Abstract
DIVERSIFOOD will evaluate and enrich the diversity of cultivated plants within diverse agroecosystems so as to increase their performance, resilience, quality and use through a multi-actor approach. By integrating existing experienced networks and using specific and relevant cases across Europe the project will strengthen "food culture" to improve economic viability of local chains resulting in a greater diversity of produce with a cultural identity. Thanks to the composition of its consortium, DIVERSIFOOD will cover the whole food chain from genetic resources to marketing, connecting and amplifying local existing actions. It will design specific concepts and methodologies for combining in situ experiments to ensure performance and quality. It will evaluate the genetic resources of a dozen underutilized and forgotten plant species for organic and low-input agriculture or marginal/specific conditions, including the association of various underutilized legumes with several cereals, and create new diversity by innovative breeding methods designed for more intra-crop variation. It will help to facilitate cooperation between participatory research networks and professional breeders as well as policy makers in connecting formal and informal seed systems in Europe in relation to international negotiations on Farmers’ rights with the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. Key-lessons based on the diverse experiences in the project will be shared to support on-farm seed production networks to guarantee high quality seed. DIVERSIFOOD will demonstrate the socio-economic value of on-farm seed systems, help at local and wider policy levels to increase food and environmental awareness, and improve multi-actor approaches to embed healthy and tasty local products in regional food chains. Demonstration and dissemination will take place at all stages, in collaboration with network organizations for a greater impact.
Project details
Unibo Team Leader: Giovanni Dinelli
Unibo involved Department/s:
Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Agro-Alimentari
Dipartimento di Scienze per la Qualità della Vita
Coordinator:
Inra Cnrgv(France)
Other Participants:
Rete Semi Rurali
(Italy)
Agencia Estatal Consejo Superior De Investigaciones Cientificas (Csic)
(Spain)
Università di PISA
(Italy)
Escola Superior Agraria De Coimbra
(Portugal)
Fibl Forschungsinstitut Fur Biologischenlandbau Stiftung
(Switzerland)
Reseau Semences Paysannes
(France)
Okologiai Mezogazdasagi Kutatointezet Kozhasznu Nonprofit Kft
(Hungary)
Progressive Farming Trust Ltd T/A The Organic Research Centre
(United Kingdom)
Arche Noah Schaugarten GmbH
(Austria)
Institut Technique De L'Agriculture Biologique
(France)
Louis Bolk Instituut
(Netherlands)
Oikos - Økologisk Norge
(Norway)
Instituto De Tecnologia Quimica E Biologica - Universidade Nova De Lisboa
(Portugal)
Inra Transfert Sa
(France)
Red Andaluza de Semillas "Cultivando Biodiversidad"
(Spain)
ProSpecieRara
(Switzerland)
Ministry Of Agriculture, Rural Development And Environment Of Cyprus
(Cyprus)
Formicablu Srl
(Italy)
ALMA MATER STUDIORUM - Università di Bologna
(Italy)
Mtt (Agrifood Research Finland) Economic Research
(Finland)
Total Eu Contribution: Euro (EUR) 3.429.908,75
Project Duration in months: 48
Start Date:
01/03/2015
End Date:
28/02/2019
Cordis webpage
Project website
This project contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN 2030 Agenda.
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 633571