“Knowledge-based Sustainable vAlue-added food chains: innovative tooLs for monitoring ethical, environmental and Socio-economical impActs and implementing Eu-Latin America shared strategies”. acronimo SALSA

According to bilateral Eu-Latin America cooperation agreements, there is a mutual interest in developing strategies to tackle Latin American eco-challenges by promoting social cohesion, economic development, and improving food SMEs markets access. SALSA defines an integrated strategy for reducing negative socio-economic and environmental impact of soya bean and beef chains. The rationale is that these productions influence Latin America eco-challenges, reduction in food security and exclusion of SMEs and smaller farmers from market. SALSA belief is that sustainable competitiveness derives from multi-facet determinants that need to be jointly considered to reach a grass root development. The adoption of guidelines for sustainable agro-food productions is constrained by the lack of: i) technical and managerial solutions able to lower costs and cultural barriers for small farmers and SMEs; ii) research and training supporting new knowledge transfer among the food chain stakeholders and research institutions; iii) consumers and policy makers awareness. SALSA aims at developing monitoring tools based on a Life Cycle thinking approach suitable for integrating ethical, environmental and socioeconomic impacts in one consistent model. SALSA provides sustainable solutions (strategies and processes) suitable to support farmers and SMEs relations within entire food chains. Shared benefits for end-users will derive from an increased efficiency of knowledge-based sustainable food production and management: fairer food chain relations, higher incomes, safer and better quality food, reduced environmental burden. SALSA added value relies on strengthening the EU – Latin America cooperation between leading institutions and industries; a joint EU-Latin America Industrial Platform will exploit the results. Guidelines will be produced for the benefit of food-chain stakeholders and policy makers to improve food production sustainability and EU-Latin America trade relations.