African Union – European Union Research and Innovation Partnership on Food and Nutrition Security and Sustainable Agriculture (FNSSA)

About the partnership

Food and nutrition security and sustainable agriculture (FNSSA) was the first common priority research and innovation area, as part of the AU-EU  High Level Policy Dialogue (HLPD) on Science, Technology and Innovation (STI), embedded in the Joint Africa-EU Strategy (JAES).

The Partnership addresses the challenges set out in UN 2030 Agenda and mainly Sustainable Development Goal 2 - Zero hunger - by stimulating joint AU-EU R&I.

Activities complement AU initiatives supporting the food security such as the STI Strategies for Africa (STISAs) and the Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP). The Partnership also complements political priorities of the EU in relation to the Vision for Agriculture and Food and the European Green Deal.

The partnership aims to boost the impact of AU-EU joint research at local level by addressing the entire value-chain, strengthening capacity-building (human, research infrastructures and institutional) and focusing on innovation. It also aims to improve access to sustainably produced, nutritious and safe food for urban and rural citizens, enhance income growth and promote rural development, contributing to Agenda 2030. Close collaboration exists with the AU-EU Innovation Agenda and the AU-EU HLPD priority on Climate Change and Sustainable Energy (CCSE).

Since the start of the Partnership, more than €1 billion has been mobilised to support various projects under the Partnership’s 2016-2026 roadmap (see below).

For an up-to-date overview of all related projects, please visit the AU-EU R&I on FNSSA project database

Roadmaps

2016-2026

At the request of the AU-EU Summit 2014, an African-European expert group was tasked, under the guidance of the HLPD, to draft a roadmap towards an AU-EU R&I partnership on FNSSA. A 10-year roadmap was adopted by the HLPD Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in April 2016. This Roadmap proposes the basis for a joint research agenda, short-to medium-term actions, and reflections on long-term options for implementation.

This roadmap has four priorities:

1. Sustainable intensification of agriculture; 

2. Agriculture and food systems for nutrition;

3. Expansion and improvement of agricultural trade and markets;

4. Cross-cutting topics

Roadmap towards a jointly funded EU-Africa Research & Innovation partnership on Food and Nutrition Security and Sustainable Agriculture (5 April 2016)

2027-2036

The Roadmap covering 2016-2026, has undergone an update to extend its vision to 2027-2036. This process was guided by the AU-EU HLPD Working Group on FNSSA, ensuring alignment with emerging challenges and new priorities. The renewed Roadmap is aligned with Agenda 2063, the STISA 2034 and the CAADP Kampala Strategy and Action Plan 2026–2035, alongside relevant European policy frameworks and strategies, such as the AgRI 2040 and Food 2040 as announced in the Vision for Agriculture and Food, the Clean Industrial Deal or the Global Gateway. It therefore provides a bicontinental framework through which converging African and European priorities can be translated into jointly designed R&I action on FNSSA.

Endorsement of 2027-2036 Roadmap took place at the Second AU-EU R&I Ministerial Meeting in October 2026 in Addis Ababa.

Download AU-EU R&I partnership on FNSSA Roadmap 2027-2036 (coming soon)

Working group

A joint FNSSA Working Group (WG) was set up in 2017 to oversee the implementation of the AU-EU R&I FNSSA Roadmap, facilitate coordination among various instruments and stakeholders, and monitor and evaluate the partnership's progress. The FNSSA WG, co-chaired by the African Union Commission and the European Commission, comprises up to five plus five representatives from European Union and African Union member states

The AU-EU R&I partnership on FNSSA is further associated with DeSIRA (Development Smart Innovation through Research in Agriculture). DeSIRA aims to contribute to climate-relevant, productive, and sustainable transformation of agriculture and food systems in low and middle-income countries. The FNSSA partnership supports the initiative by fostering international research, especially in Africa.

Terms of Reference for the AU-EU FNSSA working group (2024)