28. #EU AgriResearch Conference: how research and innovation is shaping the farms of the future

Research and innovation has a crucial role in achieving the economic, environmental, and social sustainability of the agricultural and forestry sectors and rural areas. It also has an important role to play in fighting climate change, environmental degradation and loss of biodiversity. The importance of R&I for the EU is reflected in the total budget of around €95.5 billion for Horizon Europe (2021-2027), its current Framework Programme for R&I, and its main instrument for implementing its common scientific and innovation policy (a budget increase of about 30 per cent when compared to its predecessor, Horizon 2020). Within Horizon Europe, the EU has almost doubled the budget on agricultural, forestry and rural R&I. The EU AgriResearch Conference is a milestone in the strategic process to define objectives and priority areas for EU-funded research and innovation (R&I) for agriculture, forestry and rural areas. The 2023 event, which was entitled “Knowledge, innovation and skills for sustainable horizons” raised great interest, with more than 1500 applications to participate in person in the plenary and parallel sessions on 31 May and 1 June. Our guests on this programme include: Magda Kopczynska, who’s a deputy director general of the European Commission’s directorate-general for agriculture and rural development; Diana Lenzi, president of the European Council of Young Farmers; Rogier Schulte, professor of farming systems ecology from the University of Wageningen; and Gilles Saindon, assistant deputy minister of agriculture of Canada.