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H2020, Open the calls for Societal Challenge 2: Sustainable Food Security

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Horizon 2020 is the biggest EU Research and Innovation program ever with nearly €80 billion of funding available. A Europe 2020 flagship initiative aimed at securing Europe's global competitiveness.

 

On October 15, the calls for the Social Challenge 2 were opened. The specific objective of this Challenge is to guarantee a sufficient supply of safe, healthy and high quality food and other bioproducts, through the development of productive primary production systems, sustainable and efficient in resources, the promotion of the corresponding ecosystem services and the recovery of biological diversity, together with supply chains, competitive transformation and commercialization and low carbon emission. This will accelerate the transition to a sustainable European bioeconomy, narrowing the gap between new technologies and their implementation.

With a total budget of 522 M€, the following themes are opened:

  • Sustainable Food Security: 14 research lines with 173 M€
  • Blue Growth: 4 research lines with 52 M€
  • Rural Renaissance: 8 research lines with 88 M€
  • Food and natural resources: 18 research lines with 208 M€

The Sustainable Food Security call is Horizon 2020's main contribution to research and innovation in relation to Food and Nutrition Security in Europe and beyond. Its commitment to sustainability implies that particular attention is given to the interfaces between the economic, environmental and social dimensions of food production. The call advocates for food system approaches to tackle the inherent links between ecosystems, food production, the food chain and consumer health and wellbeing.

The Sustainable Food Security call aims to

  • deliver diverse and healthy food from land and sea
  • increase resource efficiency and environmental performance of food systems from primary production to consumers
  • understand the impact of climate change on agriculture, resources, food quality and identify options to manage its effects
  • reduce greenhouse gas emissions and emissions of air pollutants from land use and food production taking into account main drivers such as inputs and consumption patterns

Deadlines for submission of proposals:

  • Calls with single phase: January 22, 2020
  • Calls with two phases: January 22, 2020 for the first phase and September 8, 2020 for the second phase

More information at: https://ec.europa.eu/

 

 

Author: Dra. Isabel Gómez