The Federal Office for Agriculture (FOAG) plays an active role in European agricultural research. Its participation in various networks and committees enables it to stay up to date with global agricultural research developments, and so exploit synergies and avoid duplication. It actively advocates for Swiss priorities in the European Research Framework Programmes (RFPs) and facilitates participation by Swiss research groups and SMEs in European projects.
Networks and committees
OECD CRP (The Co-operative Research Programme, CRP)
The Co-operative Research Programme (CRP) for Sustainable Agricultural and Food Systems was established in 1979. Its purpose is to strengthen scientific knowledge and provide relevant scientific data and advice to inform future policy decisions on the sustainable use of natural resources in the areas of agriculture, food, fisheries and forests. The programme facilitates international cooperation by sponsoring conferences and workshops and providing research fellowship grants in agriculture, food and fisheries or forests. There is an annual call for funding applications. Please visit the OECD CRP website for information about the next application window.
PC SC2 (Societal Challenge 2 Programme Committee)
SCAR (Standing Committee on Agricultural Research)
CORE Organic Pleiades
PC SC2 is an advisory group attached to the European Commission that contributes to the implementation of a programme dedicated to food safety, sustainable agriculture, marine and maritime research and the bioeconomy under the Horizon 2020 framework programme. The FOAG advised SERI as an expert in this committee. To find out more about how Switzerland participates in Horizon Europe projects, visit the SERI and Euresearch websites.
Launched for a second mandate in 2005, SCAR has become an authority in European agricultural and bioeconomic research. The body plays an important role in coordinating national research programmes and has helped shape an integrated European research area. The Federal Office for Agriculture is a member of SCAR and has observer status in the working groups involved in drafting texts for Horizon Europe.
CORE Organic Pleiades is a European network of ministries and research councils that funds research in organic food systems. The network also serves as a platform for policy exchange and focuses on increasing R&I funding to support the targets for organic food, farming and aquaculture as set out in the European Green Deal.
FOAG ‒ European projects
ERA-NET (European Research Area NETwork)
ERA-NETs are European Commission instruments designed to encourage and strengthen coordination between national and regional research programmes. These instruments help to structure the European Research Area to meet the objectives of the European research programmes. The FOAG has been a public sector participant in several ERA-NET partnerships to promote research in the public interest (federal government research).
ICT-AGRI-Food
The overall goal of ICT-AGRI is to boost European research in the area of precision farming and to develop a common European research agenda for ICT and robotics in agriculture.
ICT-AGRI-FOOD seeks to make agri-food systems more resilient and transparent at every stage of the value chain through the use of digital technologies.
Co-funded partnerships
AGROECOLOGY
FutureFoodS
This partnership aims to structure and support a network of living labs and research infrastructures that will accelerate the transition towards agroecology throughout Europe. It will provide spaces for long-term, site-specific, multi-stakeholder and real-life experimentation, and direction for research activities on agroecology at the European and national levels.
The mission of the SFS partnership is to mobilise a wide range of research and innovation (R&I) stakeholders towards the common goal of accelerating the transition to sustainable food systems.
Infrastructure networks
EMPHASIS-IMP (implementation phase) is currently working through its IGA (Interim General Assembly) to create a stable network of European infrastructures for plant phenotyping. EMPHASIS will enable researchers to access facilities, resources and services for plant phenotyping throughout Europe. Its vision is to help scientists better understand plant performance and link this knowledge with practical applications. The FOAG is chairing the IGA.
More informations
Last modification 19.02.2024
Contact
Federal Office for Agriculture
Research, Consulting andInnovation
Schwarzenburgstrasse 165
3003 Bern
- Tel
- +41 58 460 52 55
AGROECOLOGY
The cofunded call for European research projects of the AGROECOLOGY partnership is open. The FOAG will be participating in this call. For more information, click on this link.