From Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
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Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, with special responsibility for research and innovation, Martin Heydon, today committed €2 million towards a new European research Partnership centred on ‘Agroecology’ and ‘Animal Health and Welfare’.
Research Partnerships are a new model and mark a significant step under the Horizon Europe Research Programme which will see agriculture, forestry and rural areas benefit from increased research and innovation funding. A further Partnership on Sustainable Food Systems will be launched later this year. The Partnerships enable greater cooperation to address national and European priorities through the pooling of expertise and resources, as well as harnessing additional private and public research investments.
Speaking on the launch of the Partnerships, Minister Heydon said:
"Ensuring the sustainability of agricultural systems, economically, environmentally, and socially, is a critical issue. I see research that involves farmers as vital for the development of new solutions and technologies to support sustainable production systems on farm. I am therefore pleased to announce that my department will commit €2 million towards the first Call for proposals under the ‘Fostering agroecology at farm and landscape level’s Partnership.”
The Partnership aims to boost innovation taking place where it will be deployed with farmers asked to co-develop, test, and monitor new practices, approaches and technologies in real-life contexts.
The Call is open to applications from eligible Irish Research Performing Organisations as part of international research consortia. Participation, in line with funding regulations, from non-profit organisations, consumers/citizens, civil society representatives and private companies is also encouraged.
It represents the first research call supported by the department under Horizon Europe’s European Partnership Programme and represents a new approach to tackling pressing societal challenges.
The Call announcement comes in conjunction with the formal launch event of the Partnership’s for Agroecology and Animal Health and Welfare taking place in Brussels on 26 and 28 February.
Minister Heydon said:
“The launch of these Horizon Europe Partnerships represents a crucial milestone in our effort to build a more sustainable, resilient, and competitive agricultural sector in Europe. By pooling our resources, expertise, and knowledge, we can address the complex challenges facing agriculture more effectively and pave the way for a more prosperous future. I look forward to the roll out of research Calls under the other Partnerships over the course of 2024.”
Detailed information on the Call scope, application guidelines, eligibility criteria and available funding are provided through the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine’s Research Portal.
European Partnerships bring the European Commission and private and/or public partners together to address some of Europe’s most pressing challenges through concerted research and innovation initiatives. They are a key implementation tool of Horizon Europe.
First Call on ‘Fostering agroecology at farm and landscape levels’
The first open call on ‘Fostering agroecology at farm and landscape levels’ is a funding initiative of the European Partnership on Accelerating Farming Systems Transition: Agroecology Living Labs and Research Infrastructure (AELLRI). The partnership aims to accelerate the transition towards sustainable, climate- and ecosystem-friendly farming practices according to three principal objectives.
1) Enable a better comprehension of agroecological processes from farm to landscape levels.
2) Boost place-based innovation in co-creative environments.
3) Improve the flow and uptake of knowledge and innovations on agroecology.
Financial support
Irish financial support for the Partnership Call “Fostering agroecology at farm and landscape levels“ is being provided through the DAFM Research Programme and the Teagasc Walsh Scholarships Programme. Total combined DAFM/Teagasc funding for the Call is €2,372,000.
The department/Teagasc will provide funding for successful Irish applicants that apply under all themes of the Call.