The Malta Food Agency recently held the second Living Lab under the EXCEL4MED project, funded by the Horizon Europe programme, at Corinthia St. George’s Bay Hotel, bringing together 57 stakeholders from industry, governance, academia and consultancy to explore innovative solutions for sustainable Mediterranean food systems.
The event, organised by the Malta Food Agency in collaboration with Malta Enterprise, The Malta Chamber, Mġarr Farms and Koperattivi Malta, focused on co-creation, sustainability strategies, and innovation in food supply chains.
Living Labs are designed to foster open innovation, providing a platform where businesses, consumers, researchers and policymakers collaborate to test and refine solutions in real-world settings. This approach ensures that proposed strategies are both practical and impactful for the Mediterranean agri-food sector.
The event opened with a presentation by Josephine Schembri (Malta Food Agency), who provided an overview of EXCEL4MED’s mission to promote green innovations and technological solutions for food waste valorisation. This was followed by Johan Zammit (Malta Enterprise) and Aybike Bayraktar (CIHEAM Montpellier), who led a session on business strategies for fruit products, offering key insights into market trends and consumer engagement. Joseph P. Sammut (MediMalta Network, Malta Innovation Hub) then introduced the concept of an innovation ecosystem for Mediterranean fruit supply chains, emphasising collaboration between producers, processors, consumers and policymakers.
Two interactive workshops formed the core of the Living Lab. The first session, “Local Food Production Case Studies”, explored real-world examples of sustainable practices; while the second session, “Strategy Development”, focused on refining these ideas into actionable plans. Participants used the Triple Business Model Canvas, which addressed economic, governmental and social aspects of sustainability. The discussions also integrated environmental, social and governance (ESG) frameworks, and examined how global sustainability standards can be adapted to the Mediterranean context.
Key takeaways from the event included strategies to strengthen local supply chains, reduce waste and develop value-added products, such as jams and sauces from by-products. Stakeholders highlighted the importance of waste valorisation, sustainable packaging and resilient business models in driving sustainability forward.
This Living Lab reinforced EXCEL4MED’s commitment to creating collaborative and innovative approaches for a more sustainable Mediterranean food sector, ensuring that economic, environmental and social challenges are tackled holistically across the value chain.
About EXCEL4MED
EXCEL4MED is dedicated to improving Mediterranean food supply chains by promoting innovation, reducing food loss and increasing sustainability. The project focuses on high-value foods, such as pomegranates and citrus fruits, leveraging green technologies and collaborative efforts to create value- added products and strengthen food systems. By addressing pressing issues such as food waste and environmental sustainability, EXCEL4MED aims to transform the future of Mediterranean agriculture.
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