EU AgRI 2040 Conference Opens in Brussels to Shape Next Agri-Food Research Agenda

The European Commission’s EU AgRI 2040 Conference opened in Brussels on September 24, bringing together policymakers, researchers, farmers and industry stakeholders to shape the next phase of European agricultural and food-system research.

The two-day conference is the first major follow-up to the Commission’s new strategic approach to research and innovation for competitive, resilient and sustainable agriculture, forestry, rural areas and food systems.

Its significance extends beyond the conference programme. Discussions are intended to feed into priorities for the European Union’s next research and innovation framework for 2028 to 2034 and the future European Competitiveness Fund, connecting agricultural research more directly with investment and industrial competitiveness.

Sessions span resilience, sustainability and technology, including work on soils, water and nutrient management. These areas are becoming increasingly important as European agriculture faces climate volatility, pressure to reduce external input dependence and demands for higher productivity with lower environmental impact.

The event also creates a meeting point between research institutions and commercial agriculture. Turning laboratory and pilot-stage innovation into deployable technologies remains one of the central challenges for European agrifood policy, particularly for smaller farms and food businesses that face higher adoption barriers.

With the conference continuing through September 25, its longer-term importance will depend on how the priorities discussed in Brussels translate into funding calls, partnerships and investment programmes capable of moving agricultural innovation from research into commercial use.