NEW TECH FOODS

A coalition of food innovation organisations in Europe has recently unveiled the Regenerative Innovation Portfolio, a €30 million initiative aimed at advancing regenerative agriculture practices across the continent.

This collaborative effort, led by EIT Food – which is backed by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology – seeks to demonstrate solutions and facilitate partnerships within the agrifood value chains.

Unlike traditional approaches focusing solely on individual farms, the Regenerative Innovation Portfolio adopts a landscape-based strategy, tailored to local contexts. By identifying five priority landscapes across Europe, the initiative aims to foster collaboration among various stakeholders, including regional governments, investors and retailers.

EIT Food has committed €15 million to the Portfolio, with an additional €15 million expected from corporate partners over the next three years. This investment will support landscape initiatives, ecosystem development and inter-landscape learning within the community.

Richard Zaltzman, CEO of EIT Food, said: “It is crucial that we establish a future-fit food system for all: a transition that can only be achieved by prioritising systemic, regenerative approaches to agriculture, in a way that keeps farmers front and centre and fosters collaboration between all stakeholders in the food chain”.

Marjolein Brasz, CEO of Foodvalley, highlighted the Portfolio's role in scaling and expanding regenerative agriculture practices: “We have already seen significant efforts and initiatives from farmers and cooperatives in the shift to regenerative agriculture. The Regenerative Innovation Portfolio will be crucial in helping to practically scale and expand these approaches.”

“By creating a collaborative community, the Regenerative Innovation Portfolio will generate and share learnings and experiences between landscapes which will help to foster more successful partnerships and innovation in the future and get all stakeholders in the landscape transition to play their role.”

By fostering collaboration between off-takers and sharing costs, knowledge and resources, the initiative enables the production of a broad range of regenerative crops and products at scale.