On 4 May, EIT Food joined pioneering organisations in the European farmer-centric coalition to accelerate progress towards European Green Deal goals on carbon neutrality and biodiversity.
EIT Food is Europe’s leading food innovation initiative, with the aim to create a sustainable and future-proof food sector.
The initiative is made up of a consortium of key industry players, startups, research centres and universities from across Europe. It is one of eight Innovation Communities established by the European Institute for Innovation & Technology (EIT), an independent EU body set up in 2008 to drive innovation and entrepreneurship across Europe.
EIT Food aims to collaborate closely with consumers to develop new knowledge and technology-based products and services that will ultimately deliver a healthier and more sustainable lifestyle for all European citizens.
The ambitious new Coalition – catalysed by the World Economic Forum’s CEO Action Group for the European Green Deal – aims to decarbonise the European food system, while maximising other benefits such as soil health and farmer resilience.
The ‘Carbon+ Farming Journey’ project will take a farmer-centric approach to focus on increasing the uptake of regenerative and climate-smart agriculture practices, identifying the roadblocks to adoption, designing solutions with economic, practical and ecological benefits to farmers.
Dr. Andy Zynga, CEO of EIT Food said: "Agriculture is our greatest chance for delivering on our commitments under the Paris Agreement, and inclusive innovation will be the key enabler for a just transition to net-zero, nature-positive food systems. By pooling resources, avoiding duplication of efforts, sharing, and establishing best practices in such collaborative partnerships, we can achieve greater impact more effectively. EIT Food believes and invests in people-centric and systemic innovations, where no one is left behind. We are thus excited to join this coalition of pioneering organisations in a shared vision for a better future."
EIT Food’s involvement in the Coalition reflects the commitment and extensive work on farmer-centric, sustainable and regenerative agriculture. Some of EIT Food’s initiatives in this area include:
The Regenerative Agriculture Revolution programme, which involves offering training to farmers in Europe on the principles of regenerative agriculture and how to apply these to their farms, as well as working with agrifood companies to transition their supply to regenerative agriculture.
Grow Workshops, educational workshops on emerging practices and technologies that aim to establish regional and European networks of farmers and support the uptake of sustainable and circular solutions by farmers.
The Test Farms programme, links agricultural start-ups with farmers and testing-land, and it helps agritech innovators test their products and services on real-life farms.
The Innovator Fellowship, a six-month skills and mentoring programme for innovators in the agrifood sector, working on responses to global food challenges. The programme includes dedicated creative challenges on soil health and agrifood sustainability.
Source: European Institue of Innovation and Technology News
Comments