Agriculture & Forestry

This year the EU stand at the National Ploughing Championships will showcase new innovative technologies in agriculture with two EU-funded research projects:

• SMARTAGRIFOOD2 - developing a new generation of smart agriculture Apps which focus on solving real problems that could revolutionise the farm!
• TRADEIT showcasing emerging technologies relevant to SME food producers with information on geographical protection/designation.

Legumes fix nitrogen in the soil, helping other plants to thrive. But do they get anything in return? Indeed they do, says EU-funded research, if they’re combined with suitable non-leguminous crops.

EU-funded researchers are looking to commercialise cutting-edge technology that converts toxic olive oil waste into heat and electricity, bringing environmental and economic benefits to some of the most underdeveloped regions of Europe.

Urban-rural linkages are one of the new challenges to be tackled by Horizon 2020. This conference can serve as inspiration. Scholars from a wide range of disciplines from many parts of the world will assemble in Rome to advance the scientific state of the art in research on multifunctional agriculture and urban-rural relations. This 2015 edition will focus on reconnecting agriculture and food chains to societal needs. Submission of abstracts has just been extended until 20th April 2015.

EU-funded research has developed insemination strategies to help goats reproduce at any time of the year, without the use of hormones. This means year-round, hormone-free goat’s milk.

EU-funded researchers are looking to commercialise cutting-edge technology that converts toxic olive oil waste into heat and electricity, bringing environmental and economic benefits to some of the most underdeveloped regions of Europe.

EU-funded researchers have developed a zero-emission method of recycling organic phosphorous fertiliser from animal bones. They aim to help farmers cut down on chemicals – saving them money and making food production safer and greener.

The TIME SCALE project is investigating the feasibility of growing food crops in space and whether this might provide astronauts with long-term supplies of food and oxygen. The findings could lay the foundations for a manned mission to Mars and also lead to more sustainable production back on Earth.

If your livelihood depends on the weather, you will need to plan ahead for the effects of global warming. But knowing that the climate will be different by 2100 doesn’t tell you much about conditions in the next few months or years. Luckily, climate predictions for the near future are becoming increasingly accurate and reliable, with help from EU-funded research.

Researchers, politicians and policy-makers from Europe and Africa are addressing major social, economic and environmental challenges through EU-funded projects that aim to foster long-term collaboration in science, technology and innovation.

Plants are increasingly traded across borders. But they don’t travel alone – tiny pests can travel with them, some of these are damaging for local crops and other plants. An EU-funded project has made it easier for plant protection agencies to identify pests, stop them spreading and support safer trade.

Climate change is affecting plant life worldwide, with potentially disastrous effects for both wild and agricultural species. EU-funded researchers are studying the impact of higher temperatures and drought on seed quality in order to develop techniques for conserving wild plants, and for ensuring sustainable crop yields.

By 1 December 2014 the first 100 calls had closed. What can we tell about the popularity of the programme, the success of SMEs, the degree to which the programme has attracted newcomers - both as participants and as expert evaluators - the proportion of women experts and the speed with which contracts have been signed? See this new page to find out more!

This year the theme for the conference is Global Outreach: Enabling Cultures and Diversity in Research Management and Administration. This theme reflects the growing need and ambition to reach out and get connected and work together globally. Cooperating not only in the field of scientific research & innovation and higher education but also in the field of research management and administration.

EU-funded researchers are extracting small pieces of protein from rice starch by-products for ‘superfoods’ and new cosmetics. These ‘magic’ molecules could add a healthy twist to baby food, sports protein supplements and products for sufferers of coeliac disease. An engineered human skin eliminating any need for animal testing could also be on the market within two years.

The nutritional value of staple foods in Africa is being boosted to raise consumption of essential micronutrients. Kenya has made iron fortification mandatory in commercially produced flour, while Nigeria’s farmers are being encouraged to grow high-vitamin-A cassava strains. Both moves result from the EU-funded INSTAPA project, which continues to inform efforts to step up public nutrition through improving foods.

The European Commission organised a workshop to launch the discussion on how we see the future of European agricultural research and innovation until 2020 and, beyond, for the following decade. The event took place in the context of EXPO Milan 2015 "Feeding the planet - energy for life".

Ripe, but not too ripe; sweet, but still a bit tart — to make outstanding wine, grapes must be harvested when they are at their best. Choosing the right moment is one of the key decisions of the winemaking process. The WinePen, a low-cost handheld device developed by the EU-funded PREMIVM project, can help. It is based on innovative techniques that can give winegrowers the information they need much faster than conventional tools.

Challenges faced by farming systems today, such as climate change, food security, emerging diseases or rural transitions need a long-term strategy. The European Commission kicks-off the discussion on how this strategy could be elaborated at a workshop in Milan that can be followed on-line.

End of 2014 the first Horizon 2020 projects were signed. Since then almost four thousand more have been added.