LEAP-Agri Project’s Kick-Off Meeting of ERA-Net LEAP-Agri Funded Projects

8–10 October 2018, Bari, Italy. LEAP-Agri Project’s Kick-Off Meeting of ERA-Net LEAP-Agri Funded Projects.

• Meeting of ERA-Net LEAP-Agri Funded Projects

The main objective of the Seminar is to meeting and building a LEAP-Agri community and to address the LEAP-Agri project, its aim and connection to other agenda’s.

• present and discuss the broader context and partners of the LEAP-Agri programme
• create synergy between the projects and connection with LEAP-Agri as a programme.
• To support the clustering process of the projects along three clusters (1) Sustainable intensification, 2) Agriculture and food systems for nutrition 3) Expansion and improvement of agricultural markets and trade)
• inform about and discuss the M&E, especially for enhancing impact, for the projects and the clusters
• discuss how to achieve common impact as a programme on EU-Africa Food and Nutrition Security and Sustainable Agriculture and Aquaculture
• share information about the 27 research projects including their respective theories of change and impact pathways co-funded by ERA-Net LEAP-Agri

Background

The ERA-NET Cofund LEAP-Agri (2016-2021) is a partnership between partners from 19 European and African countries and the European Commission aimed at research and innovation on food and nutrition security as well as sustainable agriculture, including aquaculture. The partnership, coordinated by Agence Nationale de la Recherce (ANR), France is built on a European Commission’s instrument called ERA-NET Co-fund financed by Ministries/agencies from these countries with additional finances from the European Commission in support of the EU-Africa High Level Policy Dialogue on Science, Technology and Innovation (STI)[1]. The LEAP-Agri main objectives are:

• The preparation and implementation of a joint call for proposals for collaborative R&I projects between European and African partners which will contribute to the coordination and increase of joint activities between R&I institutions, and their programmes across European Union Member States, Associated countries and African countries. 27 collaborative European African projects have been selected for funding by the 24 LEAP-Agri funding agencies, based on an international Independent Review panel evaluation and ranking..
• The undertaking of other activities, in particular: the identification and test of innovative instruments for alignment and collaboration in research, innovation, capacity strengthening and infrastructure development; the communication and dissemination of results emerging from LEAP-Agri activities; the definition of a joint Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda in the Food and Nutrition Security and Sustainable Agriculture domain; and the consultation and liaison with relevant stakeholder communities, including research, the private sector, civil-society organisations and governments in Europe and Africa.

Extracts of the agenda: agenda of the Kick-Off-Meeting of the ERA-Net LEAP-Agri funded Projects

• Climate-relevant innovation through research in agriculture in Africa. - DeSIRA (DEVCO) Mr Christophe Larose | EC DG Devco
• Africa focused topics EC SFS « Sustainable intensification » and CSA support to EU AU HLPD FNSSA Mrs Agnieszka Romanowicz | EC DG Agri 
• EC SFS “Food systems” challenges and 2019 call Mr Hans Joerg Lutzeyer | EC DG Research
  
  
  
  
• Proposal “FACCE-JPI/Belmont Forum/LEAP-Agri” Mr Maurice Héral | ANR, France 
• LEAP-Agri additional activities, Feeding the future : Collaboration with FNSSA related projects (CSA support to HLPD, 2019 ERA-Net Cofund Call Mr Henning Knipschild| BLE, Germany | Mr Hamidou Tamboura | FONRID, Burkina Faso