The African continent is experiencing exceptional demographic growth, and could have almost 2 billion inhabitants by 2050, compared with around 280 million in 1960. The coming decades will be crucial for ensuring food security and nutrition.
The European and African States share the 17 universal sustainable development objectives of the Agenda 2030 and those of the Paris Climate Agreement. These objectives must be achieved in Europe and Africa, two continents that are geographically close, economically interdependent and linked by history. In particular, they require a transition towards healthy and sustainable food systems.
The idea of building an ambitious partnership on agriculture, food systems and the environment, contributing to the priorities of the European Union and the African Union in terms of collaboration on research, innovation and training, therefore seems to us to be crucial.
TSARA is both a partnership and a framework for sharing knowledge and practices, and for co-constructing research, innovation and training projects.
The impact of its action helps to support players, inform public policy and feed other regional and international initiatives. It contributes to tackling common global challenges, in line with the priorities of the African Union and the European Union.
These objectives are reflected in an ambitious scientific agenda and action plan.
TSARA’s charter emphasizes that its members are committed to values such as ethics, respect for personal data protection, scientific integrity and open science.
It underlines the importance of local communities and stakeholders in the development of innovations, and the need to involve them in research through participatory approaches.