Call: Farming for tomorrow - developing an enabling environment for resilient and sustainable agricultural systems

1. Excellent Science
2. Industrial Leadership
3. Societal Challenges

Agriculture, forestry, fisheries and aquaculture, together with the bio-based industries, are integral parts of the European economy and society. Relying on the use of limited natural resources, these sectors produce and process biological resources to satisfy the demand of consumers and a wide range of industries for food, feed, bio-energy and bio-based products. While they enhance Europe’s self-reliance and provide jobs and business opportunities essential for rural, coastal and marine areas, these sectors are also facing significant challenges which require solutions based on research and innovation. A transition is needed towards an optimal and renewable use of biological resources and towards sustainable primary production and processing systems. These systems will need to produce more food, fibre and other bio-based products with minimised inputs, environmental impact and greenhouse gas emissions, and with enhanced ecosystem services, zero waste and adequate societal value.

The focus area ‘sustainable food security’ will put greater emphasis on the resilience of primary production, coping with resource depletion and climate change, and research and innovation along the food value chain than the previous work programme (2014–2015). From a demand-side perspective, it will also highlight sustainable and healthy consumption and lifestyles.

This focus area has four sub-areas:

• More resilient and resource efficient value chains.
• Environment-smart and climate-smart primary production
• A competitive food industry
• Healthy and safe foods and diets for all

and two areas focussing on international cooperation:

• Support to the implementation of the EU-Africa Partnership on food and nutrition security and sustainable agriculture
• Implementation of EU-China FAB Flagship initiative

In total, all the sub-areas include 48 topics.

Wherever possible, proposers may seek synergies, including possibilities for funding, with relevant national/regional research and innovation programmes and/or cumulative funding with European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF) in connection with research & innovation smart specialisation strategies (RIS3).

Activities should provide a thorough investigation of the main factors driving farm demographics along with their implications for the agricultural sector, rural development, the environment and the provision of public goods. Proposals should develop long-term projections and modelling and measure the impact and effectiveness of relevant policies. Work should identify further measures to facilitate entry to the sector. The impact of consumer preferences on the farming sector is also to be taken into account. Investigations will cover a wide range of sub-sectors (including commodities and value-added products). Investigations will also aim at understanding farmers' risk management strategies and behaviours as regards the adoption and use of risk-management tools, their behaviours in market-crisis situations, the conditions and availability of information necessary for the effective management of risks at farm level and the role of policy tools. Gender-related aspects will be investigated as relevant. Research will extend to strategies at meso/macro levels to cope with the risks associated with an increased occurrence of extreme weather events.

The Commission considers that proposals requesting a contribution from the EU of up to EUR 5 million would allow this specific challenge to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude the submission and selection of proposals requesting other amounts.

Link to the National Contact Point Finder.