Embark on the agro-ecological transition by strengthening biodiversity and the services produced by agro-ecosystems, services that help ensure sustainable agricultural and food production in terms of quantity and quality, and greater resilience in the face of climatic and health hazards.
Promote the adaptation of African (agro)forest territories to global change, while meeting the needs of local populations in terms of energy, feed for herds and associated crops, while better preserving biodiversity.
Livestock farming is being called into question for its contribution to greenhouse gas emissions. It is also heavily impacted by climate change and water scarcity, and is subject to competition for land use. It is expected to meet growing demand for animal products (milk, meat, eggs).
Preserve and rehabilitate soils by combating desertification. By incorporating organic matter into soils, the aim is to contribute to climate change adaptation and food security, as well as to the long-term goal of carbon neutrality in food production.
Develop the One Health approach. Jointly addressing human, animal and ecosystem health, thus making a major contribution to reducing the risk of zoonotic disease emergence and limiting the use of antibiotics.
Assess the capacity of agricultural systems and value chains to create jobs with decent, equitable and remunerative quality work, with a particular focus on young people and women. The question of work and employment is an obligatory entry point for public policies, given the influx of young people into the job market.
Contribute through research, training and innovation to combating the triple burden of undernutrition, nutritional deficiencies and chronic diseases due to obesity and overweight, by accelerating the transition to healthy, sustainable food systems. This involves combining approaches on several scales, combining research on socio-economics and access to food, on health safety, and the relationships between nutrition, intestinal microbiota and health, particularly for women and children. It also involves studying changes in the food supply, for example in plant proteins, and in the supply chains and processing of local resources, as well as reducing losses and wastage.
Rethinking water governance for greater agricultural resilience, based on agroecology and multi-stakeholder territorial approaches. Water constraints are exacerbated in sub-Saharan Africa and the Mediterranean by climate change and rising water consumption for agriculture, drinking water supply and industry. The aim is to develop a more water-efficient form of agriculture, mobilizing the principles of agroecology in terms of less consumptive production and practices, making greater use of rainwater, the use of recycled water, and the development of resilient irrigation.
Contribute to the deployment of digital technology in agriculture, in a low-cost, equitable approach accessible to all, by sharing knowledge, methods and tools: collecting, managing, analyzing and leveraging reliable, consistent data, to inform decision-making, risk and uncertainty management, foresight, and promote the creation of attractive jobs for young people and women, and support for the agro-ecological transition, across all value chains.