On 8 September 2026, the European Commission adopted its new strategic approach to research and innovation for agriculture and food, built around two frameworks: AgRI 2040 and Food 2040. The strategy sets the direction for EU research and innovation (R&I) in agriculture, forestry, rural areas and food systems up to 2040. It recognises protein crops as a strategic component of a resilient EU protein system and commits to supporting the diversification of protein sources. However, most of its concrete content is still to be defined, which makes the coming two years decisive for plant-based foods.
A new strategic approach to agri-food research and innovation
The strategy takes the form of a Communication titled New Strategic Approach to Research and Innovation for competitive, resilient and sustainable agriculture, forestry, rural areas and food systems. It updates the 2016 strategic approach to agricultural R&I and builds on the Food 2030 framework.
Its main objective is to use research and innovation to improve the competitiveness, sustainability and resilience of the EU agri-food sector. Throughout the text, the Commission stresses the need for a socially fair and inclusive sector that takes its environmental impact and planetary boundaries into account.
The strategy also adopts a full value chain perspective, “from research to market”. This approach is particularly visible for crops, where protein crops are described as spanning the development of food, feed and circular value chains, and in the aim of strengthening farmers’ position by collaborating across the agri-food value chain.
“EVU welcomes this approach. Farmers will only invest in growing more legumes and pulses if processors and markets are ready to take up their harvest. Agri-food stakeholders are calling for collaborative approaches and interests alignment to reduce risks and secure demand and fairness along the chain. We welcome that the Commission consistently applies a value chain perspective, like it did for the European Competitiveness Fund”, said Noémie Francheterre, Policy Manager at the European Vegetarian Union.
The actions will be financed mainly through the European Competitiveness Fund (ECF), the next Horizon Europe programme (FP10, 2028-2034), and other EU instruments. Their final scale therefore depends on the outcome of the negotiations on the next Multiannual Financial Framework.
Protein diversification: recognised, but not yet translated into action
Following the EU Protein Action Plan, we welcome that protein diversification is clearly confirmed as a strategic asset for the EU. Under the AgRI 2040 area on cropping systems, research and innovation are expected to strengthen protein crops as a strategic component of a more resilient and sustainable EU protein system, from agronomic performance and processing to nutritional value and the development of food, feed and circular value chains. The Food 2040 area on healthy and sustainable diets goes a step further: the Commission commits to supporting the diversification of protein sources and promoting healthier diets within planetary boundaries, while also addressing citizens’ awareness of biotech-based ingredients.
Protein is also framed as a matter of food security. The cross-cutting priority on food security, resilience and preparedness includes fostering EU production and supply of proteins, with an explicit link to the EU Protein Action Plan. This echoes the Irish Presidency, which underlined the importance of a diversified protein supply for Europe’s food security.
Fermentation receives attention too. The strategy acknowledges that Europe lacks industrial-scale contract manufacturing capacity for fermentation-based food and feed ingredients, and commits to exploring how to increase investment, including through the ECF InvestEU instrument. From 2028, it will also encourage private investment in open-access pilot and demo-scale bioprocessing infrastructure (Action 14). This is a welcome step: a study by Systemiq estimated that targeted public investment in scaling infrastructure could unlock private capital and could generate €111 billion in added economic value by 2040.
Yet these commitments remain largely declaratory, as the strategy does not set any concrete action or quantified target for protein diversification and its funding. However, in the shorter term, concrete support can be delivered through ongoing and future legislative initiatives. We call on the EU institutions to translate the strategic status granted to protein diversification on paper into:
- actual dedicated financial support under the ECF and FP10;
- preferential as well as dedicated interventions for protein crop cultivation and on-farm processing investments in the Common Agricultural Policy 2028-2034;
- binding quality and sustainability considerations for food procurement in the Public Procurement Act;
- and inclusion of food biotech in the forthcoming Biotechnology Act II (expected in 2027).
How the strategy is built
The strategy is organised in four blocks:
- Ecosystem-shaping actions. This first block focuses on how R&I results are delivered rather than on what research should cover. It aims to close the “lab to fab” gap by turning EU-funded research into commercial products, notably through stronger participation of startups and scaleups in Horizon Europe. It also seeks to speed up the uptake of innovation by farmers through Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems (AKIS) and Living Labs, and to boost food technology for food-chain resilience and food security.
- Six cross-cutting priorities shared by AgRI 2040 and Food 2040: competitiveness, startups and scaleups; food security, resilience and preparedness; natural resources and circularity; food and feed safety, nutrition and health; fairness, including a fairer distribution of value, risks and costs along the value chain; and global cooperation. These are supported by three common enablers: governance, technologies (including biotechnology, recognised as an important cross-sectoral enabler for the agri-food sector) and territories and communities.
- AgRI 2040, covering agriculture, forestry and rural areas, sets out eight areas of action. Among them, cropping systems and a stronger agri-food value chain are the most relevant for plant-based foods, alongside the bioeconomy area.
- Food 2040, covering food systems including fisheries and aquaculture, sets out six areas of action. These include healthy and sustainable diets, food environments and consumer empowerment, and the scaling of innovations, business models and fair food system solutions.
In an annex, the Commission lists 19 actions. Most of them are high-level commitments to support or strengthen existing mechanisms, and no follow-up legislative initiative is announced. Among the more concrete ones are a toolbox to help agri-food startups and scaleups, prepared with the Standing Committee for Agricultural Research (SCAR), and the launch of a Science for Policy Centre managed by the Joint Research Centre, both from the end of 2027.
What comes next
The real substance of the strategy will be decided in the coming years, when the areas of action are developed together with stakeholders. The first step was the AgRI 2040 conference, held on 24–25 September 2026 to identify research and innovation needs and co-create the preliminary AgRI 2040 areas of action. Three messages stood out for us. First, research and innovation must involve stakeholders from across the agri-food value chain from the beginning. Second, investments are an important piece of the puzzle but ensuring there is a market is equally, if not more, important. Public authorities have an important role to play here through procurement, the National and Regional Partnership Plans (NRPP) and the ECF. Finally, a stable and enabling policy framework is key to ensure a smooth “value chain journey” for R&I projects.
The next milestones are:
→ AgRI 2040 areas of action (from Q4 2027, Action 17): R&I needs to be identified with stakeholders.
→ Food 2040 R&I activities (from Q3 2028, Action 18): activities to be developed across the six Food 2040 areas.
→ Food 2040 high-level conference (Q4 2028, Action 19).
