Press Release | 30 August 2026
A new collective volume from the Horizon Europe Data4Food2030 project examines what it will take to build a fair, sustainable and responsible Data Economy for Food Systems. Drawing on four years of research, nine real-world case studies and engagement with stakeholders across Europe, the book brings the project’s main scientific, practical and policy insights together in one publication.
Towards a Responsible Data Economy: Principles for Sustainable Agrifood Systems in the Digital Paradigm is edited by Roel Veraart and Sjaak Wolfert and is currently under review by Springer Nature. The book will be published fully Open Access.
Over the past four years, Data4Food2030 has investigated the emerging Data Economy for Food Systems (DE4FS): how data are generated, shared and used across food systems, and how their use can contribute to innovation and more sustainable and resilient food systems. The project has looked beyond the technology itself to questions of data access and sharing, interoperability, governance, trust, fairness and how the value created from data is distributed.
The book captures this work in four parts, moving from the conceptual foundations of the Data Economy for Food Systems to its current development, practical experiences and possible future pathways.
Part I, “A New Paradigm for Digital Food Systems,” introduces the DE4FS as an emerging paradigm and examines how digitalisation is transforming agrifood systems. It presents key economic and conceptual frameworks and considers the ethical and societal implications of increasingly data-driven food systems.
Part II, “Understanding the Current Landscape,” takes stock of the emerging DE4FS through evidence, monitoring and stakeholder perspectives. It examines the technological, legal, economic and social factors shaping its development, as well as the opportunities, challenges and tensions that accompany this transition.
Part III, “Best Practices for Data Sharing, Interoperability and Trust,” turns to practice. Drawing on nine real-world case studies from Data4Food2030, it explores how data sharing, interoperability and trusted collaboration can support more sustainable and resilient food systems, while highlighting approaches that can be adapted to different agrifood contexts.
Part IV, “Shaping the Future of Digital Food Systems,” looks ahead. Through trend analysis, future scenarios, policy recommendations and a governance roadmap, it explores possible pathways towards a fair, innovative and sustainable Data Economy for Food Systems.
Taken together, the four parts address a central question that has run throughout Data4Food2030: how can the growing role of data and digital technologies in food systems create value while developing in ways that are responsible, fair and sustainable?
“The challenge is not simply to digitalise food systems, but to do so responsibly. This book provides the concepts, evidence, practical examples, and pathways towards a data-driven future that works for farmers, businesses, citizens, and the planet.” | Roel Veraart, co-editor
The volume is intended as a reference for researchers, practitioners, and other actors working on the development and governance of data-driven food systems. It also forms part of Data4Food2030’s wider scientific and knowledge legacy, alongside the project’s peer-reviewed publications, Monitoring System, conceptual and methodological work, policy recommendations and case-study results.
The manuscript is currently under review by Springer Nature and is planned for publication in the Ethics and Applied Philosophy series. The book will be fully Open Access, making the knowledge and experience generated through Data4Food2030 widely accessible. Further information on publication and availability will be announced as the publication process progresses.
