Why do we need global partnerships?
Agricultural research and innovation deal with various issues that have a global dimension, such as climate adaptation and mitigation, resource use, animal and plant diseases or value chains. International cooperation can pool existing expertise and capacities in the most effective way.
International partnerships help to capture the specificities of production systems under a wide range of geo-climatic, cultural and socio-economic conditions. This is particularly important in view of testing and replicating solutions.
International cooperation contributes also to the competitiveness of European food and non-food systems in the global economy. Finally, international research cooperation in agriculture and forestry contributes to implement the EU’s external policy, notably with regard to meeting commitments to Sustainable Development Goals and COP 21 objectives.
Initiatives supported by the EU
The European Commission has led the development of the following major international research cooperation initiatives or partnerships.
- International research consortium on animal health – STAR-IDAZ IRC
A global alliance of research funders on animal health, fostering soft coordination to fill research needs on specific diseases and issues (e.g. Antimicrobial resistance) - Coordination of international research cooperation on soil sequestration in agriculture - CIRCASA
A project aimed at developing international synergies concerning research and knowledge exchange in the field of carbon sequestration in agricultural soils - Partnership for research and innovation in the Mediterranean area - PRIMA
A partnership for research and innovation in the Mediterranean area to improve water availability and sustainable agriculture production. PRIMA is a public-public partnership (based on Article 185 of the Treaty on the functioning of the EU) - EU-China food, agriculture and biotechnology (FAB)
A comprehensive research and innovation cooperation programme to tackle sustainable agriculture, food security and safety in the EU and China. - EU-Africa research and innovation partnership on food and nutrition security and sustainable agriculture (FNSSA)
Within the framework of the EU-Africa high-level policy dialogue (HLPD) on science, technology and innovation (STI) the African Union and the EU are working together on a common priority research and innovation area: food and nutrition security and sustainable agriculture.