Writing EU Food Partnership

For the Netherlands, European cooperation in the field of knowledge and innovation (K&I) around food, water, green and health is of great strategic importance. A spearhead in this respect are the new "partnerships" under Horizon Europe: a network organisation of financiers, suppliers and users of K&I that helps shape knowledge policy in the EU. The planned partnership on "Safe and Sustainable Food Systems for People, Planet & Climate" has the ambition to accelerate the transition to a sustainable and healthy food system - for everyone and within the carrying capacity of the planet.

This partnership is unique in that it uses a systems approach to link the consumption of food to its production at different levels of scale. The food system partnership makes an important contribution to the missions and the multi-year mission-driven knowledge and innovation agenda (MMIP). The commitment of parties from the Dutch 'diamond' in Horizon Europe is necessary for the transition to circular agriculture and the realisation of the objectives in the European Green Deal in the Netherlands.

The aim of this project is to contribute to the development of the partnership and the strategic positioning of Wageningen University and Research in the knowledge network on the transition of food systems in the EU. This will be achieved through two activities:

-1- Co-writing of the full proposal ('template') and coordination of the input with WUR experts from various fields of science.

-2- Developing a strategic perspective on mobilising the Dutch contribution to the Partnership, specifically around private parties, civil society organisations and LNV.

Close cooperation with the Dutch funders and knowledge and innovation partners in the Partnership on "Safe and Sustainable Food Systems for People, Planet & Climate" is essential for the success of the project.