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

• Health, demographic change and wellbeing;
• Food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry, marine and maritime and inland water research, and the Bioeconomy;
• Secure, clean and efficient energy;
• Smart, green and integrated transport;
• Climate action, environment, resource efficiency and raw materials;
• Europe in a changing world - inclusive, innovative and reflective societies;
• Secure societies - protecting freedom and security of Europe and its citizens.

This Programme aims to promote the transition 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.

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%