AgRI 2040 and Food 2040: Europe’s Roadmap to a Smarter, More Resilient Food Future

The European Union has unveiled a new strategic vision for the future of agriculture and food systems: AgRI 2040 and Food 2040. Together, these two interconnected frameworks aim to reshape how research, innovation, and technology are developed, deployed, and adopted across the agri-food sector over the coming decades.

Why AgRI 2040 and Food 2040 Matter

Europe's agriculture and food systems are facing unprecedented challenges. Climate change, biodiversity loss, resource scarcity, geopolitical tensions, and increasing global competition are creating a complex operating environment for farmers, food producers, and rural communities. At the same time, rapid advances in digital technologies, biotechnology, artificial intelligence, and precision agriculture are opening up new possibilities.

Recognizing both the risks and opportunities, the European Commission has launched a new strategic approach to ensure that research and innovation generate tangible benefits for society, the economy, and the environment. The goal is simple but ambitious: move innovative ideas out of laboratories and into fields, farms, food

businesses, and consumers' lives.

One Vision, Two Frameworks

The new strategy is built around two closely linked frameworks:

AgRI 2040

Focused on:

• Agriculture

• Forestry

• Rural areas

AgRI 2040 seeks to strengthen productivity, resilience, sustainability, and competitiveness while supporting the long-term viability of rural communities. The framework is designed to evolve as new scientific discoveries, technologies, and societal needs emerge.

Food 2040

Focused on:

• Food systems

• Fisheries

• Aquaculture

Food 2040 addresses challenges across the entire food chain, from production and processing to distribution, consumption, and waste reduction. It promotes healthier diets, sustainable food production, resource efficiency, and fairer food systems.

From Research to Real-World Impact

One of the most significant shifts in the new strategy is its emphasis on deployment and uptake. Europe already generates world-class research, but too many promising innovations fail to reach the people who could benefit from them. The Commission wants to bridge this gap by supporting testing, demonstration, scaling, and market adoption.

The approach encourages collaboration among:

• Farmers and foresters

• Researchers and universities

• Startups and scaleups

• SMEs and agri-food companies

• Public authorities

• Citizens and consumer groups

By involving end users from the earliest stages of innovation development, solutions can be better adapted to real-world needs and local conditions.

Key Areas of Innovation

The strategic approach highlights several priority areas expected to drive the transformation of Europe's agri-food sector, including:

• Climate-resilient crops

• Sustainable crop protection

• Precision agriculture

• Artificial intelligence and robotics

• Water-use efficiency

• Soil health

• Sustainable livestock systems

• Bioeconomy innovations

• Healthier and more sustainable diets

• Circular food systems and resource efficiency

These innovations are intended not only to improve productivity but also to support environmental sustainability and food security.

Supporting Europe's Competitiveness

A recurring theme throughout the strategy is competitiveness. The EU wants to ensure that European agriculture and food businesses remain global leaders in innovation while reducing dependencies and increasing resilience to future disruptions. The strategy also aligns with broader European priorities around life sciences, the bioeconomy, preparedness, and strategic autonomy.

Importantly, startups and SMEs are expected to play a central role. By creating stronger links between research institutions, investors, innovators, and industry, the

Commission aims to accelerate the commercialization of breakthrough solutions.

Looking Ahead

AgRI 2040 and Food 2040 represent more than a new research agenda. They signal a shift toward a more integrated innovation ecosystem where science, policy, business, and society work together to future-proof Europe's food systems. The frameworks are expected to guide EU-funded research and innovation, including future Horizon Europe programmes, helping ensure that investments deliver practical results for farmers, businesses, consumers, and the environment.

As Europe navigates the challenges of the coming decades, AgRI 2040 and Food 2040 provide a clear message: the future of food and agriculture will depend not only on generating knowledge, but on transforming that knowledge into real-world solutions that create resilient, sustainable, and competitive food systems for all.

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The role of Agriventures in supporting agrifood innovation

As the agritech startup ecosystem grows across Europe, initiatives such as Agriventures are helping connect entrepreneurs, researchers, investors, and policymakers working in agriculture and food innovation.

Agriventures focuses on supporting agrifood startups, biotechnology innovation, and access to European funding for agriculture, while also helping entrepreneurs navigate the complex landscape of startup financing, venture capital, and research commercialization.

By strengthening connections between startups, research institutions, investors, and farmers, Agriventures contributes to building a stronger agricultural innovation ecosystem that can accelerate the transition toward sustainable agriculture and resilient food systems.

Through knowledge sharing, events, and ecosystem building, Agriventures helps ensure that promising agritech innovations can scale and reach farmers, food producers, and global markets.