European Regions for Innovation in Agriculture, Food and Forestry The ERIAFF Network European Regions for Innovation in Agriculture, Food and Forestry

ERIAFF main objectives To improve the performance of the EIP network itself by acting as facilitators of information flow and links between stakeholders across their territories as well as across the European Union To develop interregional Operational Groups which are already linked by common priorities and goals

The ERIAFF Regions are committed to Allocate a high level of resources on Rural Development measures linked with innovative actions, allowing the best take up from the work of the Operational Groups Select common innovation priorities and act as promoters of close collaborations among their Operational Groups and other Regional Stakeholders Promote and support an European Research Infrastructure for Sustainable Agriculture in a Changing Environment (SACE), which was submitted as a proposal during the European Commission consultation of October 2012

ERIAFF requests To be involved in the EIP Implementation Plan and in the process of priorities selection and activity deployment. Regions tend to have a deep involvement in different EIP tools (Focus Groups, Seminars, Experts, etc.). Regions are also asking for strong support by the Commission in shaping simple and clear administrative and financial rules for maximising the expenditure in research and innovation by combining different funding sources (Structural, National and Regional Funds). Non-technological and social innovations should be considered important aspects of the future actions of the EIP.

ERIAFF requests EIP initiatives should take into account the different farm size across EU territories, that is, the farm size shouldn’t be considered as the only indicator of quality. Regions wishes to understand in practical terms the overall ability of the EIP to influence the future work programmes of the Research Framework Programme. Which technical and financial rules the Commission intends to activate to translate into action the desired coordination/integration among Structural, Cohesion and Research funds through the integrated operations, as they are proposed by the Commission itself and confirmed by the EU Council on last 8 February.

EIP and ERIAFF proposed innovation areas Proposed EIP Innovation areas* Increased agricultural productivity, output, and resource efficiency Innovation in support of the bio-based economy Biodiversity, Ecosystem services, and soil functionality Innovative products and services for the integrated supply chain Food quality, food safety and healthy lifestyles * COM(2012) 79 Proposed ERIAFF Innovation areas Promoting innovative techniques: Precision farming: and technologies for the mitigation and adaptation to Climate Changes, with particular attention to (a) the efficient use of energy, water and genetic resources and (b) the development of innovative methods to fight against new pests and diseases: Efficient use of water resources Energy transition to renewable energies, efficient use of energy and energy independence of operations Control of greenhouse gas emissions in livestock and crops Tackling new plant pathologies and diseases

EIP and ERIAFF proposed innovation areas Proposed EIP Innovation areas* Increased agricultural productivity, output, and resource efficiency Innovation in support of the bio-based economy Biodiversity, Ecosystem services, and soil functionality Innovative products and services for the integrated supply chain Food quality, food safety and healthy lifestyles * COM(2012) 79 Proposed ERIAFF Innovation areas Making farm and forestry management practices more environmentally and socially sustainable: Promotion of new production systems Development of ICT systems Development of robotics and/or co-botics (man and machine) Development of Social Innovation in Rural Areas Decreasing the environmental footprint of food industry Development of sustainable agricultural high-tech

EIP and ERIAFF proposed innovation areas Proposed EIP Innovation areas* Increased agricultural productivity, output, and resource efficiency Innovation in support of the bio-based economy Biodiversity, Ecosystem services, and soil functionality Innovative products and services for the integrated supply chain Food quality, food safety and healthy lifestyles * COM(2012) 79 Proposed ERIAFF Innovation areas Restructuring of territorial management and organization in rural areas, assuring a better integration with territorial and metropolitan planning: Management of farming systems on a territorial basis for the conservation of soil, water, landscapes and biodiversity (putting different players around the table) Improvement of rural landscape and biodiversity

EIP and ERIAFF proposed innovation areas Proposed EIP Innovation areas* Increased agricultural productivity, output, and resource efficiency Innovation in support of the bio-based economy Biodiversity, Ecosystem services, and soil functionality Innovative products and services for the integrated supply chain Food quality, food safety and healthy lifestyles * COM(2012) 79 Proposed ERIAFF Innovation areas Strengthening the role of farmers (and their cooperatives) in the agro-food production chain through: the development of new organizational and managerial systems, the improvement of the logistic and the creation of new services to farms and food operators: Short market systems / farmers' markets Innovative managerial & cooperation solutions for the creation of competitive structures in agricultural production Logistic operations Improve feed self-sufficiency of farms Shaping and translating into practice new approaches towards productivity, competitiveness and diversification Restructuring the production chains for the improvement of contract management and the distribution of value added

EIP and ERIAFF proposed innovation areas Proposed EIP Innovation areas* Increased agricultural productivity, output, and resource efficiency Innovation in support of the bio-based economy Biodiversity, Ecosystem services, and soil functionality Innovative products and services for the integrated supply chain Food quality, food safety and healthy lifestyles * COM(2012) 79 Proposed ERIAFF Innovation areas Improving the quality of foods (better nutritional and ecological profile) and food safety: Genetic profiling and breeding (excluding transgenic technologies) and food traceability for the agro-food quality systems Optimization of technical processes Development of innovative diets and products Control of the use of chemical inputs Nutrition education in the population and raising awareness of healthy and safe food in society