FutureFoodS - European Partnership for a Sustainable Future of Food Systems

The co-funded European Partnership FutureFoodS - European Partnership for a Sustainable Future of Food Systems represents a large-scale collective European Research and Innovation (R&I) effort, bringing together 86 partners (funding agencies and research institutions) from 22 EU Member States, six Associated Countries and one Third Country, which propose to contribute an amount of approximately 76 million euros to the development of the Partnership's activities. The total estimated budget will be around 108 million euros, with the Partnership co-financed 30% by the European Commission and with an expected duration of seven years.

In addition to the FCT, FutureFoodS includes, as Research Performing Organizations, the National Institute for Agricultural and Veterinary Research (INIAV), the University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD) and the Center for Research and Development in Agrifood Systems and Sustainability of the Polytechnic Institute of Viana do Castelo (CISAS).

FutureFoodS objectives

FutureFoodS's mission is to mobilize R&I to accelerate the transition to sustainable food systems that will speed up the change from linear food chains to circular food systems that work while respecting the planet's limits.

The objective, to be developed with the contribution of a wide range of actors collaborating in the partnership, is to generate impact through a combination of interrelated activities, such as case studies in living labs, research and innovation agendas, science-policy and education topics, and joint transnational Calls for funding for R&I proposals in the four determining areas identified in the FutureFoodS R&I Strategic Agenda:

1. Change the way we eat
2. Change the way we process and supply food
3. Change the way we connect in food systems
4. Change the way we govern food systems

The purpose of the Partnership is closely related to the defined aim of aligning the players in the food system around the objectives identified by the European Green Deal and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

The incorporation of researchers from the social sciences and humanities, policymakers and the involvement of external experts and stakeholders ensures that multiple perspectives, needs and experiences are taken into account in the planning and implementation of FutureFoodS activities.

The Partnership plans to launch six joint transnational Calls during its lifetime, with the first being launched in November 2024.