R&I Conference Bruxelles 11-13 March 2025

Conference 

“Boosting agrifood research and innovation cooperation

for sustainable impact at scale”

11-13 March 2025, Brussels

TO REGISTER YOUR INTEREST: https://www.desiralift.org/conference/ 

1. Rationale 

Agrifood systems are complex, diverse and shaped by a wide range of actors and drivers. Agrifood systems produce food, as well as other outcomes such as decent jobs, livelihoods, fair revenue, cultural identity and ecosystem services. At the same time agrifood systems are closely connected to global and local challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, soil degradation, malnutrition, inequality, or conflicts. Improving how the world's food is produced, processed and consumed is a keystone in building a sustainable future. 

Agrifood systems therefore need to become more sustainable, healthy, productive, inclusive, climate resilient to be able to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals. This requires profound changes through research and innovation (R&I). Innovation in agrifood systems encompasses technological innovations embracing also social, institutional and agroecological innovations. Responsible innovation relates to the desirable agrifood systems transformation with different possible and sometimes competing pathways (sustainable intensification, agroecology, regenerative agriculture, delivering healthy nutrition etc.). Innovation is co-produced by actors exchanging information, mobilizing resources, and experimenting solutions. Improved agricultural innovation systems linking actors with enabling institutions and policies are thus a cornerstone of agrifood systems transformation. Research contributes to agricultural innovation systems (AIS) by producing knowledge, methods, and technologies and by building partnerships with a large range of actors to co-design and scale innovations.

The research gaps remain important to both increase productivity along value chains and address environmental, social and economic sustainability challenges. Organizations in the agricultural sector of low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) still need to reinforce their capacities to support innovation enhancing their uptake in the activity of farmers, fishermen, foresters and other food systems actors. There is a need to strengthen policies to support innovation at scale from the first idea and experiments to the dissemination and adaptation to diverse contexts. It requires specific skills to facilitate multistakeholder innovation processes and dedicated funding mechanisms with the mobilization of private and public actors.

The EU R&I interventions cover all the continents (Asia, America, Africa). However, interventions in Africa is a priority. The African Union and European Union partnership laid in 2010 the foundation of the High-Level Policy Dialogue (HLPD) on Science, Technology and Innovation within the framework of the Joint Africa-EU Strategy. As a first common priority the EU-Africa Research and Innovation Partnership on food and nutrition security and sustainable agriculture (FNSSA) was put in place. In this regard, the AU-EU HLPD Roadmap on FNSSA was launched proposing a joint research agenda including the establishment of the AU-EU International Research Consortium through the Horizon Europe-funded CEA-FIRST project. 

The DeSIRA Initiative, funded by the European Union (DG INTPA) seeks to enhance an inclusive, sustainable and climate-relevant transformation of agrifood systems in LMICs through R&I based on multistakeholder approaches. Specific emphasis is put on innovative solutions based on agroecological approaches. The DeSIRA initiative is complementary to other R&I programs for agrifood systems transformation supported by the EU such as Horizon Europe which includes specific interventions dedicated to regional cooperation (e.g. Africa) or the long-term institutional partnership with the CGIAR. 

The Conference in Brussels is organized by DG INTPA in collaboration with other EU Directorates Generals. The conference will specifically address the question of how R&I can contribute to desirable agrifood systems transformation in LMICs, discussing principles, partnerships, practices, tools, capacities, funding, and policies. The conference will build on the collective achievements and consolidated lessons of the DeSIRA initiative and will take stock of other R&I programmes implemented or supported by EU. It will make use of on-going policy engagement on R&I in EU partner countries such as the post Malabo process in Africa. It will also contribute to inform future programming and investments in agrifood systems R&I including in relationship with the design of the new EU multi-annual financial framework.

2. Conference objectives

The main conference objectives are to:

• Share results and lessons on the contribution of R&I projects to food systems transformation in LMICs through the experiences of UE interventions and similar other international interventions.
• Identify key enablers and hurdles for innovation at scale for productive, inclusive, and sustainable investments into agrifood systems.
• Explore future contributions of R&I for agrifood systems transformation, innovation system strengthening and innovation policies in support of development agendas (SDGs, post Malabo, Science Technology and Innovation Strategy for Africa, EU Global Gateway strategy).
• Inform policy makers and provide recommendations on improved complementarity and synergy of EU mechanisms and approaches to support R&I at scale in partner countries, including inputs to the EU-Africa R&I Partnership on FNSSA.

3. Main outcomes of the conference

The main outcome of this conference is to provide key arguments and recommendations to better efficiency, complementarities and synergies between the several EU instruments (NDICI & Horizon Europe) to support R&I on agrifood systems in LMICs, with the objectives (i) to clarify roles to support “innovation from research outcomes” to “innovation at scale” and “impacts at scale”, and (ii) to better align the EU R&I investments on agrifood systems with the EU Global Gateway strategy and country partners priorities.

4. Structure of conference program 

The program will include the following sessions:

• Day 1 will feature the different EU R&I programmes and focus on results and lessons from EU interventions (DeSIRA Initiative, Horizon Europe) and other international interventions aiming at supporting innovation.
• Day 2 morning will broaden the reflection and discussion by focusing on how to support innovation at scale by making use of R&I outcomes (policies for enabling environment, public and private funding, capacities including education)
• Day 2 afternoon will be dedicated to high-level discussions on on-going and future EU policies for R&I cooperation with LMICs
• Day 3 will be dedicated to sessions/events proposed by organisations participating in the conference.

5. Conference partners and participants

The target audience includes the various stakeholders involved in the DeSIRA Initiative as well as policy makers of the European Commission and EU Member States, and international organisations and actors.

Conference participants will include: 

• Project holders and implementers : DeSIRA, Horizon Europe, others
• CAADP organisations: AU Commission, FARA, AFAAS, CORAF, CCARDESA, ASARECA, RUFORUM
• Policy makers supporting R&I in LMICs and funders: DG RTD, DG AGRI, EU Member States (ENABEL, GIZ, AFD, etc.), EU R&I platforms (SCAR-ARCH), International research organisations (ex. CGIAR), FAO, IFAD
• Non-research organisations (farmers organisations, private sector and civil society organisations)

6. Conference organisation

The 3 days (11-13 March 2025) conference will be held in person, in Brussels, with the possibility to attend online.

• Maximum number of participants: 150
• Venue: Brussels (COMET venue)

MORE INFO Conference  – DeSIRA-LIFT