Across Europe, food systems are becoming increasingly data-rich. From farms and processors to retailers, researchers and public authorities, data is being generated and used to improve productivity, quality, traceability and environmental performance. Yet the ability to consistently turn data into better decisions remains uneven. Technology alone does not explain this gap. Governance, incentives, trust and the capacity of different actors to participate on fair terms play an equally important role.
Data4Food2030 is a Horizon Europe research and innovation project that brings together research organisations, policy networks, technology providers and food system actors from across Europe. Its objective is to improve the shared understanding of how data is generated, shared and used in food systems, and to support policies and practices that foster a fair, inclusive and innovative data economy. The project combines analytical work with real-world case studies and structured stakeholder engagement, focusing on how data-driven approaches can contribute to sustainability, competitiveness and broader societal goals.
Why monitor the data economy for food systems
The data economy for food systems is evolving rapidly, but it remains fragmented. Many initiatives are emerging at different levels and in different contexts, ranging from European data space efforts such as the Common European Agricultural Data Space, to research-driven platforms developed under Horizon Europe, as well as national and regional data-sharing initiatives in the agri-food sector. These initiatives are often driven by specific technological or sectoral needs. For food businesses, policymakers and other stakeholders, it can be difficult to form a coherent picture of how this landscape is developing, where progress is being made, and where structural gaps persist.
Data4Food2030 addresses this challenge by developing a monitoring approach that links the current state of the data economy for food systems with relevant policy objectives and evidence from real-world initiatives and stakeholder input. The aim is not to rank or judge individual actors, but to make developments more visible and comparable.
At the centre of this effort is the Data4Food2030 Monitor, an online tool designed to help structure and interpret the evolving data economy for food systems.
The Data4Food2030 Monitor in practice
The Data4Food2030 Monitor assesses the data economy for food systems across nine dimensions: Data Information; Actors and Networks; Skills; Economy and Business; Legal; Technology; Food System Activities; Environment; and Social and Ethics. Together, these dimensions reflect the fact that data use in food systems is not only a technical or economic issue, but also a social and governance challenge.
Through dashboards, visualisations and an expanding knowledge base, the Monitor allows users to explore how these dimensions interact and how developments differ across contexts. The platform supports three core actions: visualising indicators and trends, comparing initiatives through voluntary registration and benchmarking, and discovering relevant initiatives, publications and tools. It is designed for a broad audience that includes food chain actors, policymakers, researchers, advisors and data experts.
The Monitor is presented as a living system in the sense that it is designed to be progressively enriched and refined over time. Rather than relying on static snapshots, it can be updated as new data sources, indicators and initiatives become available, and as insights from stakeholder engagement are incorporated. In this way, the Monitor is intended to remain relevant as the data economy for food systems evolves.
By providing a shared and transparent overview of developments across multiple dimensions, the monitoring approach supports learning and dialogue among stakeholders. It enables policymakers, food system actors and researchers to reflect on emerging trends, identify gaps or trade-offs, and discuss future priorities on the basis of a common evidence base, rather than isolated or sector-specific perspectives.
A shared reference point
For many food professionals, the challenge is not a lack of data, but uncertainty about how different data initiatives relate to one another and how principles such as transparency, interoperability or fair data sharing are applied in practice. The Data4Food2030 Monitor helps address this by acting as a shared reference point. It offers policymakers and food system stakeholders a structured overview of how the data economy is developing, while creating visibility for initiatives and supporting comparison within a wider ecosystem. Importantly, it frames the data economy not only in terms of efficiency or innovation, but also through the lenses of sustainability, inclusiveness and fairness.
From monitoring today to thinking about tomorrow
Monitoring helps answer a key question: where do we stand today. It does not, however, determine where food systems will go next. The future data economy for food systems is not predetermined. It will be shaped by choices around governance, data sharing, business models, regulation and public trust.
To explore these choices, Data4Food2030 has developed future scenarios for the data economy for food systems through a participatory, expert-driven process. The scenario work builds on structured stakeholder engagement and qualitative research across several European countries, bringing together perspectives from research, policy and practice.
Rather than relying on predictive models or automated forecasting, the scenario approach explores alternative yet plausible pathways. It helps clarify trade-offs, highlight risks and identify enabling conditions for outcomes that are both innovative and socially acceptable.
Exploring possible pathways
The scenario work has resulted in three complementary pathways, each highlighting a different orientation for the data economy in food systems in a European context. The scenarios are grounded in European policy frameworks, governance structures and food system characteristics, and are not intended as global predictions. At the same time, the underlying challenges and trade-offs they explore, such as data governance, trust and inclusiveness, may also resonate with food systems beyond Europe.
One pathway focuses on personalised healthy diets, exploring how secure and responsible use of personal data could support tailored nutrition and informed consumer choices. A second pathway emphasises local and transparent value chains, where data sharing strengthens cooperation, traceability and regional resilience. A third pathway looks at strongly governed high-tech approaches, centred on advanced data-driven technologies to reduce environmental impacts, combined with robust rules to ensure fairness, transparency and interoperability.
These pathways are not forecasts. They are tools for reflection that illustrate how different combinations of choices can lead to different outcomes. Across all scenarios, common themes emerge, including the importance of trust, collaboration and clear governance frameworks.
Why this is important for food professionals and policymakers
For food businesses, innovation networks and policymakers alike, the data economy will increasingly influence how food systems operate. The key question is not whether data will matter, but how it will be governed and who will benefit.
By combining monitoring of current developments with scenario thinking about possible futures, Data4Food2030 supports more informed discussions about data-driven transformation. The Monitor clarifies what is happening today, while the scenarios highlight that future outcomes depend on collective choices.
Data-driven innovation is already influencing how food systems function across Europe. What remains open is how this transformation is guided and governed. By combining systematic monitoring with structured reflection on future pathways, Data4Food2030 contributes to a more informed conversation about how data can support sustainability, resilience and fairness in food systems. Ultimately, the value of the data economy will depend not only on technological progress, but on the collective choices made by policymakers, businesses and other food system actors.
References / Further reading
- Data4Food2030 project website: https://data4food2030.eu/
- Data4Food2030 Monitor: https://monitor.data4food2030.eu/
- The Data4Food2030 Monitor is now live (press release): https://data4food2030.eu/press-release-data4food2030-monitor-is-now-live/
- Why monitor the data economy for food systems?: https://data4food2030.eu/why-monitor-the-data-economy-for-food-systems-2/
- Data4Food2030 explores future scenarios for the data economy in food systems and invites you to co-create them: https://data4food2030.eu/data4food2030-explores-future-scenarios-for-the-data-economy-in-food-systems-and-invites-you-to-co-create-them/
