135 new projects in the areas of food, bioeconomy, natural resources, agriculture, and environment are starting their research

The EU is investing €897 million in new projects that will contribute to the sustainable transformation of the EU economy and society in the areas of food, bioeconomy, natural resources, agriculture, and the environment.

Funded through Horizon Europe, the 135 new projects are expected to play a crucial role in advancing the European Union's ambitions and commitments outlined in the EU Green Deal. They will reduce environmental degradation, halt and reverse the decline of biodiversity and better manage natural resources whilst ensuring food and water security.  

The EU Circular Economy Action Plan, the EU Zero Pollution Action Plan, the EU Bioeconomy Strategy Action Plan, EU Soil, EU Biodiversity, EU Forests, and EU Farm-to-Fork strategies are some of the EU policies and strategies that these EU-funded projects will also support through their innovative and sustainable solutions. 

The projects have signed their Grant Agreements with the European Commission. Some of them have already begun their research while some will commence shortly.

Number of selected projects per call 

 

What will the selected projects do? 

Biodiversity and ecosystems services 

Projects are expected to contribute to understand and address direct drivers of biodiversity decline in both terrestrial and aquatic environments. Among others, projects are expected to develop methods to improve the conservation status of EU-protected species and habitat, and to assess the effects and impact of chemical pollutants. Projects will analyse the impact of light and noise pollution on biodiversity and will enhance greening plans in urban and peri-urban areas to meet the objectives set in the Nature Conservation law.  

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Fair, healthy and environment-friendly food systems from primary production to consumption 

Projects are expected to, for instance, advance sustainable livestock systems and give attention to holistic approaches, such as those that contribute to improving organic-tailored plant varieties and the appropriate use of breeds and varieties as well as build soil fertility and optimal nutrient management. Also, projects will propose marketing solutions to prevent and reduce food waste, and minimise the impacts of pesticides on human and animal health, terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, drinking water, soils and the food chain.

Projects will address food security in Africa, enhancing safety systems, local markets, and aquaculture farms with AI and IoT technologies. Projects should suggest solutions and addressing traceability of all steps in the production chain to measure the effectiveness of solutions.

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Circular economy and bioeconomy sectors  

Projects should enable circular economy transitions through the development and demonstration of innovative solutions and sustainable practices in EU regions and cities and in different sectors - including households and water. Other funded projects are expected to develop novel bio-based, sustainable, and ‘eco-friendly’ materials and products for various bioeconomy sectors, including for humanitarian applications. Several projects also aim to safeguard and improve the sustainability of forests functions.  

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Clean environment and zero pollution  

Projects are expected to produce tools and techniques to reduce water losses as well as the presence of pesticide residues and nutrients in water bodies to levels that are no longer harmful. The projects will support farmers, spatial planners, policy makers and water managers to optimising agricultural water use for irrigation but also water used by local people and in other economic sectors. In addition, some of the projects will advance understanding of the impacts of pollution in the Arctic, including marine litter, emerging pollutants, and plastic pollution, while other projects should come up with strategies to prevent and reduce food plastic packaging pollution. 

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Land, oceans and water for climate action 

Projects will, for example, improve irrigation practices and technology in agriculture, and improve the efficiency, reliability and cost-effectiveness and sustainable design of a wide range of alternative water solutions (e.g., rainwater harvesting, storm water, water reclamation and reuse, brackish and sea water desalination, aquifer recharge). Projects should explore carbon farming techniques and their outcomes and develop sustainable solutions and business models to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030. A pilot network of 250 farms implementing climate and carbon practices is expected to be created. In addition, the projects should contribute to the EU-China international cooperation to improve biodiversity monitoring infrastructures to deliver better synergies between mitigation, adaptation, and conservation. 

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Resilient, inclusive, healthy, and green rural, coastal and urban communities  

Projects funded under this call should identify and analyse the drivers of social exclusion and the challenges to address disparities and marginalisation in various rural areas in Europe, (e.g., remote rural areas, costal and mountain areas, rural areas close to towns and cities). Some projects should analyse rural and territorial policies that were developed with and for rural communities and identify effective citizen engagement methods. Projects should assess current and future contribution of various forms of urban farming to, for instance, overall food supply, food security and resilience mainly for urban citizens, and the demand for new skills, training, and educational offer.  

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Innovative governance, environmental observations and digital solutions in support of the Green Deal 

The projects are expected to investigate, identify and test innovative nudging practices to help farmers and foresters move into sustainable farming systems, and to developing an interdisciplinary and inclusive pan-European academic network for food system science. In addition, projects should reduce observation gaps in the land-sea interface area, and run integrated assessment of land use and biomass demands to contribute to a sustainable healthy and fair bioeconomy. 

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How were the projects selected? 

All projects were selected in seven competitive calls for proposals, which opened on 22 December 2022. In total, 568 proposals were submitted by the calls’ deadline in Spring 2023. 

The selected projects received the highest marks in a peer evaluation run by the European Research Executive Agency (REA) with the help of independent experts. 

 

Further information 

For updates on these projects—as well as another innovative research— follow REA on X and LinkedIn. You will get up-to-date information about their study findings as well as the upcoming events.   

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