DEFENSEFOOD
Detection and Enhanced Food Safety and Security through Efficient Networks for Supply Chain Enhancement
DEFENSEFOOD aims to strengthen Europe’s food supply chain against chemical, biological, and radiological threats (CBR). Its mission is to safeguard public health, ensure food security, and support economic stability. The project examines the entire food chain to understand where risks could appear and how they can be managed effectively. To achieve this, it focuses on three critical case studies (cereals, shellfish, and water supply), which are essential to public health and particularly vulnerable to contamination.
DEFENSEFOOD will develop advanced detection tools, preparedness protocols, and recovery strategies, combining scientific research, innovative technologies, and insights from crises. The project combines practical strategies with advanced methods and AI-driven technologies. This combination enables faster detection, more accurate assessment, and informed decision-making, ensuring that threats are contained and that supply chains recover swiftly.
| Funding program | Horizon Europe |
|---|---|
| Call | HORIZON-CL3-2024-DRS-01 |
| GA No. | 101225957 |
| Duration | 2025 - 2029 |
| EC Funding | € 4.108.030 |
| Website | defensefood.eu |
| # Sectors | foodsafety, foodsystemsresilience, foodtechnology |
Defending Food Systems
through Science and Innovation
- 3 Use Cases across cereals, shellfish, and water supply
- 1 AI-powered Platform for CBR threat detection and decision support
- ≥6 Capacity-Building Workshops engaging ≥200 food system actors
- 1 AI-driven Knowledge Platform with LLM-powered Q&A and curated best practices. Adoption by ≥250 users onboard and ≥500 targeted queries.
- ≥8 collaborations with ≥15 EU/national initiatives
- 1 Interactive Training Platform with skills assessment & certification, offering personalised, AI-supported learning paths
- 1 Horizon Scanning Dashboard to track emerging risks from open sources
- 1 analytical decision support tool for evidence-based sampling and method selection, paired with a Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) framework that ranks mitigation options
As the leader of Work Package 6 (Impact Maximisation and Multi-Stakeholder Capacity Building), reframe.food is responsible for the overall dissemination, exploitation, and communication (DEC) activities of the DEFENSEFOOD project, ensuring maximum visibility and impact of its outcomes and the project’s sustainability and continuity beyond its conclusion. The team will develop and implement a comprehensive, multi-channel DEC plan to reach identified stakeholder groups, raise awareness about the project and its key results, and foster collaboration across the food safety and resilience ecosystem. Furthermore, reframe.food will strengthen engagement and knowledge exchange among relevant stakeholders, building connections across research, policy, and industry. The activities will also promote clustering with related projects and initiatives, ensuring synergies and long-term sustainability of the project’s solutions. In addition, reframe.food will develop a detailed IPR management strategy.