Agri-food value chains face significant sustainability challenges, including deteriorating natural resources, power imbalances, and coordination issues between actors. These barriers, which also cover financial realities, human resources, and knowledge gaps, hinder the adoption of sustainable and innovative practices within the sector.
To address these challenges, a policy brief containing key recommendations for sustainable innovation was developed. This was created through a co-creation process involving a wide range of stakeholders, including research groups, EIP-Agri actors, and value chain advisors. The brief provides a holistic strategy to drive innovation that improves economic, social, and environmental sustainability across the agri-food sector.
The policy brief proposes eight primary recommendations, such as establishing a dedicated fund for sustainable innovation, developing collaborative platforms for value chain actors, and creating a comprehensive knowledge-sharing framework. By implementing these solutions, policymakers can foster a more sustainable, innovative, and resilient agri-food sector, ensuring the long-term success and competitiveness of European agri-food value chains.
This policy brief and its recommendations are highly relevant for Ireland, offering a valuable framework to analyse and address gaps in current national horticultural policies. It aligns with the goals of the National Strategy for Horticulture 2023-2027 by providing actionable insights to help Irish producers transition towards more environmentally friendly and competitive models of food production.
This brief is important for farmers as it outlines the policy changes needed to create a more supportive environment for sustainable innovation. Farmers and producer organisations can use these recommendations to engage with advisors, policymakers, and the CAP Network to advocate for the implementation of these solutions in an Irish context. This can help address financial barriers, improve collaboration, and establish clear incentives for adopting sustainable practices.
Find out more about this innovation by contacting Leo on leo@erinn.eu or visiting co-fresh.eu.
