Enhancing plant protein production to bolster the resilience of agricultural systems and EU self-sufficiency in plant protein used as feed
Programme Category
Programme Name
Programme Description
Horizon Europe is the European Union (EU) funding programme for the period 2021 – 2027, which targets the sectors of research and innovation. The programme’s budget is around € 95.5 billion, of which € 5.4 billion is from NextGenerationEU to stimulate recovery and strengthen the EU’s resilience in the future, and € 4.5 billion is additional aid.
Identifier Code
Call
Summary
Currently, the cultivation of protein crops, such as pulses and fodder legumes, represents only a small percentage (around 3 %) of the EU’s agricultural area.
While there is no significant shortage in the supply of protein for nutritional purposes in the EU, there is a greater shortage in the feed sector, resulting in high levels of imports (especially soya) from countries that often have different environmental and social standards.
It is therefore of strategic importance for the EU to expand domestic production of protein crops, including mixed crops as a source of feed.
Detailed Call Description
Topic proposals under this destination should set out credible paths to “ensuring healthy food and nutrition security by making agriculture, fisheries, aquaculture and food systems sustainable, resilient, inclusive and within planetary boundaries”. More specifically, proposed topics should contribute to one or more of the following impacts:
- Agri-food systems contribute to the EU strategic autonomy by fostering food and nutrition security practices and safeguarding long-term sustainability with multi-disciplinary approaches including One Health.
- Farmers and relevant actors in agricultural primary sector are enabled to manage sustainable, efficient, profitable, circular, low greenhouse gas-emitting farming systems contributing to climate-neutrality and climate-resilience. This will be achieved by new knowledge, innovation and the upscaling and replication of existing and new sustainable farming approaches, including organic farming, while making farming a professionally attractive and remunerative life choice.
- Sustainable and resource efficient farming practices contribute to ecosystems´ health, and their related ecosystem services, while minimising pollution, including in surface and groundwaters and the marine environment, and restoring and protecting biodiversity.
- Sustainable fisheries and aquaculture (including organic aquaculture) contribute to fair, healthy, resilient and environment-friendly food systems, promote low-impact and diverse aquatic food production. Healthy aquatic ecosystems with thriving diversity of species and habitats provide ecosystem and climate services for safe and sustainable fisheries and aquaculture and use of coastal zones for leisure activities, thus triggering growth and jobs’ creation in coastal, and rural areas. Technological knowledge on the elimination of negative impacts of fishing and aquaculture is improved, in particular through the creation of innovative, more selective, energy and resource efficient and environmentally sustainable techniques.
- The just transition to overall sustainable, healthy and inclusive food systems[4] is consistently developed. Analysis of existing barriers and enablers to change allows to design effective leverages to steer the sustainability transition. Co-benefits for climate change mitigation and adaptation, environmental sustainability and circularity, sustainable healthy diets, malnutrition and hunger reduction are delivered.
- Food environments are transformed so that citizens and communities are empowered to move towards healthy, affordable and sustainable diets; food businesses can flourish; food processing industries’ competitiveness is improved, while ensuring sustainability; food safety and food sovereignty as well as human health is preserved and food waste is reduced.
Call Total Budget
Financing percentage by EU or other bodies / Level of Subsidy or Loan
100%
Expected EU contribution per project: €5.50 million.
Thematic Categories
- Agriculture - Farming - Forestry
- Agriculture - Food
- Environment and Climate Change
- Land Development
- New Entrepreneurship
- Other Services
- Research, Technological Development and Innovation
- Rural development
Eligibility for Participation
- Businesses
- Central Government
- Farmers Unions
- Farmers, Agriculturalists
- Legal Entities
- Natual person / Citizen / Individual
- NGOs
- Non Profit Organisations
- Private Bodies
- Researchers/Research Centers/Institutions
- Semi-governmental organisations
- Services Providers
- Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)
- State-owned Enterprises
- Training Centres
Eligibility For Participation Notes
The Joint Research Centre (JRC) may participate as member of the consortium selected for funding.
The following additional eligibility criteria apply: The proposals must apply the multi-actor approach. See definition of the multi-actor approach in the introduction to this work programme part.
A number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects.
Call Opening Date
Call Closing Date
National Contact Point(s)
Research and Innovation Foundation
29a Andrea Michalakopoulou, 1075 Nicosia,
P.B. 23422, 1683 Nicosia
Telephone: +357 22205000
Fax: +357 22205001
Email: support@research.org.cy
Website: https://www.research.org.cy/en/
Contact Persons:
Marcia Trillidou
Scientific Officer A’
Email: trillidou@research.org.cy
Dr. Mary Economou
Scientific Officer
Email: meconomou@research.org.cy