Periodic Reporting for period 1 - CEA-FIRST (Consortium Europe-Africa for Research and Innovation on Food Systems Transformation)
Okres sprawozdawczy: 2023-12-01 do 2025-11-30
Global food security faces unprecedented challenges, and fragmented research efforts between Africa and Europe have hindered progress. The EU Horizon Europe-funded CEA-FIRST project unites 21 African and European partners to create a cohesive strategy through an International Research Consortium (IRC) on Food and Nutrition Security and Sustainable Agriculture (FNSSA). This IRC is a durable, bi-continental ‘Network of networks’ for coordinating research and innovation, aligned with the FNSSA Roadmap set by the African Union–EU High-Level Policy Dialogue. CEA-FIRST is guided by the FNSSA Roadmap of the AU-EU High Level Policy Dialogue (HLPD). CEA-FIRST is a member-based multi-actor platform expected to address the long-standing problem of fragmentation of research and innovation (R&I) actions. CEA-FIRST will establish governance structure and an innovative funding instrument for the IRC by 1. providing public access to a large knowledge platform, 2. offering a sound method of analysis of R&I activities and supporting the updating of the FNSSA Roadmap with proposed new R&I priorities 3. establish operational working groups to support policy-funders-stakeholder clusters and networks and 4. strengthen R&I coordination through the creation of a large learning environment for all IRC members as a way of increasing synergies and coherence of their actions.
Since its launch in December 2023, the CEA-FIRST project has made rapid progress in building the IRC framework and tools. A governance structure for the consortium is now in place, comprising an IRC General Assembly of members, an IRC Council for decision-making, an External Advisory Committee for technical advise, a Secretariat (hosted by FARA) for coordination, and various working groups for IRC operations on the AU-EU FNSSA Roadmap. This framework was formally endorsed in 2025, allowing the IRC’s operations to commence smoothly. With the Secretariat coordinating daily activities, the project is expected to effectively pilot a trans-continental management model for the FNSSA partnership over the next 2 years. Its comprehensive IRC- FNSSA Knowledge Platform is a one-stop online hub integrating multiple databases and tools. This knowledge platform (launching in early 2026) will allow users to easily search and access information on hundreds of research projects, publications, and analytical visualisations. CEA-FIRST established a MEL framework with an IRC logframe and outcome indicators to track progress (for example, on stakeholder engagement and research uptake). These digital and management tools lay the groundwork for a lasting joint knowledge and learning system.
The project also launched several Functional and cross-cutting Working Groups to drive collaboration. Through these groups, experts from both continents are expected to work together on joint solutions. The involvement of representatives of EU and AU fundings organisations, and as possible enterprises and foundations representatives, in the Funders Working group is critical, in order to support the IRC core role as the long-term platform for the implementation of the 2026-2036 FNSSA Road Map. Stakeholder engagement has been a core focus. The project’s outreach broadened the partnership considerably: by the end of 2025, the IRC had nearly 100 member organisations (with 35 fully paid-up) from across Africa and Europe. For sustainability, the consortium has designated regional Anchor Institutions to serve as local IRC hubs, coordinating FNSSA activities in different AU-EU regions and Member States.
The project also launched several Functional and cross-cutting Working Groups to drive collaboration. Through these groups, experts from both continents are expected to work together on joint solutions. The involvement of representatives of EU and AU fundings organisations, and as possible enterprises and foundations representatives, in the Funders Working group is critical, in order to support the IRC core role as the long-term platform for the implementation of the 2026-2036 FNSSA Road Map. Stakeholder engagement has been a core focus. The project’s outreach broadened the partnership considerably: by the end of 2025, the IRC had nearly 100 member organisations (with 35 fully paid-up) from across Africa and Europe. For sustainability, the consortium has designated regional Anchor Institutions to serve as local IRC hubs, coordinating FNSSA activities in different AU-EU regions and Member States.
CEA-FIRST represents a new level of Africa–Europe cooperation in research and innovation. Instead of a short-lived project, it established a permanent institutional partnership via the IRC. This sustainable “network of networks” will persist beyond the project’s lifetime, enabling continuous coordination and learning. It marks a shift from past practices: rather than restarting collaboration with each new project, the IRC provides an ongoing framework where joint initiatives can be developed and scaled up over time. Its integrated knowledge platform is also an advance beyond the state of the art. By unifying siloed data sources, it offers one-stop access to a wealth of FNSSA information and analytics. This integrated view allows policymakers and scientists to identify trends and gaps across initiatives, to inform strategic planning. Also, the outcome-oriented MEL approach is novel: it doesn’t just count academic outputs but examines how research results are taken up (for example, informing policies or farming practices), providing a more impactful way to evaluate international R&I efforts.
CEA-FIRST’s partnership model introduces innovations in governance. The IRC’s co-ownership by African and European institutions (with an African coordinator) and the inclusion of under-represented groups set a precedent for equitable collaboration. The use of Anchor Institutions as decentralized regional hubs is especially forward-looking, as it adapts coordination to local contexts and lets the network grow organically through these nodes. This approach makes the IRC more resilient and deeply rooted than a typical project consortium. These innovations are already attracting uptake, the IRC is drawing new members and the working groups can shape future joint funding agendas. With continued AU and EU support beyond the project, the IRC can fully realize its potential and serve as a model for other bi-regional science, technology and innovation partnerships.
CEA-FIRST’s partnership model introduces innovations in governance. The IRC’s co-ownership by African and European institutions (with an African coordinator) and the inclusion of under-represented groups set a precedent for equitable collaboration. The use of Anchor Institutions as decentralized regional hubs is especially forward-looking, as it adapts coordination to local contexts and lets the network grow organically through these nodes. This approach makes the IRC more resilient and deeply rooted than a typical project consortium. These innovations are already attracting uptake, the IRC is drawing new members and the working groups can shape future joint funding agendas. With continued AU and EU support beyond the project, the IRC can fully realize its potential and serve as a model for other bi-regional science, technology and innovation partnerships.