Eu Funding

EU-African Union cooperation on agroforestry management for climate change adaptation and mitigation

National, EU and global food systems are facing sustainability challenges, from primary production to consumption that could jeopardise food and nutrition security. The farm to fork strategy, and its follow-up initiatives, aim to address these challenges and supports transition to more resilient and environmentally, socially and economically sustainable food systems on land and at sea that provide healthy diets for all and respect planetary boundaries. It is key to ensuring that the fit for 55 package and the European Green Deal are successful and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)are achieved

Achieving sustainable agricultural production that fosters both climate change mitigation and adaptation and biodiversity preservation and enhancement is a policy objective that implies finding a balance with farm productivity, socio-economic viability and wider sustainability goals. Agroforestry systems include both traditional and modern land-use systems where trees are managed together with crops and/or animal production systems in agricultural settings. These systems have the potential to increase ecosystem services – including soil carbon sequestration, water retention, erosion control, soil nutrients, pollination, pest- and disease-control – and biodiversity, while improving farming productivity, profitability and sustainability of farmers’ incomes. Implementation of agroforestry in the EU and the AU needs to be boosted in order to maximise this potential. The management of agroforestry systems is critical for their positive impact on climate and the environment as well as to ensure a balance with productivity and profitability for farmers. This is essential to promote the uptake and long-term sustainability of agroforestry.

Projects results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:

  • Improved availability of qualitative and quantitative data pertaining to the contribution of agroforestry to climate change adaptation and mitigation, biodiversity preservation, and to sustainable agriculture;
  • Improved management of agroforestry systems (conventional, agroecological and/or organic), including agro-pastoral systems, in Africa;
  • Enhanced capacities to evaluate the socioeconomic and environmental performance of agroforestry for climate change resilience;
  • A strengthened agroforestry innovation ecosystem for better user acceptance and implementation of agroforestry in the African Union (AU).

Proposals for topics under this destination should set out a credible pathway contributing to fair, healthy, safe, climate- and environment‑friendly, sustainable and resilient food systems from primary production to consumption, ensuring food and nutrition security for all within planetary boundaries in Europe and across the world.
More specifically, proposed topics should contribute to one or more of the following impacts:

  • enable sustainable farming systems that i) provide consumers with affordable, safe, healthy and sustainable food, ii) increase the provision of ecosystem services, iii) restore and strengthen biodiversity, iv) minimise pollution and pressure on ecosystems and greenhouse gas emissions, v) foster plant, animal and public health, vi) improve animal welfare, and vii) generate fair economic returns for farmers;
  • enable sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, in marine and inland waters, increasing aquatic multi-trophic biomass production in a way compatible with the protection of aquatic ecosystems and biodiversity, and the diversification of fisheries and aquaculture products, for fair, healthy, climate-resilient and
    environment-friendly food systems with a lower impact on aquatic ecosystems and improved animal welfare;

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