Commission Recommendation

Commission Recommendation on the research Joint Programming Initiative on "Agriculture, Food Security and Climate Change".

Executive Summary
The Commission proposes more strategic cooperation between EU Member States on research and development to address major societal challenges. One way to do this is a new 'joint programming' approach. Joint Programming  involves Member States engaging in defining, developing and implementing strategic research agendas. 'Agriculture, Food Security and Climate Change' (AFSCC) has been proposed for a Joint Programming Initiative (JPI).
Climate change is one of the main challenges to agriculture in feeding the world's population, projected to be 9 billion by 2050. This will increase food demand by 50% by 2030, in a period when demand for biomass for non-food purposes is predicted to grow strongly. In addition to coping with higher temperatures, water shortages and unpredictable climate conditions, agriculture should also try to reduce emissions (roughly 14% of global greenhouse gases - GHG). Research must continue contributing to improving food supply in a sustainable manner under these conditions. In addition, the knowledge must be translated into appropriate technologies and practices.