About Salsa

SALSA aims to provide a better understanding of the current and potential contribution of small farms and food businesses to sustainable food and nutrition security.

SALSA uses a food systems perspective to look beyond production capacity and investigate food security in terms of the availability of nutritious and safe food, food access and control (including affordability), food utilisation, and food stability.

SALSA pioneers a novel integrated multi-method approach in 30 regions in Europe and Africa, using the most recent satellite technologies, transdisciplinary approaches, food systems mapping and participatory foresight analysis.

SALSA examines relevant governance systems related to the organisation of small farmers and food chains, and provides tools to guide decision-makers in enhancing the contribution of small farms and food businesses to food and nutrition security.

SALSA recognises the tremendous diversity of small farms and food systems in Europe and Africa, and pays particular attention to their vulnerability and resilience.

SALSA pays particular attention to an effective collaboration and exchange between European and African research and practice partners, thereby supporting the implementation of the EU-Africa Dialogue.

SALSA effectively engages with stakeholders and decision-makers relevant to small farms and food and nutrition security, and facilitates a dialogue that cuts across classical boundaries in research, policy and practice.

THE FIVE SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

#1

To thoroughly assess the current role of small farms and small food businesses in achieving sustainable Food and Nutrition Security (FNS) in Europe and in selected African regions.

#2

To evaluate the means by which small farms can respond to the expected increase in demand for food, feed and fibre of an increasing population in an increasingly resource constrained world.

#3

To assess the capacity of small farms and small food businesses to contribute to FNS under alternative future scenarios for 2030/50, and to identify the main determinants of the capacity to respond.

#4

To help better tailor international cooperation (in particular EU-Africa) and research and to develop tools to guide decision makers in enhancing the role of small farms in FNS.

#5

To establish a Community of Practice and to enhance the use of FAO’s channels as well as European and African networks and platforms such as the European Network for Rural Development (ENRD), the European LEADER Association for Rural Development (ELARD), the European Innovation Partnership ‘Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability’ (EIP Agri), the Platform for African-European Partnership on Agricultural Research for Development (PAEPARD network) and the Young Professionals for Agricultural Development (YPARD) in order to strengthen the voice of small farms in the global debate on FNS.

OUTPUTS

Maps of small-scale farming in Europe, including estimates of current and potential production, verified at regional level.

In-depth understanding of the role of small farms and related food businesses in FNS in different regional situations and including foresight analysis, designed to support decisionmaking in both the private and public sectors (including the targeting of further research).

A set of 30 reference regions (25 reference regions across Europe, and 5 regions in Africa) where standardised information on small farms and related small food businesses and their relations with FNS will be available for research, monitoring and policy development.

An assessment of governance frameworks related to small farmer organization and food chains, which can guide policy development and is aimed at enhancing the contribution of small farms and small food businesses to all four aspects of FNS.

An integrated conceptual framework, which brings together the academic literature and practical experience of FNS in Africa and Europe with the food systems approach.

Effective collaboration and exchange between European and African research and practice partners, which will identify similarities and differences in food systems, improve mutual understanding and enhance the implementation of future EU-Africa initiatives.

Novel research methods, including use of the most recent satellite technologies, transdisciplinary theory building, systematic review and participatory foresight analysis.

A Community of Practice (CoP) and process of multi-stakeholder exchange and collaboration that builds on FAO’s communication and learning platforms as well as European platforms like ENRD, ELARD and EIP AGRI, and that will advance our knowledge base on the questions addressed in SALSA.