 October 2017, Giulia Bartezzaghi, Raffaella Cagliano, Federico Caniato, Federica Ciccullo, Paola Garrone, Marco Melacini, “La Ricerca 2017-2018 e i risultati preliminari della Startup Intelligence”, Workshop organized by the Food Sustainability Observatory (First Edition of the Research, 2017-2018), involving agri-food companies, startups, no-profit organizations and other relevant stakeholders, Politecnico di Milano, Milan
19 June 2017, Giulia Bartezzaghi, Raffaella Cagliano, Federico Caniato, Federica Ciccullo, Paola Garrone, Marco Melacini, Alessandro Perego, “Workshop di Kick-off Osservatorio Food Sustainability Prima Edizione 2017-2018”, organized by the Food Sustainability Observatory (First Edition of the Research 2017-18), involving agri-food companies, startups, no-profit organizations and other relevant stakeholders, Politecnico di Milano, Milan

Educational activities

6 March 2018, Giulia Bartezzaghi, Chiara Corbo, “L’innovazione digitale a supporto della sostenibilità del settore agroalimentare”,Webinar realized by the Food Sustainability Observatory jointly with the Smart AgriFood Observatory, Politecnico di Milano, Milan
More than 15 Master Thesis activated on the topics of sustainability-oriented innovation, involving Italian and international students attending the Master of Science in Management Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, Milan