CEA-FIRST is a Horizon Europe-funded coordination and support action that operationalises the International Research Consortium (IRC) for food and nutrition security and sustainable agriculture (FNSSA). The project establishes a member-based, multi-actor platform to address fragmentation between research, innovation, and food system actors while driving equitable food system transformations.
The IRC is tasked with enhancing the impact of significant European and African investments in research and innovation projects aiming to overcome key food system challenges. The IRC platform will link key actors (policy makers, practitioners, industry representatives, researchers), research and innovation projects, initiatives, and funding programmes in one place. The programme will thus enhance collaboration and knowledge sharing across Europe and Africa, supporting the AU-EU research and innovation partnership roadmap, and advancing sustainable agricultural practices and food systems innovation in the region.
The project involves 22 partners from Europe and Africa, including researchers, NGOs, donors, agricultural extension workers, and policy-makers. The ACU is a task lead in work packages 2 and 4, contributing expertise in developing and implementing participatory monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) frameworks, and data collection and analysis systems.
The project commenced in December 2023 and spans 48 months.
Consortium members are from Ghana, France, Belgium, The Netherlands, South Africa, Sweden, Uganda, the United Kingdom, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, and Egypt. The project benefits Commonwealth countries in Europe and Africa and aims for continent-wide impact by advancing sustainable agricultural practices and food systems innovation in the region .
CEA-FIRST and the ACU:
CEA-FIRST could be of particular interest to ACU members as the programme:
- Provides a platform for ACU members in participating regions to collaborate on cutting-edge research and innovation in sustainable agriculture and food systems.
- Supports capacity building and strengthens research networks across the Commonwealth.
- Promotes alignment with AU-EU policy priorities, opening opportunities for members to engage in high-level policy dialogue.
- Enhances knowledge sharing and fosters long-term collaboration between African and European institutions.
This project and StEPPFoS (Strengthening Evidence-Based Policy Practice for Sustainable Food Systems) are both financed through the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Horizon Europe Guarantee Extension scheme.
Please contact Nadia Somani or Beate Knight for more information. For more information, please visit the project website.