EU-Africa Union – food safety
European Comission
ExpectedOutcome :
In line with the European Green Deal priorities and the farm to fork strategy for a fair, healthy and environment‑friendly food system, and in support of the food safety systems of the African Union and the EU, the successful proposal will contribute to the first priority of the AU-EU High Level Policy Dialogue (HLPD) on Science, Technology and Innovation on Food and Nutrition Security and Sustainable Agriculture.
Regional integration, including through greater trade in goods and services, is one of the key aspirations of the African Union’s (AU) Agenda 2063. The launch of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) has the potential to significantly accelerate growth and sustainable development, doubling intra-African trade and food trade in particular. While strong local food systems are a backbone of food security, trade contributes to resilient food systems by balancing between markets. The promotion of trade needs to take a start from the local, national and regional level to integrate food safety practices into all aspects of food production, distribution, marketing and consumption. Food safety is a pre-condition for food trade. It aligns with the recent AU decision to establish the Africa Food Safety Agency to ensure the coordination of food safety at the continental level[1]
Projects results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:
- Improved African food safety systems,
- Building blocks for improved food safety in Africa, improving climate, environment and food systems, reducing losses by mycotoxins, enhancing local transformation, local markets and regional trade, while reducing impacts on environment, biodiversity, health and society. Scope :
Proposals are expected to address the following:
- Contribute to a better understanding of food safety in the informal sector by generating data and evidence on trade actors in the informal sector. Improve the understanding of informal trade operations and ways to improve food safety for better access to nutritious food for urban and rural populations.
- Assess and recommend ways to maintain the informal sector`s participation towards possible integration into the formal food system. Explore ways for its access to infrastructure such as labs to be able to respond and manage the food safety risks along the chain.”
- Address regulatory aspects, including the risk of over regulation. Develop solutions towards a quality culture from the SME level going forward, including opportunities of better organization of SME in view of lower cost for certification and conformity assessment.
- Pilot training systems to help the informal sector towards compliance with food safety and quality schemes.
- Improve tools to improve risk assessment of health risks, including long term risks of mycotoxins. Risk assessment and other evidence should inform the regulatory systems.
- Contribute towards the development of a food safety strategy for Africa, including monitoring and an early warning system.
- Contribute to a better understanding how fermentation can reduce mycotoxin levels in food products.
- Identify solutions and business cases to improve microbiome based approaches such as traditional and new food fermenting, drying and coating processes for reducing food waste and promoting longer shelve lives. Develop approaches for scale-up.
- Adapting to climate change: reducing increased risks to food safety
- Implement the multi-actor approach by involving a wide range of food system actors and conducting trans- and inter-disciplinary research including an effective contribution of SSH disciplines.
Innovation: Proposals should foresee a space for mentoring and accelerating innovative business concepts, including social innovation and upscaling in view of African or European food business entrepreneurs and start-ups with special consideration of women and the diaspora using cascading funding opportunities. Proposals may involve financial support to third parties e.g. to academic researchers, start-ups, SMEs and other multidisciplinary actors, to, for instance, develop, test or validate developed assessment approaches or collect or prepare data sets or provide other contributions to achieve the project objectives... Consortia need to define the selection process of organisations, for which financial support will be granted. Maximum 20% of the EU funding can be allocated to this purpose.
[1] https://www.fao.org/food-coalition/take-action/detail/en/c/1321182/
General conditions
- Admissibility conditions: described in Annex A and Annex E of the Horizon Europe Work Programme General Annexes
Proposal page limits and layout: described in Part B of the Application Form available in the Submission System
- Eligible countries: described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes
A number of non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding have made specific provisions for making funding available for their participants in Horizon Europe projects. See the information in the Horizon Europe Programme Guide .
- Other eligibility conditions: described in Annex B of the Work Programme General Annexes
The following additional eligibility criteria apply: at least three partners from Africa and at least two from the same region as defined by the African Union (https://au.int/en/member_states/countryprofiles2).
The Joint Research Centre (JRC) may participate as member of the consortium selected for funding.
The following additional eligibility criteria apply: the proposals must apply the multi-actor approach. See definition of the multi-actor approach in the introduction to this work programme part.
International organisations with headquarters in a Member State or associated country are exceptionally eligible for funding.
Due to the scope of this topic, legal entities established in in all African Union member states* are exceptionally eligible for Union funding. * "African Union member states" includes countries whose membership has been temporarily suspended.
Financial and operational capacity and exclusion: described in Annex C of the Work Programme General Annexes
Evaluation and award:
Award criteria, scoring and thresholds are described in Annex D of the Work Programme General Annexes
Submission and evaluation processes are described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes and the Online Manual
Indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement: described in Annex F of the Work Programme General Annexes
- Legal and financial set-up of the grants: described in Annex G of the Work Programme General Annexes
Beneficiaries may provide financial support to third parties. The support to third parties can only be provided in the form of grants. The maximum amount to be granted to each third party is EUR 60 000.
Specific conditions
- Specific conditions: described in the specific topic of the Work Programme
Documents
Call documents:
Standard application form — call-specific application form is available in the Submission System
Standard application form (HE RIA, IA)
Standard evaluation form — will be used with the necessary adaptations
Standard evaluation form (HE RIA, IA)
MGA
Call-specific instructions
Information on financial support to third parties (HE)
Additional documents:
HE Main Work Programme 2023–2024 – 1. General Introduction
HE Main Work Programme 2023–2024 – 13. General Annexes
HE Framework Programme and Rules for Participation Regulation 2021/695
HE Specific Programme Decision 2021/764
Rules for Legal Entity Validation, LEAR Appointment and Financial Capacity Assessment
EU Grants AGA — Annotated Model Grant Agreement
Funding & Tenders Portal Online Manual