EU-African Union cooperation on agroforestry management for climate change adaptation and mitigation
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 climate objectives of the African Union (AU) and the EU, the successful proposal will contribute to the AU-EU High Level Policy Dialogue (HLPD) on Science, Technology and Innovation, and its priority on Green Transition (and the respective R&I partnerships on Food and Nutrition Security and Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Change and Sustainable Energy), as well as to the implementation of the short-term actions outlined in the working document of the AU-EU Innovation Agenda, aiming to translate R&I efforts into tangible business, development and employment opportunities in Africa and Europe.
Projects results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:
- Improved availability of qualitative and quantitative data pertaining to the contribution of agroforestry to climate change adaptation and mitigation, biodiversity preservation, and to sustainable agriculture;
- Improved management of agroforestry systems (conventional, agroecological and/or organic), including agro-pastoral systems, in Africa;
- Enhanced capacities to evaluate the socioeconomic and environmental performance of agroforestry for climate change resilience;
- A strengthened agroforestry innovation ecosystem for better user acceptance and implementation of agroforestry in the African Union (AU). Scope :
Achieving sustainable agricultural production that fosters both climate change mitigation and adaptation and biodiversity preservation and enhancement is a policy objective that implies finding a balance with farm productivity, socio-economic viability and wider sustainability goals. Agroforestry systems include both traditional and modern land-use systems where trees are managed together with crops and/or animal production systems in agricultural settings. These systems have the potential to increase ecosystem services – including soil carbon sequestration, water retention, erosion control, soil nutrients, pollination, pest- and disease-control – and biodiversity, while improving farming productivity, profitability and sustainability of farmers’ incomes. Implementation of agroforestry in the EU and the AU needs to be boosted in order to maximise this potential. The management of agroforestry systems is critical for their positive impact on climate and the environment as well as to ensure a balance with productivity and profitability for farmers. This is essential to promote the uptake and long-term sustainability of agroforestry.
Proposals should address the following:
- Identification of the most suitable plant and animal species and breeds to be used in agroforestry for different geographic regions in Africa, generating sustainable ecosystems with positive impact on local communities, and on women, looking for models where this impact is greater. In vegetation management systems preference should be given to local species, to avoid potential unintended consequences linked to the introduction of alien species;
- Assessment of local multi-purpose agroforestry species and breeds with benefits for food, pharmaceutical uses as well as ecosystem functions for the soil, biodiversity and their functions in a vegetation mosaic;
- Assessment of specific agroforestry management measures aiming at preserving/enhancing biodiversity;
- Assessment of the potential of carbon farming[1] as a possible future business for farmers and foresters, and analysis of its potential to contribute to reaching climate-neutrality in a few decades;
- Identification of the structural needs of agroforestry crops and animals in different geographical regions in Africa, including the analysis of production burdens, suggesting solutions and addressing traceability of all steps in the production chain to measure the effectiveness of solutions;
- Supporting this new value chain with knowledge and capacity building to be efficient, fair, and easily adopted, or not abandoned, by landowners and farmers;
- Establishing local agroforestry pilot plots.
Proposals must implement the “multi-actor approach” including a wide range of actors to ensure that knowledge and needs from various sectors, such as research, farmers/foresters, advisory services, are brought together.
This topic should involve the effective contribution of SSH disciplines.
Proposals should include a dedicated task, appropriate resources and a plan on how they will collaborate with other projects funded under this topic, as well under topic HORIZON-CL6-2021-CLIMATE-01-08: ‘Agroforestry to meet climate, biodiversity and farming sustainability goals’.
Specific Topic Conditions :
Activities are expected to achieve TRL 3-5 by the end of the project – see General Annex B.
[1] https://ec.europa.eu/clima/eu-action/forests-and-agriculture/sustainable-carbon-cycles/carbon-farming_en
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
Due to the scope of this topic, legal entities established in all African Union member states* are exceptionally eligible for Union funding. * "African Union member states” includes countries whose membership has been temporarily suspended.
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.
The following additional eligibility criteria apply: due to the specific challenge of this topic, in addition to the minimum number of participants set out in the General Annexes, consortia must include at least three independent legal entities established in Africa.
The following additional eligibility criteria apply: the places of establishment of at least two of these legal entities must be in the same geographical region of Africa (as defined by the African Union: https://au.int/en/member_states/countryprofiles2).
International organisations with headquarters in a Member State or associated country are exceptionally eligible for funding.
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
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
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