News in Brief:
– EIT Food Launches €30 million Regenerative Innovation Portfolio to revolutionise European farming, emphasising sustainability, profitability, and community resilience.
– The initiative empowers farmers through training, fosters innovation to mitigate financial risks, and aims to create diverse, resilient farms for a sustainable future.
EIT Food, a branch of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), has announced the Regenerative Innovation Portfolio, aimed at reshaping farming practices across Europe. This initiative, spearheaded by CEO Richard Zubek, heralds a transformative approach to agriculture, emphasizing sustainability, profitability, and community resilience.
In a recent interview, he elucidated on the core principles of the Regenerative Innovation Portfolio. It encompasses a collaborative effort spanning the entire food value chain, from farmers to retailers and financiers. At its heart lies the ambition to foster regenerative landscapes, wherein biodiversity flourishes, soils thrive, and rural economies prosper.
Innovation and risk mitigation
Zubek emphasised the pivotal role of farmers in driving this transition. Through extensive training and engagement programs, EIT Food aims to empower farmers to adopt regenerative practices. Pioneer farmers, who have embraced this paradigm shift, serve as catalysts for broader community engagement, inspiring their peers to join the movement.
Central to the portfolio is a commitment to innovation. With an investment of €30 million, EIT Food seeks to catalyse novel solutions to mitigate financial risks and enhance the scalability of regenerative practices. This includes exploring innovative financing mechanisms, such as landscape-level bonds, to distribute risk equitably across the value chain.
While the initiative targets the agricultural sector as a whole, its primary beneficiaries are everyday farmers. By fostering a culture of innovation and sustainability, EIT Food aims to bolster the resilience of small and medium-scale farmers, empowering them to thrive in an ever-changing landscape.
Measuring success goes beyond financial metrics. EIT Food envisions a future where landscapes teem with diversity, wildlife flourishes, and communities prosper. By nurturing regenerative practices today, the portfolio aims to lay the foundation for a more sustainable and prosperous agricultural sector tomorrow.
