The final paper on a strategic approach to EU agricultural research & innovation is the culmination of a year-long process which started in June 2015 at the Milan Expo.

After a wide consultation, the first draft of the strategic approach was presented and debated in Brussels in January 2016 at the 'Designing the path' conference. Now including the elements discussed and conclusions of the more than 100 experts, the final paper is ready and published online .

The document explains:

• Why we need a strategy for agricultural research and innovation to tackle the challenges facing agriculture, rural communities and our society at large;
   
• What are the priority areas identified as critical to achieve sustainable food security, growth and prosperity in rural areas as well as resilience to climate change. Along with the five interlinked priority areas identified, the document also presents five cross-cutting issues which need to be addressed;
   
• How the strategy is intended to be implemented through creation of synergies with Member States in the European Research Area and cooperation with international partners across sectors and disciplines, and through the participation of different actors with the support of the EIP-AGRI.