The Food Communication Board (FCB), an electronic platform of the University of Food Technology - Plovdiv, designed in cooperation with Euro Perspectives Foundation is about to be launched. It is part of the Action plan for Bulgaria to be implemented in the period 2020 – 2021.
The platform enables powerful collaboration between relevant Bulgarian organisations and international partners from Food Chains 4 Europe project, to achieve urgent changes that contribute to sustainable food chains and nutrition security.
FCB connects to accelerate for food industry innovation and bigger impact. The platform is seen as a tool working to overcome false, misleading and in some cases dangerous information and publications on issues related to food quality and safety, especially spread on social networks.
FCB supports coalitions of relevant Bulgarian and international actors that have transformative plans which contribute to improved food security, healthy diets and promote sustainable food chains. It facilitates relevant support such as: need assessments, design of theories of change, access to local networks, the development and implementation of innovative approaches for production, logistic and consumption of food.
The e-platform will create experimental space to prototype new approaches and solutions and links research institutes with practitioners to reach synergy and to scale transformative approaches. Coalitions are supported to establish ‘proof of concept’ of innovative ideas and to bring innovations to the market.
The Food Communication Board will collect, connect and combine knowledge of all involved stakeholders and coalitions. It will share inspiration, experience and SDG2 circular economy related solutions. In addition, given the COVID 19 reality, through FCB will be possible the organisation of webinars and reflection events to learn from each other about what works and what does not will extend the activities of the board.
The COVID-19 world obviously needs to find pathways to transform the food systems, and we have to do it quickly as it will make so much difference to how we live, how healthy we are, and how well we perform and how to achieve sustainable food security.
The platform was presented during a round table held on October 29, 2020 and hosted by the University of Food Technologies in Plovdiv. The forum was dedicated to the problems of education, training and implementation of personnel for the food industry, biotechnology, food engineering and tourism. A special guest of the event was Mr. Krassimir Valchev - Minister of Education and Science in Bulgaria. The participants in the meeting were representatives of the UFT management, the Business University Association in the food industry and tourism, branch associations, Local Government Representatives.
