Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:

• enhanced ability of agricultural actors in Africa to manage plant pest risks sustainably, contribute to the strengthening of food security while addressing climate and biodiversity challenges;
• agricultural actors identify and implement practices to prevent and reduce crop losses due to plant pests pre-harvest and during storage in Africa.

Scope:

Plant pests affecting crops in the field and/or harvests during storage are an important burden to food security, contributing to significant food losses in Africa. These can also affect internal markets and trade. It is thus crucial to tackle the impact of plant pests in an integrated manner, while ensuring this is done through technologies and practices fostering agricultural sustainability, resilience to climate change and safeguarding biodiversity.

Proposals should:

• advance knowledge on biology, mechanism of disease, spread dynamics, and climate change impacts on key plant pests across different African agro-ecosystems, considering also climate change impacts;
• develop cost-effective, environmentally friendly methods, tools and strategies that are safe to consumers for the sustainable management of the most impactful plant pests in Africa, aiming to minimise crop losses both at pre-harvest and during storage of harvests;
• foster agroecological integrated pest management practices aiming at reducing the impact of plant pests;
• improve productivity and the quality of crop products in the African agricultural systems by reducing the impact of plant pests.

Insects, weeds, fungi, bacteria, and viruses that can damage crops fall within the scope of this topic and are considered plant pests. Applicants are expected to explain and justify the choice of pest(s) in alignment with the proposal’s objectives and the topic’s expected outcomes.

The actions funded under this topic are relevant to the EU policies related to EU Vision for Agriculture and Food, the Global Gateway strategy, contribute to the African Union-EU High Level Policy Dialogue on Science, Technology and Innovation and to the respective R&I partnerships on Food and Nutrition Security and Sustainable Agriculture (FNSSA) and on Climate Change and Sustainable Energy. Projects under this topic are relevant for the climate objectives of the African Union and the EU, and for the commitments of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

Proposals should contribute to the implementation of the short-term and medium-term actions outlined in the AU-EU Innovation Agenda^[1] in the priority area of Green Transition (notably action (4) among short-term actions and (1) and (3) for medium-term actions), and aim to translate R&I efforts into tangible business, products, services, development and employment opportunities in Africa and Europe.

Furthermore, when relevant proposals are encouraged to seek connections with Regional Multi-actors Research Networks on Agroecology supported by the EC in Africa^[2].

Proposals must implement the multi-actor approach to ensure the adequate involvement of the public authorities, advisory services, farmer organisations, and industry.

Proposals should adopt an inclusive approach that respects and integrates local knowledge and practices alongside technological and scientific expertise, where indigenous insights are enriched by innovative approaches and new technologies through mutual learning.

[1] https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/news/all-research-and-innovation-news/new-eu-africa-innovation-agenda-enhance-cooperation-science-technology-and-innovation-2023-07-20_en

[2] Regional Multi-Actor Research Network on Agroecology to Support Regional Centres of Excellence related to the Green Transition; RMRN Western Africa: CORAF & Cheikh-Anta-Diop de Dakar for Western Africa; RMRN Eastern Africa : Icipe and partners