Open topic: Improving the competitiveness of the agricultural sector by enhancing the efficient and sustainable use of agricultural production factors

Expected Outcome

Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:

• the EU strategic autonomy and the long-term sustainability of EU farming systems are safeguarded;
• farmers benefit from new knowledge, innovations and practices to make the green transition towards sustainable and biodiversity friendly agriculture.

Scope

EU farmers face numerous competitiveness challenges. According to a study by the EP[1], the growth of total factor productivity (TFP) in EU agriculture has been slowing down while some of our competitors, like Brazil, Canada and China, show higher TFP growth. In order to revert this trend, improving the efficiency of the production factors is a possible avenue, while at the same time considering its sustainable use. Proposals should address all the following activities:

• develop prototypes of innovations and farming practices that can improve the efficient and sustainable use of agricultural production factors[2] or provide sustainable alternatives, and test them in a large-scale operational environment;
• provide cost-effective and sustainable business models of these innovations or farming practices, and assess their environmental (including biodiversity restoration[3]), social and economic impacts to facilitate the deployment and the commercialisation on the European market;
• identify possible barriers and enablers for the adoption, the upscaling or large-scale deployment of these innovations and propose solutions;
• propose a clear strategy to communicate, disseminate and exploit results, new farming practices, innovations and best practices, and to foresee training to the relevant actors.

Proposals may provide financial support to third parties (FSTP) to, for instance, test, develop or demonstrate the innovations or prototypes.

Proposals must implement the multi-actor approach including farmers, advisors, researchers, social scientists, SMEs and start-ups in order to leverage opportunities for innovations to scale up and access relevant markets.

Proposals are encouraged to build on the results of relevant projects funded under Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe and ensure collaboration with relevant ongoing projects.

This topic should involve the effective contribution of SSH disciplines and SSH experts, especially in the field of behavioural sciences and adoption/uptake of technologies and practices.

The projects under this topic are relevant to the EU policies related to the Common Agricultural Policy and align with the EU Vision for Agriculture and Food.

Technology Readiness Level - Technology readiness level expected from completed projects

Activities are expected to achieve TRL 7-8 by the end of the project - see General Annex B.

[1] https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/STUD/2024/747270/IPOL_STU(2024)747270_EN.pdf

[2] Production factors in this topic include fertilising products (according to Regulation (EU) 2019/1009), plant protection products, water, energy, machinery and equipment, buildings.

[3] As defined in the Nature Restoration Regulation (https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=OJ:L_202401991).