Europe debates the future of agri-food R&D&I

Don't play with food.

Manuel Lainez Andrés, Director of the Cajamar Group Foundation

On September 24th and 25th, the new framework for research, development, and innovation in the agri-food sector is being debated in Brussels. This is a further step in the process that began in 2025 with the 'Vision for Food and Agriculture' document and continued with the adoption, on September 8th, 2026, of the Communication on a new strategic approach to research and innovation . This is the key document for understanding the foundations for implementing policy to ensure the future competitiveness of our sector.

Two frameworks, one strategy

This Communication articulates two complementary frameworks:

• AgRI 2040 , focused on agriculture, forestry and rural areas, with eight areas of action: soils and agroecosystems, cropping and livestock systems, bioeconomy, multifunctional forests, rural areas, strengthening agri-food value chains, digitalization, artificial intelligence and robotics.
• Food 2040 , focused on food systems—including fisheries and aquaculture—, is organized into six areas : territorial food systems, healthy and sustainable diets, resource efficiency and zero pollution, food environments and consumer empowerment, scaling up innovations and business models for fair food systems, and aquatic foods.

Both frameworks also share six cross-cutting priorities : competitiveness and support for emerging and expanding businesses; food security, resilience and crisis preparedness; natural resources and the circular economy; food and feed safety, nutrition and health; equity; and international cooperation.

For the first time, primary production and food systems under the same strategy

One of the most relevant elements of this Communication is that, for the first time, the European Commission integrates into a single strategic document the two ends of the agri-food chain : primary production —agriculture, forestry and rural areas, the scope of AgRI 2040— and food systems in a broad sense —processing, distribution, consumption and waste, the scope of Food 2040—.

It's worth clarifying that this isn't an entirely new concept: Food 2030 , in effect since 2020, already applied a systemic and cross-sectoral approach to the food chain, going beyond individual links to include processing, packaging, distribution, sales, consumption, and food waste. What is changing now is that this systems approach is also being extended, for the first time, to the agricultural link, and both—farms and the food system—are governed under a single common strategy, with shared priorities, instead of progressing as two parallel agendas as has been the case until now.

This joint approach is not a simple technical nuance: it means that a single project can, for example, connect the genetic improvement of a crop with its industrial processing and with the way that food reaches and is perceived by the consumer, instead of financing each link separately and in an uncoordinated manner.

How it will be financed: two instruments, one same horizon

The Communication does not create a new, specific funding line, but rather sets the strategic direction that will guide the money already being negotiated in Brussels for the next European budget cycle. Specifically:

1. Horizon Europe 2028-2034 (FP10) is the EU's tenth Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, succeeding the current Horizon Europe, and the main instrument through which agri-food research funds will be channeled— scientific projects, research consortia, universities, and technology centers . To put the scale of what is at stake into context: the Food 2030 initiative mobilized around €770 million through 117 research and innovation projects between 2017 and 2024. We should expect the funding for Food 2040 and AgRI 2040 within the future FP10 to be significantly larger, although if, as proposed, it falls under the same health program, it may lose prominence.
2. The European Competitiveness Fund (ECF) is the major institutional innovation of this cycle: a newly created fund designed to finance the phase closest to market—the "deployment and adoption" of validated solutions . An important aspect still under negotiation in the European Parliament is that the ECF could be open not only to companies but also to research consortia, which would considerably broaden the range of potential beneficiaries in the agri-food sector. However, there is also some concern within the scientific community: overly integrated programming between Horizon Europe and the ECF could push research toward short-term industrial deployment objectives, to the detriment of basic or more interdisciplinary research. And vice versa.

Important timeline : Parliamentary reports on the design of the ECF are expected to be voted on in the European Parliament's ITRE committee after the summer of 2026, with the trilogues (the final negotiations between Parliament, Council, and Commission) scheduled for the end of the year. The final political agreement should be reached in 2027 , so that both instruments—Horizon Europe 2028-2034 and the ECF—are operational from 2028. This means there is still room for the agri-food sector, through its organizations and technology centers, to influence its design. The CAP is important, but so are these funds, which will determine the competitiveness of the future agri-food business.

What's at stake for Europe in Brussels these two days?

The stated objective is not to generate more papers , but to bridge the gap between research and its real-world application in the field, industry, and food systems . The first day of the meeting focuses on how to scale up existing solutions and strengthen knowledge sharing among farmers and rural stakeholders; the second, on how to strengthen strategic research partnerships within and outside the EU. We agree with Commissioner Hansen when he points out that research can make a real difference in how rural areas are cultivated and managed, from more drought-resistant varieties to crops adapted to extreme temperatures, as well as the early detection of plant diseases and the use of digital tools to manage resources such as water. All of this, and much more, is essential, but it is crucial to ensure that funding for the agri-food sector is not diluted across very broad programs where allocation decisions are left to managers or national or regional political decisions.

What comes next

With the Communication now adopted and the Brussels conference underway, the next step will be to implement these priorities within the tenth Framework Programme (FP10) and the new European Competitiveness Fund, whose final details —budgets, calls for proposals and access conditions— will be made public throughout 2027, in preparation for its entry into force in 2028.

We will continue to closely monitor developments.

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