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INtegrated and Circular Technologies for Sustainable city region FOOD systems in Africa

Project description

DEENESFRITPL

Delivering food and nutrition security in Africa

Current African food systems are experiencing severe challenges in delivering desired outcomes of food and nutrition security, environmental conservation and sustainable livelihoods. Consequently, a quarter of those residing in African cities remain food insecure and malnourished. Within 4 years, the EU-funded INCiTiS-FOOD project will improve food and nutrition security in African city regions and reduce the food-system-related environmental footprint while contributing to circularity. INCiTiS-FOOD will co-create circular agri-food technologies, practices and business models that focus on soilless crop farming, recirculating aquaculture systems and insect farming. A core part of the project will be the establishment of eight Living Labs located in six countries across three African regions. The project will also empower communities through the Open Calls funding, supporting external Local Innovation Hubs.

Objective

Current African city region food systems fail to deliver food and nutrition security (FNS), health, and environmental sustainability. INCiTiS-FOOD develops scientifically underpinned circular agri-food technologies and practices, suitable for African cities. The context specific socio-technological use cases of INCiTiS-FOOD address the prevalent deficiency of animal sourced foods, vegetables and fruits. Hydroponics, aquaponics, and insect farming hold great promise because they require limited land, water, energy, wealth and reduce waste. Hydroponics and aquaponics infer soilless, circular vegetable and fish farming enterprises. Using an interdisciplinary approach, inclusive and scalable business models are developed for these enterprises, contributing to thriving and collaborative communities.
This circular food system thinking improves FNS, delivers safe, affordable, nutritious, and healthy food, reduces waste and the environmental footprint in African cities. INCiTiS-FOOD follows a multi-actor approach for co-design and co-creation of circular agri-food innovations and business models, involving 8 city Living Labs in 6 countries from 3 African regions (East: Kenya; West: Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone; Central: Cameroon, Gabon). The project aims for its innovations and businesses to attain a technological, societal, and business readiness level of TRL-7, SRL-7, and BRL-5, respectively. INCiTiS-FOOD agri-food innovations and business models will be widely adopted because their research and innovation maturity are proven by a large-scale demonstration as part of the Cascade Fund (1,000,000€). International ecosystem building is promoted by the digital INCiTiS-FOOD Platform on SmartAgriHubs.eu to support African innovation actors. In strengthening resilience, inclusiveness, and FNS, INCiTiS-FOOD guides policy transformation by adhering to the EU Taxonomy Regulation and Milan Urban Food Policy Pact. The consortium is constituted with the EU-Africa dialogue in mind.

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Programme(s)

Topic(s)

Call for proposal

HORIZON-CL6-2022-FARM2FORK-01

See other projects for this call

Funding Scheme

HORIZON-RIA -

Coordinator

UNIVERSITAET DER BUNDESWEHR MUENCHEN
Net EU contribution
€ 555 745,00
Address
Werner heisenberg weg 39
85579 Neubiberg
Germany

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Region
Bayern Oberbayern München, Landkreis
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Links
Other funding
€ 30 499,50

Participants (22)

Partners (1)

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EC signature date 20 October 2022
Last update: 24 October 2022

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Permalink: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101083790

European Union, 2023