The European fruit and vegetable sector has announced that it is ready for the recently launched European Innovation Partnerships (EIP) and the new Horizon 2020 policy.
These were recently started by the European Commission in a bid to stimulate research and innovation, to foster productivity and sustainability of the agriculture sector.
At a conference in Brussels on 22 January, three leading fresh produce organisations – Freshfel, Areflh and Eufrin – launched a task force that will steer priorities and coordinate the sector’s participation in EU research projects.
'As the European Union reshapes its research and Innovation policy, the fruit and vegetable sector joined forces to seize the opportunities provided by the EIP and the Horizon 2020 strategy,' a joint statement read. 'At a meeting that brought together more than 100 representatives from the sector, research centres and leading fruit and vegetable producing regions in Europe, Freshfel, Areflh and Eufrin launched a task force to foster research cooperation and coordinate fresh produce needs and initiatives in this area.'
The Task Force puts the sector in a good position to address its forthcoming challenges through a 'bottom up' approach and take the lead to prioritise the needs of the sector. It is open to other stakeholders such as universities and other partners who could contribute to the projects identified by the sector with their knowledge and expertise.
'Research and innovation is crucial to improve the competitiveness of the sector and address today’s challenges in areas such as production and supply chain efficiency,' the organisations continued. 'Innovation enables the sector to continue providing a diversity of high-quality fruits and vegetables to the consumers. In recent years, the consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables has been under permanent pressure. Research and innovation could contribute significantly to address these various challenges for the benefit of the sector and European consumers.'
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