Five key EU institutes specialising in agri-food have joined forces to protect the sector and improve the influence of scientific knowledge on policy making.
The European Science Alliance for Agriculture and Food (ESAAF) aims to be a scientific voice in food policy discussions.
The coalition is composed of five institutions - Aarhus University in Denmark, Julius Kühn-Institut in Germany, the National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE) in France, Warsaw University of Life Sciences in Poland and Wageningen University and Research in the Netherlands.
However, the coalition will not be limited to these institutions, and an expansion to institutes in different regions is expected in the future.
The role of the ESAAF
The coalition hopes to play several roles in shaping EU food policy.
It will act as a representative body for agriculture and food research, offering independent scientific expertise in policymaking to the European Commission and those involved with the European Board for Agriculture and Food (EBAF).
According to Wageningen University and Research, it aims to complement existing scientific organisations such as Joint Research Centre (JRC) and the Science Advice Mechanism (SAM).
It will provide a platform for coordinated, intra-European scientific research advice. Its supra-national nature will aim to prevent duplication and help to create synergies in existing networks.
It will also aim to support the coordination and launch of new research initiatives within the field of EU food and agriculture.
There is currently no “single, coordinated entry point” for Europe-wide research sector engagement, explains Philippe Mauguin, CEO of INRAE. The ESAAF addresses this need.
“Science must play a fundamental role in transforming Europe’s food systems. ESAAF will provide a critical bridge between research and policy, helping the EU navigate the complex challenges of the agri-food domain. We firmly believe food and agricultural policy needs a fertile ground of facts to bear fruit.” says Sjoukje Heimovaara, president of Wageningen University & Research.
“We are firmly convinced that the excellence and practice driven scientific expertise that we provide under the auspices of ESAAF will play a crucial role in the current and forthcoming transformation of the European agri-food sector. As part of the founding team behind ESAAF we are very keen to strengthen the link between research and policy to the benefit of the whole of Europe,” says Eskild Holm Nielsen, dean of faculty of technical sciences at Aarhus University.
