EU wants to promote research and innovation in the agricultural sector

A communication on a New Strategic Approach to Research and Innovation for Agriculture, Forestry, Rural Areas and Competitive and Resilient Food Systems aims to “guide future research, innovation, implementation and adoption throughout the agri-food sector”, according to a communiqué from the Community Executive.

Brussels highlights the challenges and needs of users as well as achieving a real impact on the ground by bringing together end-users, researchers and companies to co-create, test and demonstrate solutions in real environments while ensuring food security.

This will also help businesses bring promising innovations closer to the market.

For the European Commissioner for Agriculture, Christian Hansen, “research and innovation can make a real difference in how we cultivate and manage our rural areas: from crops that are better able to withstand drought and extreme temperatures, to faster ways to detect plant diseases, protection of more sustainable crops and digital tools for a smarter use of resources like water”.

To support bottom-up innovation, the Commission will promote initiatives to validate traditional knowledge and professional-led solutions while involving farmers in testing innovations in different regions.

The strategic approach also wants to contribute to the objectives of the Vision for Agriculture and Food, the Strategy for ‘Startups’ and ‘Scaleups’ and the European Life Sciences Strategy.

The text adopted today also complements the EU Bioeconomics Strategy, supporting innovation and creating sustainable value.