Thematic Area 3 Agri-food value chain in Nexus

Description

1) Objective

This Call aims to support the deployment and demonstration of sustainable solutions to reduce food losses and waste, save energy, and enhance food safety during postharvest activities, including transportation, storage, and processing. The specific focus is on plant-based food and waste. These solutions should be scalable, sustainable, cost-effective, and tailored to smallholders in rural areas with limited access to electricity. Proposals should implement processes and technologies adapted to Mediterranean food systems and climate conditions, ensuring a decrease in food losses and waste, prolonging food shelf-life, and enhancing food safety in different regions of the Mediterranean. The emphasis should be on the exploitation and dissemination of results, meaning that projects should not only focus on research and development but also on effectively utilizing and commercializing the outcomes and findings.

The use of renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind, can provide a reliable energy source, especially in remote areas with limited access to electricity. Biomass by-products from agri-food activities can also serve as a sustainable energy source for processing and storage. Proposals could explore innovative environmentally friendly green technologies, including active and intelligent packaging, as desirable alternatives to conventional preservation techniques to reduce their negative impact on the environment. It is crucial to ensure that green technologies used for food preservation are adapted to the specific conditions of the Mediterranean region and are cost-effective enough to be adopted by smallholders. This can be achieved by conducting research and development to identify innovative solutions tailored to the region’s unique challenges. Recognizing the role of genetic factors in food losses, proposals should consider genetic-based selection of plant varieties with enhanced shelf-life and suitability for long-term storage, tailored to the unique conditions of different Mediterranean region.

The proposals should include training and mobility initiatives to enhance the capacity of smallholders, with particular attention to women, to effectively adopt and implement sustainable solutions. To facilitate the adoption of green technologies for food preservation, it is essential to implement policy recommendations that can help reduce barriers and promote accessibility, especially for smallholders. Proposals should also analyse the economic, social, and environmental impact of renewable-based solutions and green technologies on reducing food losses and waste and improving food quality, including at the nutraceutical and sensorial levels. Additionally, the development of business models supporting the adoption and scaling of renewable-based solutions to reduce food losses and waste should be considered.

2) Eligibility

Any legal entity created under the European Union law is eligible.

3) Location

The following Member States (MS) of the European Union (EU) are eligible: Croatia, Cyprus, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Portugal, Spain, Slovenia. The following Third Countries associated to Horizon 2020 (AC) are eligible: Israel, Tunisia, and Turkey. The following Third Countries not associated with to Horizon 2020 (TC), having concluded international agreements for scientific and technological cooperation setting out the terms and conditions of their participation in PRIMA are eligible: Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, and Morocco.

4) Budget

Total available funding is €9,100,000. Funding rate is 70% (except for non-profit legal entities, where a rate of 100% applies).

5) Application

The application deadline for pre-proposals is 2 April 2024. Selected full proposals are then due on 25 September 2024.