Climate-smart (sub)tropical food crops in the EU

How to promote (sub)tropical crop diversification and integrated crop-livestock production systems to make them economically viable and more resilient to climate-change?

The final report of this Focus Group has been published.

Tasks:

• Provide an overview of current farming practices of (sub)tropical crops, both for conventional and organic systems.
• Identify the challenges and opportunities for the sustainable development of such farming practices in EU outermost and continental regions.
• Propose innovative, climate-smart, cost-effective farming practices and business models relying on the efficient use of local resources and strengthening the local economy.
• Discuss the adoption potential (enabling and limiting factors) of those innovative farming practices of (sub)tropical crops in the EU outermost and continental regions.
• List research and innovation needs, and provide ideas for Operational Groups and other innovative projects.

Results:

• Starting paper
• Final report
• Factsheet

Other information:

• Agenda 1st meeting 12,13 and 14th of May 2020 - online
• Minipaper 1: Improvement of traditional systems enhancing agro-ecological techniques
• Minipaper 2: Technical practices and innovative solutions to achieve agroecological sustainable and resilient food crops in both subtropical continental and outer-most regions in the EU
• Minipaper 3: Training and sharing experience identifying limiting factors for knowledge exchange between researchers and farmers
• Minipaper 4: Value chains and channels for EU (sub)tropical crops and the role of the development of adequate processing facilities

Focus Group members:

Access the collaborative area (only for members)

Resources from the Focus Group members:

• "It’s of great importance that European consumers consider products produced in Spain as local products. We have a minimal transport carbon footprint compared to tropical fruits that come from South America or Africa. Tropical products grown in Spain are very close to the consumer and reach them in just a few hours. We have a lower carbon footprint and we can harvest the fruit at the optimal point of ripeness." says Iñaki Hormoza, member of the FG Climate-smart (sub)tropical food crops in the EU. Watch the video on European Tropical Agriculture.
• International Mango Symposium in Malaga - postponed to October 2023 due to the COVID-19 pandemic