Animal Advocacy & Food Transition co-signed a joint call urging the European Commission to embed public health, equity, wider societal value and the One Health approach in its new AgRI 2040 and Food 2040 research frameworks. The Joint Call, led by FEASTand EuroHealthNet, was signed by organisations working across public health, food systems, nutrition, food waste, animal welfare, environmental health, sustainability and social equity.
The coalition warns that publicly funded research risks being judged mainly on innovation, productivity and commercial potential, sidelining the health, welfare and equity outcomes that matter just as much. As the Joint Call puts it, these outcomes are “core dimensions of the long-term public return that research and innovation investment must deliver.”
What are we calling for?
We want to bring these perspectives into the ongoing discussion about AgRI 2040 and Food 2040 and how these frameworks will be implemented.
Our joint statement seeks dialogue with those leading this process and calls for public health, equity, wider societal value and One Health to be embedded throughout the design, funding and evaluation of Europe’s future agricultural and food-systems research and innovation programmes.
Our call focuses on six priorities:
- Societal value at the heart of research and innovation
- Food security and the right to food
- Health and equity across the food system
- Embrace a whole food systems perspective
- Strengthen governance and safeguard the public interest
- Measure and account for societal impact
