UK Consultation on the European Technology Platform Food for Life
UK Consultation on the European Technology Platform Food for Life
The European Technology Platform (ETP) Food for Life held a UK Consultation on the Stakeholders' Strategic Research Agenda (SSRA) of the ETP, on Tuesday 16 January 2007 at the Cavendish Conference Centre, 22 Duchess Mews, London W1G 9DT.
The UK consultation, jointly organized by CCFRA, FDF and IFR, was free of charge.
The programme included:
What will be the benefit to you/your organization?
ETPs are one of the inputs by which the European Commission establishes the topics and priorities for Framework Programme 7 [2007-2013]. Your contribution could ensure that your specific area of research [important from the standpoint of underpinning or stimulating innovation], training, communication or knowledge transfer is included in the later calls of FP7 when the available funding will increase significantly.
ETPs offer additional trans-national, trans-sectoral networks that may be exploited to establish and develop pan-European partnerships and consortia.
ETP Food for Life will draw up an inventory of research being funded by Member States across Europe so that complementarities may be identified and bilateral funding opportunities pursued.
As a result of this ETP, many countries have established National Food Platforms to effectively engage agro-food stakeholders at national level and, in some cases, develop national food strategies.
What are ETPs?
ETPs are industry-led, public/private partnerships established by the European Commission to drive innovation and unite stakeholder communities in key European industry sectors. ETP Food for Life addresses innovation in the agri-food sector, which is the largest manufacturing sector within the EU. While it is a global exporter and employer of over four million workers, mainly in the SMEs, this sector is growing only slowly and is investing much less than its traditional competitors in the US and Japan, and than the emerging economies of China, India and Brazil.
Against this background, ETP Food for Life published its Vision Document in July 2005 [available at www.ciaa.be], and subsequently developed a concept paper on the research, training, communication and knowledge transfer activities that are necessary to stimulate and underpin innovation. Following consultation, this paper was revised and presented to the European Commission in April 2006 [also posted at the above website], so as to feed into the consultation process on Framework Programme 7. Indications are that many of the SSRA's recommendations and priorities have been included in draft versions of the first and second calls.
What are the areas of activity proposed? In all the SSRA poses seven challenges, which have been developed from the inputs of experts from industry,research and consumer organizations:
ensuring that the healthy choice is the easy choice for consumers;
developing a healthy diet;
developing value-added food products with superior quality, convenience,availability and affordability;
assuring safe food that consumers can trust;
achieving sustainable food production;
managing the food chain; and
optimising communication, training and technology transfer.
However, not all issues and opportunities are included or presented in the best manner. The current consultation process has been established specifically to address these deficiencies.
Why the need for consultation? If the platform is to be truly European,the SSRA must be promoted widely throughout Europe and consultation responses must be sought from the diversity of stakeholder communities. Thirty-four countries are involved in this process and the above meeting is the opportunity for stakeholders in the UK to discuss the activities of the ETP and to suggest changes and additions which may be delivered at www.ciaa.be[where a form may be found to facilitate this input]. This revised document, the Strategic Research Agenda, will be published in the spring of 2007 and, with continuous updating, will inform the later calls of FP7.
If you have any queries about the ETP or would like to assist in its development, please contact Ms Virginie Rimbert, ETP Food for Life Secretariat,e-mail: v.rimbert@ciaa.be
