DeSIRA-LIFT Conference on Boosting Agrifood Research and Innovation Cooperation for Impact at Scale (11-13 March 2025)

This is a collection of documents—including presentations and recordings—related to the Boosting Agrifood Research and Innovation Cooperation for Impact at Scale conference, which took place from 11 to 13 March 2025 in Brussels as part of the DeSIRA-LIFT service of DeSIRA, EU's initiative for climate-relevant, productive, and sustainable transformation of agri-food systems in the global South.

The event gathered over 250 participants, including policymakers, funders, researchers, private sector actors, and farmers’ organizations, to explore how research and innovation (R&I) can drive inclusive, sustainable, and climate-resilient agrifood systems transformation in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Context and Rationale

Agrifood systems must become more sustainable, healthy, productive, inclusive, and climate-resilient to contribute meaningfully to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Achieving this transformation requires deep systemic change, with research and innovation at its core. The EU’s R&I cooperation agenda supports this transformation through multiple channels—dialogue fora with partner countries, strategic initiatives like DeSIRA, and flagship programmes such as Horizon Europe—under the broader framework of the Global Gateway, including its “Education and Research” pillar.

This conference was organized by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA), in collaboration with other EU Directorates-General. It builds on the collective achievements of the DeSIRA initiative and other EU-supported R&I programmes, addressing how enhanced cooperation in R&I can catalyze agrifood systems transformation.

Objectives of the Conference

• Share results and lessons from EU and other international R&I interventions contributing to agrifood systems transformation in LMICs.
• Identify key enablers and barriers to innovation at scale for productive, inclusive, and sustainable investments.
• Explore future R&I contributions to innovation system strengthening and policy support aligned with global and regional agendas (SDGs, post-Malabo, STISA, EU Global Gateway).
• Provide policy recommendations to enhance the complementarity and synergy of EU mechanisms (e.g., NDICI & Horizon Europe), with inputs for the EU-Africa R&I Partnership on FNSSA.

Key Highlights

• Opening speeches by Sjoukje Heimovaara (Wageningen University & Research) on building future food systems, and Marjeta Jager (European Commission) presenting DeSIRA results.
• A panel on EU–Africa R&I cooperation highlighted the need for stronger policy alignment and increased private sector investment.
• Day 2 featured discussions on scaling innovation through public-private collaboration and stronger agricultural innovation systems.
• The final day focused on renewing the FNSSA R&I Roadmap and internationalizing co-funded partnerships, with calls for a “Rainbow Revolution” and a strengthened community of knowledge and practice.

Main Outcomes

The conference generated key recommendations to improve efficiency, complementarity, and alignment across EU instruments supporting R&I in agrifood systems in LMICs. This includes:

• Clarifying roles and pathways from research results to innovation and impact at scale.
• Better aligning EU R&I investments with the Global Gateway strategy and national priorities of partner countries.