Setting up a Foodhub
The municipality of Groningen is the main initiator of the Interreg-project Reframe. The goals of the project are to recover and set-up regional food chains in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Denmark and Sweden. These regional food chains add to a sustainable future and sustainable economy by developing employment. In the context of the Reframe project, the municipality of Groningen will work on a network of interrelated foodhubs in and surrounding the city.The regional foodchains add to more independent and powerful cities and a sustainable and viable countryside. Short food supply chains demand new forms of co-operating, new connections and support, and specialization and innovation within the food sector. The municipality and its partners want to realize and recover these foodchains together with other regions in Europe. By giving updates and exchanging knowledge in the development of these so-called living labs, the co-operating countries give aid and strengthen the development of the regional foodchains. At the first meeting, the partners from Sweden presented their Foodhub Network and the municipality of Groningen believed in the potential of such a network. Based on this, the exploration of local opportunities and a strategy for realization was born.
Regional Foodhubs are gathering-points for the products of regional food spread throughout the countryside. From these hubs, the products are transported to the city of Groningen where another foodhub is set-up and from which the food is distributed to consumers. Essential to the success of these hubs is a certain amount of standardization, without compromising the quality of the products. The results are recognizable products that can be distributed efficiently.
We see that the following elements form the base for a network:
- Sites in the region, where food can be gathered and distributed to the city or other locations.
- Site in the city of Groningen where food can be dropped of by distributers and can be picked up or distributed by other customers.
- Transport, that should be connected to existing traffic as much as possible.
- A quality mark.
- Standardization of transport and distribution
- Sales strategy
The following steps towards realization of a regional foodnetwork are desired:
- Explore the potential in the supply of regional food products
- Research quality demands and prices within the food chain
- Explore which elements are needed for a food network.
- Research several business cases that expose the composition of a food chain for specific products
- Find partners and find ways to co-operate
- Convince supply and demand parties to engage in a regional food network.
- Implement the network in steps
- Realize an urban food hub with visibility value
We are currently working on the research aspect and are exploring the possibilities in Groningen. In a couple of days we will give an update of our progress concerning the research.
More local products in governmental company restaurants
06 October 2020The central and provincial governments in the Netherlands will offer more local and regional products in their company restaurants. That is what Minister Carola Schouten of Agriculture, Nature and Foo…
Read moreVirtual study trips on smart sensor technology in Europe
22 September 2020S3FOOD, the European cooperation in digital innovation in agrifood, organizes several study trips in the coming weeks. Virtual, to inspiring companies and hotspots in the field of smart sensor technol…
Read moreConcrete examples on how food-related SMEs, retail, policy makers and other organisations can take actions to support the Farm to Fork strategy
09 September 2020Early this year, the European Commission adopted the new Farm to Fork Strategy with the goal of achieving a fair, healthy and environmentally friendly food system. But, how can food-related SMEs, reta…
Read moreToentje, a social entrepreneur producing fresh vegetables for the food bank
01 September 2020Despite that most people find it a sympathetic idea to make our food system more local and sustainable, critics say local and sustainable food will only be feasible for the rich. The group of people h…
Read moreLokaalmarkten (Local markets) in Flanders
25 August 2020Lokaalmarkt is a weekly and covered farmers' market with bar and children's corner that takes place weekly in six Flemish cities and municipalities: Deerlijk, Roeselare, Bruges, Heule, Ghent and Deinz…
Read moreMapping process to identify suppliers and interested buyers of regional food
18 August 2020In the first phase of the REFRAME project, the district of Wesermarsch (Germany) made a mapping of supply and demand of regionally produced food. The aim was to get an overview of available suppliers…
Read moreMarketing of local plant-based alternatives
23 June 2020The current consumption patterns regarding meat and dairy harm the environment and do not contribute to a healthy lifestyle. Reducing meat and dairy consumption can help to mitigate issues such as bio…
Read moreKoKet Poperinge: a successful initiative in Belgium
17 June 2020KoKet Poperinge (België) is a local initiative that has been launched during the corona crisis.
Read moreOnline partner meeting June 16, 2020
16 June 2020Instead of the planned partner meeting in Copenhagen, today the five partner regions of the REFRAME project met online for an online session about the challenges of organizing efficient logistics.
Read moreGrazing: why it is so important
26 May 2020Because of the continuing Covid-19 pandemic the Grünlandzentrum Niedersachsen - Bremen has for the first time integrated its annual pasture grazing into the digital world.
Read more