What does “regional food” really mean? And why can a mushroom grown in Vienna sometimes take longer to reach consumers than one imported from Poland?
These are some of the questions explored in the latest video of FÄKT, now available with English subtitles on the Food4CE YouTube channel.
The episode follows researcher David Strauß from the University of Applied Sciences BFI Vienna (partner of the Food4CE project) and local food producer Manuel, Founder and CEO of Hut und Stiel, who supplies fresh mushrooms across Vienna every week. Together, they reveal the often invisible logistical challenges faced by small and medium-sized food producers and explain why regional food systems are more complex than many consumers realize.
The video highlights how small producers must often manage logistics themselves, coordinating numerous small deliveries of highly perishable products, which creates significantly higher distribution costs compared to large-scale supply chains.
Viewers will also discover:
- why transport efficiency can sometimes matter more than geographical distance;
- how the term “regional” can mean very different things depending on context;
- why food logistics remain one of the biggest structural barriers for local producers;
- which innovative solutions are being tested through European research and cooperation.
The episode was developed in connection with Food4CE, an EU-funded Interreg Central Europe project focused on strengthening sustainable and resilient regional food systems through innovation, collaboration, and improved food logistics.