Call: Water farms – improving farming and its impact on the supply of drinking water

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 call will support a 'rural renaissance' by raising the natural, social, cultural and economic potential of rural areas and fostering policy coherence. It will aim to boost economic development, environmental services and entrepreneurial innovation, in particular in SMEs, in

rural and coastal areas. This will be achieved by building on diversification and modernisation strategies and capitalising on local assets, including human, natural and cultural capital. The call is structured around three main areas:

• new approaches towards policies and governance: activities will be aimed at improving policies and governance at various geographic scales to foster sustainable growth in rural areas. They will cover aspects such as territorial linkages and coherent policy approaches for the management and use of natural resources and for the provision of ecosystem services and public goods;
• new value chains and business models: to foster sustainable growth in rural areas, new services, products and value chains will be developed that take advantage of technological and non-technological innovations and the scope for greater cross-sectoral synergies will be explored; and
• innovation and skills development: activities directed at knowledge and innovation systems, education and training, advisory services and entrepreneurial skills will enhance rural communities' capacity to mobilise new knowledge and technologies for the development of their activities. In addition, activities will aim to foster the delivery of policies imp acting innovation and will contribute to the implementation of the European Innovation Partnership 'Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability'.

All together, these three areas include the following topics:

• Consolidated policy framework and governance models for synergies in rural-urban linkages
• Coastal-rural interactions: Enhancing synergies between land and sea-based activities
• Towards 2030 - policies and decision tools for an integrated management of natural resources
• Water farms – improving farming and its impact on the supply of drinking water
• Novel public policies, business models and mechanisms for the sustainable supply of and payment for forest ecosystem services
• Crop diversification systems for the delivery of food, feed, industrial products and ecosystems services - from farm benefits to value-chain organisation
• Resource-efficient and profitable industrial crops on marginal land
• Demonstration of integrated logistics centres for food and non-food applications
• Business models for modern rural economies
• Thematic Networks compiling knowledge ready for practice
• On-farm demonstrations: deepening farmer-to-farmer learning mechanisms
• Networking European farms to boost thematic knowledge exchanges and close the innovation gap
• Building a future science and education system fit to deliver to practice
• Advisors' roles in the functioning of AKIS and advisory policies boosting innovation in sustainable agriculture
• The benefits of working with others – fostering social capital in the farming sector
• Optimising interactive innovation project approaches and the delivery of EU policies to speed up innovation in rural areas

In particular, action in this area will contribute to the objectives of European Structural and Investment funds, including Rural Development under the Common Agricultural Policy, the Innovation Union, recent developments on rural-urban partnerships and energy and climate policies.

Agriculture is the biggest source of pesticides and nitrate pollution in European fresh waters. The diffuse pollution of water sources from the pesticides and fertilisers used in farming systems has been addressed with varying degrees of success by current policy tools but clearly remains an obstacle to achieving the Water Framework Directive objectives. Appropriate monitoring and decision-support tools are needed to help develop and implement governance models to preserve the quality of drinking water resources.

Proposals will entail a variety of case studies identifying good practices in the field of drinking-water management involving improved farming systems and land-use management. The effectiveness of various measures in mitigating diffuse agricultural pollution will be analysed. Work will include cost-efficiency analysis of mitigation measures and cost-benefit analysis for the society and the actors concerned of identified preventive and curative options for the delivery of high-quality drinking water. Governance models, including private spring-water companies and public water-supply bodies, will be investigated. The project will deliver improved public policy instruments and decision support for the various alternatives, including monitoring and control tools, taking into account the necessary cooperation and regional partnerships. Proposals will develop harmonised, transparent and understandable indicators to ensure reliable and comparable data in order to involve farmers and citizens.

At least three legal entities. Each of the three must be established in a different EU Member State or Horizon 2020 associated country. All three legal entities must be independent of each other. 

The Commission considers that proposals requesting a contribution from the EU of up to 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. Funding rate: 100%

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