About

About the European Research Group SYAL (ERGS-SYAL)

European Research Group SYAL (ERGS-SYAL) gathers together researchers, practitioners, and advocates that promotes SYAL Localized Agri-food Systems) as a place-based approach to analyse the development of local agri-food practices, resources, cultural meanings, and institutions, as well as their systemic interactions in specific places (i.e. territories).

The ERG SYAL has the following objectives:

  • To develop scientific research applied to the local agri-food development.
  • To develop teaching and training oriented to the enhancement of knowledge and skills in this field.
  • To provide a scientific basis to analyse and to give information on sustainable local development strategies to the public opinion.
  • To provide technical assistance for the design of public policies, legislative regulations, public and private strategies and other types of frameworks for cooperation and negotiation between local actors.
  • To serve as a platform for launching initiatives and projects for further European and international cooperation (for instance, the European Research Framework Program) on sustainable local development activities and Agri-food systems.
  • To strengthen the cooperation with non-European countries to develop research applied to the problems of Localised Agri-food systems.
  • To promote the publication and diffusion of relevant information and research results for the welfare of the civil society.

Together with the Latin America SYAL network (Red SIAL Americana), the ERGS-SYAL have celebrated 10th international conferences:

  • Montpellier, Francia, 16-18 octubre de 2002
  • Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Toluca, Mexico, 1-4 December, 2004
  • Universidad Internacional de Andalucía, Baeza, España, 18-21 October de 2006
  • Mar del Plata, Argentina, 27-31 October 2008
  • Universidad de Parma, Italia, 27-30 October 2010
  • Florianópolis, Brasil, 22-24 May 2013
  • Södertörn University, Estocolmo, Suecia, 8-10 May 2016
  • Universidad de Caldas, Manizales, Colombia, 13-15 November 2018
  • Universidad de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Vila Real, Portugal, 14-16 nNovember 2022
  • Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, 13-15 November 2024

About the SYAL approach

SYAL refers to:  i) a group of visible agri-food activities territorially established, —from production to processing and marketing—linked to a territory and its identity; ii) a method for analysing how local agro-food resources, practices, and actors interact to create value; and, iii) a practical tool to support territorial planning, rural development, and innovation strategies.

It highlights the importance of identifying and valuing territorial resources to stimulate innovation and strengthen local anchorage of agri-food activities. SYAL also focuses on the long-term evolution of local agri-food systems, including processes of localization, relocation, and adaptation over time. It examines how institutions and governance structures influence rural development and supports learning and cooperation among local actors to enhance identity-based products.

Because these systems are complex, the SYAL approach encourages interdisciplinary collaboration, bringing together technical, environmental, and social knowledge to build sustainable and competitive territorial agri-food strategies.