ExpectedOutcome:
In line with the European Green Deal priorities and in particular the farm to fork strategy, and in support of the African Free Trade Area, the successful proposal will contribute to the African Union (AU)-EU High Level Policy Dialogue (HLPD) on Science, Technology and Innovation, and its priority on Green Transition (and the respective R&I partnerships on Food and Nutrition Security and Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Change and Sustainable Energy), as well as to the implementation of the short-term actions outlined in the working document of the AU-EU Innovation Agenda, aiming to translate R&I efforts into tangible business, development and employment opportunities in Africa and Europe.
Projects results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:
- Support to the implementation, functioning, consolidation and possible enlargement of a sustainable, and therefore long-term, platform for the EU-Africa Research & Innovation FNSSA partnership in the form of an International Research Consortium (IRC).
- Creation of a knowledge platform for sharing information on relevant research activities and results concerning the FNSSA roadmap.
- Maintenance and better coordination of EU-Africa research and innovation activities and investments in food nutrition security and sustainable agriculture in line with the FNSSA roadmap, thereby maximizing complementarities and avoiding duplication of efforts by supporting FNSSA Working Group.
Scope:
Food and Nutrition Security and the Sustainability of Agriculture (FNSSA) are top priorities in the ‘Green Transition’ of the EU and Africa. It is recognised that there will be more opportunities to achieve these common goals if the EU and Africa join forces. Therefore, the EU and the AU have adopted an enhanced Research & Innovation cooperation as their core strategy and approved a 10-year FNSSA Roadmap. To boost this FNSSA partnership, the Horizon 2020 project LEAP4FNSSA, has been tasked to establish a bi-continental platform to advance FNSSA, in the form of an International Research Consortium. It is expected that the International Research Consortium will be launched before the end of 2022 under the coordination of the project LEAP4FNSSA.
Proposals should address the following:
- Building on the work done by the Horizon 2020 project LEAP4FNSSA, the selected proposal should provide the necessary support to the implementation and the activities of the International Research Consortium.
- Building up and consolidation of a formal research cooperation between the EU and the AU on the issue of food nutrition security and sustainable agriculture, supporting the implementation of the FNSSA 10-year roadmap.
- Providing support in updating the FNSSA roadmap with new R&I priorities based on identified knowledge gaps as well as in identifying and developing joint flagship initiatives.
- Providing support to the establishment of the governance of the International Research Consortium and the set-up of working groups as necessary for the working of the International Research Consortium.
- Contributing a sound method for the analysis of the results of ongoing R&I activities, and the analysis of research gaps.
- Facilitating public access and knowledge sharing through a single online knowledge platform, with access to information and data from the existing database developed under the Horizon 2020 LEAP4FNSSA project.
- Organising the interaction with relevant projects and initiatives.
Activities will build on other initiatives which implement the FNSSA roadmap such as the ERA-Nets LEAP-AGRI and Food Systems and Climate (FOSC). Synergies with the European Commission’s Knowledge Centre for Global Food and Nutrition Security will be explored.
The consortium selected for funding is encouraged to cooperate with actors such as the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC). The possible participation of the JRC in the project could consist in the JRC joining the project steering committee.
