On 2 & 3 of May, the European Commission organized the EU AgriResearch Conference: a large scale event dedicated to scientists, farmers, rural communities, industry, advisors, policy-makers, citizens and NGO representatives, and focused on the EU activities, strategies and achievements in the field of rural development and sustainable agriculture.

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Around 500 participants attended the conference, with the aim of looking at both the current implementation of the EU agricultural Research & Innovation (R&I) approach, as well as for the EU policies of the future.

The Conference’s first day was fortunate enough (or unfortunate, according to the viewpoint taken) to coincide with the very day of the College of Commissioners’ decision about the next multi annual financial framework. Commissioner Moedas (Research) and Commissioner Hogan (Agriculture & Rural Development) arrived together to close the first high-level day of EU AgriResearch, both cheering for the 10 billion Euro granted to food, agriculture, rural development and the bio-economy in the future EU Programme for R&I (Horizon Europe).

 

NEFERTITI & Smart AKIS on the spot

Commissioner Hogan also referred to NEFERTITI and Smart-AKIS, two projects in which CEMA is involved, as some of the most interesting and promising initiatives funded in Horizon 2020 (H2020). Commissioner Moedas speech also indirectly appreciated the initiatives undertaken by CEMA, since he mentioned data, food traceability and advisory as the three areas where there would be the most potential to make agri-research more open.

Other speakers of this first day, devoted to the present and future of the EU agriculture and rural R&I, include representatives from both the European Parliament and the Commission, the OECD, the CGIAR, as well as for the Andalusian Regional Minister of Agriculture and the Bulgarian Minister for Agriculture, Rumen Porodzanov.

The second day of the conference was mostly dedicated to present current agricultural and rural R&I achievements, as inspirational examples for shaping the future of EU agriculture. That was thereby the moment to leave the stage to the different EU projects funded under the current H2020, thus including IoF2020 and Smart-AKIS, two projects in which CEMA is involved.

In particular, CEMA participated supporting the dissemination of Smart-AKIS, the European Thematic Network on Smart Farming Technologies. Smart AKIS was highlighted as a good practice in the field of multi-actor innovation promoted by Thematic Networks funded by H2020 Programme. Spyros Fountas, Professor at the Agricultural University of Athens and Smart-AKIS Coordinator, presented the Network achievements after 2 years of work and announced the project Final Conference, that will be held in Brussels on the 27th of June with the support of CEMA.

For more information about the EU AgriResearch Conference, you can find more details on the conference page,including programme, presentations, the plenary’s speeches and some related documents.