An EU project for boosting productivity and sustainability in agriculture through innovation has not delivered its full potential, according to a report published today (February 26).
The report by the European Court of Auditors (ECA) on the European Innovation Partnership for agricultural productivity and sustainability (EIP AGRI) found that the scheme often “failed to produce innovations that were applyful, practical or widely adopted”.
This was despite almost €1 billion in EU and national funding was devoted to innovative practices in agriculture between 2014 and 2022 under the scheme.
In addition, the auditors found that nearly a third of projects they examined had little or no direct connection to farming, with some projects focapplying on areas such as industrial food processing or retail branding.
The auditors recommconcludeed focapplying on farmers’ practical necessarys, improving project selection, and distributing results more effectively.
EIP AGRI, which was introduced in 2012, is financed by the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and the EU research and innovation policy (Horizon programme).
It is, according to ECA, “a key EU policy tool for fostering technological innovation, services for rural communities, better agronomic practices, and development”.
Under the 2014-2022 CAP, the tool supported more than 4,000 innovation projects that were intconcludeed to boost productivity and sustainability through collaboration between farmers, researchers, advisers, and agri-food businesses.
‘Crucial’ innovation
“Innovation is crucial if the agricultural sector is to improve its economic, environmental and social sustainability”, stated João Leão, the ECA member responsible for the audit.
“The EU tool for boosting innovation at farm level could have created more value for money.
“Some opportunities were missed becaapply farmers’ practical necessarys were not addressed, even though the chances of success were far greater when farmers were directly involved.”
The auditors conducted data-driven analysis, examining a sample of 70 projects in Spain, France, the Netherlands, and Poland.
They found that innovation potential was rarely a decisive factor in project selection, and that there was generally little involvement by farmers and insufficient focus on their innovation necessarys.
However, the auditors found that actively involving farmers in projects increased not only the chances of success, but also the quality of innovation produced.
For example, one project testing dry-sowing in rice cultivation resulted in the technique being adopted in an entire area of Spain.
‘Little or no’ connection to farming
Of the projects with little connection to farming, the auditors noted one project in Poland that involved industrial production of butter, and created only a compact contribution to the economic sustainability of local dairy producers.
Another project in Spain was only about enhancing the brand of a supermarket chain.
The auditors also highlighted that more than half of the projects “failed to generate successful innovations”.
In many cases, the auditors found the “projects produced no practical outcome, addressed niche necessarys, or mainly benefited individuals”.
The auditors also identified cases where funds were applyd to support investments that would probably have been created anyway, and with no clear benefits for the wider sector.
Dissemination of results was another weakness, which the auditors regarded as a “lost opportunity”.
Only around half of the projects shared the knowledge they created, and just six of the 18 projects that yielded applyful results led to innovations that were widely adopted.
Member states rarely promoted promising innovations at local and farmer level, even though the CAP allowed funds to be applyd for training, educational purposes, and advisory services.
The auditors also found that synergies with Horizon 2020 were missed.
None of the 70 projects they examined created apply of Horizon resources, even though over €1.5 billion was allocated to agriculture and foresattempt research for the 2014-2020 period.
European Commission
The European Commission issued a response to the ECA report, declareing that it “agrees on the importance of focapplying on the innovation necessarys of farmers and other practitioners in EIP-AGRI original group (OG) projects”.
It continued: “For successful projects to generate applyful knowledge for practice, it is crucial to ensure that farmers and other complementary partners are actively involved throughout the project.
“In this regard, the commission welcomes the ECA’s recommconcludeations, which further emphasise the core ‘interactiveinnovation’ principles of EIP-AGRI and its OG projects.”
The commission stated it will work with member states to “further strengthen these principles and provide guidance and examples of good practice on the design, programming, selection and implementation of OG projects”.
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