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Improving yields in organic cropping systems
Funding Program | Horizon Europe - Cluster 6 - Destination 2: Fair, Healthy and Environmentally-friendly Food Systems from Primary Production to Consumption | |
Call number | HORIZON-CL6-2023-FARM2FORK-01-3 | |
deadlines | Opening 22.12.2022 | Deadline 12.04.2023 17:00 |
Funding rate | 100% | |
Call budget | € 8,000,000.00 | |
Estimated EU contribution per project | € 4,000,000.00 | |
Link to the call | ec.europa.eu | |
Link to the submission | ec.europa.eu |
Call content
Call objectives | Promoting the use of more sustainable farming practices is a EU policy objective enshrined in the European Green Deal and its related strategies. Boosting organic farming, one of the objectives of the farm to fork and of the EU biodiversity strategies, can greatly contribute to achieving this ambition. Moreover, the Communication ‘Safeguarding food security and reinforcing the resilience of food systems’ highlights the role that organic farming can play in reducing EU’s dependence on external inputs. Reaching at least 25% of the EU’s agricultural land under organic farming will require among other elements, a significant increase in current conversion rates. One of the obstacles that hinders conversion to organic farming is the fact that several crops grown under organic conditions achieve lower yields per hectare as compared with those produced under conventional farming practices. Closing the yield gap is therefore important in order to further improve the economic competitiveness and resilience of the sector, as well as to increase farmers’ adoption of organic production At the same time, closing of the yield gap should not compromise the principles and objectives of organic farming, in particular with regard to the recycling of nutrients. Moreover, it is important that approaches and strategies aiming at bridging the yield gap in organic farming are holistic and take into consideration the implications on the entire farming system. By using a participatory approach, proposals should set up a European-wide network of testing, experimentation and demonstration sites to test, co-create and showcase practices and strategies that improve yields of crops produced under organic conditions. In this context, proposals should:
Proposals must implement the 'multi-actor approach’ and ensure adequate involvement of the main stakeholders (farmers, breeders, researchers, advisors, industry, etc.). Proposals should cover a representative range of pedo-climatic conditions across Europe and a wide range of crops (arable and perennial) reflecting the diversity of the European organic plant production sector. Proposals should ensure synergies and build on the results from previous and/or ongoing research projects. Proposals should include a dedicated task, appropriate resources and a plan on how they will collaborate with other projects funded under this topic, and ensure synergy with relevant activities carried out under other initiatives in Horizon Europe, including under the topic HORIZON-CL6-2023-GOVERNANCE: ‘Developing an EU advisory network on organic agriculture’, HORIZON-CL6-2024-GOVERNANCE: ‘Organic farming thematic network to compile and share knowledge ready for practice’, and the future partnership ‘Accelerating farming systems transition: agroecology living labs and research infrastructures’. In order to better address some or all of the expected outcomes, as well as to promote learning and cross-fertilisation with activities carried out outside of Europe, international cooperation is encouraged. read more |
Expected effects and impacts | A successful proposal should support the objectives of the farm to fork strategy to transition to fair, healthy and environmentally-friendly food systems from primary production to consumption, notably the objective to promote and increase organic farming in Europe, in line with the farm to fork and biodiversity strategies’ target of at least 25% of the EU’s agricultural land under organic farming by 2030 and a significant uptake of agroecological practices. Activities will support the implementation of specific actions in the action plan for the development of organic production. Given the potential of organic farming to contribute to the EU’s climate ambition, this topic will contribute to the objective of a climate-neutral land sector by 2035 and a climate-neutral economy by 2050. |
Expected results |
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Regions / countries for funding | EU Member States, Overseas Countries and Territories (OCT) Moldova (Moldova), Albania (Shqipëria), Armenia (Հայաստան), Bosnia and Herzegovina (Bosna i Hercegovina / Босна и Херцеговина), Faeroes (Føroyar / Færøerne), Georgia (საქართველო), Island (Ísland), Israel (ישראל / إِسْرَائِيل), Kosovo (Kosova/Kosovë / Косово), Montenegro (Црна Гора), Morocco (المغرب), North Macedonia (Северна Македонија), Norway (Norge), Serbia (Srbija/Сpбија), Tunisia (تونس /Tūnis), Türkiye, Ukraine (Україна), United Kingdom |
eligible entities | EU Body, Education and training institution, International organization, Natural Person, Non-Profit Organisation (NPO) / Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Other, Private institution, incl. private company (private for profit), Public Body (national, regional and local; incl. EGTCs), Research Institution incl. University, Small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) |
Mandatory partnership | No |
Project Partnership | To be eligible for funding, applicants must be established in one of the following countries:
Applications may be submitted by one or more legal entities, which may be established in a Member State, Associated Country or, in exceptional cases and if provided for in the specific call conditions, in another third country. Any legal entity, regardless of its place of establishment, including legal entities from non-associated third countries or international organisations (including international European research organisations) is eligible to participate (whether it is eligible for funding or not), provided that the conditions laid down in the Horizon Europe Regulation have been met, along with any other conditions laid down in the specific call topic. A ‘legal entity’ means any natural or legal person created and recognised as such under national law, EU law or international law, which has legal personality and which may, acting in its own name, exercise rights and be subject to obligations, or an entity without legal personality. Specific cases:
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other eligibility criteria | Proposals must apply the multi-actor approach. See definition of the multi-actor approach on pages 21-23 of the work programme. |
Additional information
Topics |
Administration & Governance, Institutional Capacity & Cooperation, Agriculture & Forestry, Fishery, Food, Soil quality, Air Quality, Biodiversity & Environment, Climate & Climate Change, Water quality & management |
Relevance for EU Macro-Region | EUSAIR - EU Strategy for the Adriatic and Ionian Region, EUSALP - EU Strategy for the Alpine Space, EUSBSR - EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, EUSDR - EU Strategy for the Danube Region |
UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs) |
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Additional Information | All proposals must be submitted electronically via the Funders & Tenders Portal electronic submission system (accessible via the topic page in the Search Funding & Tenders section). Paper submissions are NOT possible. Proposals must be complete and contain all parts and mandatory annexes and supporting documents, e.g. plan for the exploitation and dissemination of the results including communication activities, etc. The application form will have two parts:
Annexes and supporting documents will be directly available in the submission system and must be uploaded as PDF files (or other formats allowed by the system). The limit for a full application (Part B) is 33 pages. Eligible costs will take the form of a lump sum. |
Call documents | HE-Work Programme 2023-2024, Cluster 6, Destination 2 (646kB) |
Contact | National Contact Points for Horizon Europe Website |
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