TC4BE

01/01/2022 -

31/12/2026

Horizon Europe, Work Programme 2021 - Cluster 7

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Agricultural biodiversity includes all wild and domesticated forms of life found on farms – from plants and animals to soil organisms, pests and pollinators. Agriculture relies on biodiversity and vice versa. However, agricultural biodiversity is in decline across the EU. To find a solution, the EU-funded TC4BE project will support transdisciplinary research on different dimensions and scales of telecoupled agrifood systems, engaging stakeholders, including EU and producer-country policymakers and indigenous peoples and local communities. New scenarios and modelling of EU agrifood systems transformations will be developed. The project will generate methods to assess at-risk biodiversity hotspots.

"Transformative Change in Telecoupled Agrofood Systems for Biodiversity and Equity"

Main objectives

Demand for agricultural commodities from EU agrofood systems are driving land use change in biodiversity-rich countries in the Global South, leading to major biodiversity losses. Tackling the EU’s global biodiversity footprint is a top EU policy priority. The science demonstrates the need for transformative change in economic, social, and financial models for safe and just transitions, but there is limited knowledge on how to achieve transformative change in practice, which requires navigation of biodiversity, climate and equity trade-offs and synergies. TC4BE will support transdisciplinary research on different dimensions and scales of telecoupled agrofood systems, engaging diverse stakeholders, including EU and producer-country policy-makers and Indigenous Peoples and local communities. Scenarios and modelling of EU agrofood systems transformations, will be complemented by analysis of EU governance, trade, legal, consumer, collective action and sustainable finance levers and social innovations. In three producer countries (Cameroon, Colombia, and Kenya), TC4BE will generate methods for and assess land use change drivers, at-risk biodiversity hotspots, and the effectiveness of Sustainable Landscapes Initiatives. In six landscapes TC4BE will explore relationships to nature, perceptions of socio-ecological histories and futures, rigorously evaluate SLIs, and conduct regenerative enterprise case studies using a structured landscape learning process. Transformative change pathways will be co-generated by diverse stakeholders recognizing plural values and informed by new evidence, decision-making tools and training modules. The overall process will strengthen the capacity of participating stakeholders (care-knowledge-agency) to influence biodiversity and equity outcomes. A global dialogue, facilitated by the Global Landscapes Forum will link the transdisciplinary processes between the scales, supported by additional dissemination and communication activities.

Main results

Demand for agricultural commodities from consumers in the European Union is driving land use change in biodiversity-rich countries in the global South, leading to major biodiversity losses. EU trade is increasingly ‘telecoupled’ via highly inequitable global value chains, which have extensive socioeconomic and environmental impacts, which are EU policy priorities. Transformative change pathways are needed for safe and just transitions; but there are contested with plural perspectives on what constitutes transformative change for telecoupled landscapes and systems, and how to achieve it. Calls are increasing calls for systemic levers to change, but barriers to action are also significant. The Transformative Change for Biodiversity and Equity (TCforBE) project uses transdisciplinary research to co-generate transformative change pathways for telecoupled agrofood systems. We engage with diverse stakeholders and explore plural perspectives within the European Union and Cameroon, Colombia, and Kenya, including EU and national policymakers and Indigenous Peoples and local communities. The project aims to strengthen stakeholder capacity on transformative change pathways leading to enhanced biodiversity and equity outcomes. Scientific results 1. New knowledge – Scenarios & modelling impacts of telecoupled EU agro-food systems on biodiversity and equity (D1.1) Transformative change pathways mapped, characterised and analysed (D2.1) Land use change drivers relating to telecoupled agrofood systems, and threatend biodiversity hotspots in Cameroon, Colombia and Kenya identified (D4.1). 2. Strengthening capital – Network of international researchers engaging in transdisciplinary research (via Biodiversity cluster) and students (3 PhD candidates, 3 post docs, 8 MScs) 3. Fostering knowledge diffusion – on transformative change pathways for landscape approaches co-generated, shared & disseminated via conferences, scientific articles and exchanges. Societal results: 4.Addressing EU policy priorities and global challenges – through research activities 5. Delivering benefits and impact – through research in EU, Kenya, Cameroon, Colombia Economic results: 7. Generating innovation-based growth – Transformative sustainable finance models designed and shared.

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