PRIMA CALLS

General information

Those products are produced in large volumes for global markets, at low prices, and in regions suffering less from climate and environmental constraints, compared to the Mediterranean area. In addition, the price small farmers get for their products is quite low, compared to the price that products are sold to the end customer. This is due to the presence of many powerful actors, other than smallholders, in the farm-to-fork supply chain who can position and negotiate powerfully. Hence, there is a need for innovative organisational approaches and tools (tools and machines, business models, green public procurement, software, applications, etc.) that can help overcoming this challenge. New optimization models for the local Agri-food supply chain are requested, which provide local and distinguished benefit, economically, environmentally and socially to smallholders.

Increasing the competitiveness of small-scale farmers, manufacturers, local distributors and all other intermediate actors in the food chain is of key importance in order to guarantee a fair profit share for them. Optimized business models should be investigated that allows a better positioning of smallholders in the local and international markets, including innovative green public procurement approaches for local public authorities. In addition, new supply chain arrangements may be considered, analysed and empowered (if already in place elsewhere), especially shorter supply chains and more transparent relations between actors.

The access to markets, through innovative tools, including but not restricted to multi-technologies and ICT tools (web, apps, mobile devices), should be reconsidered as well as levers to improve the direct contacts between market players (supermarkets, out-of-home and consumers, canteens) and the farmers/ manufacturers, respecting the local socio-cultural characteristics of the target groups, i.e. smallholders in rural and underserved regions. Finally, all organizational and technological innovations and underlying research approaches that help local clusters and cooperatives to be more competitive are highly appreciated; considering the characteristics of the local societies. Additionally, the actions shall empower, through a Responsible Research and Innovation Approach, the climate of creativity of the small famers/producers/SMEs in the local community (i.e. social and inclusive innovations).

It shall also promote the concept and implementation of circular economy and responsible production-consumption concepts, with meaningful usage of resources via cascading eco-industrial methods and technologies highly performed at small scale.

LINK: http://prima-med.org/call-for-proposal/call-section-2-multitopic-2020/

Deadline

Stage 2 Full proposals – 16 September, 2020 (17:00h Barcelona Time) – maximum 50 pages

Project duration

Financial allocation

Depending on National Regulations. Each national funding body will fund the beneficiaries established in its own country, thus, the national funding rules apply. The coordinator of the project has to decide with the partners of a common starting date of the project and send this information to all the funding bodies involved in funding this project in order to ensure that the national contracts are synchronized in time to cover all the period of the project.

Partnership

Specific info

·       New insights in the competitiveness of local clusters of farmers, small manufacturers and distributors, with integrated innovative planning and institutional solutions for sustainability and profitability.

·       New options to increase the added value of products from local clusters.

·       Transparencies in fair trade and shortening Agri-food chain beneficial for smallholders.

·       Verified consumer feedback on quality and safety of products from small holders, locally produced or obtained in inter-Mediterranean country trade.

Key Indicators:

·       Number of business models for quality and sustainability adapted to SME and smallholders.

·       SDG#2 Indicator 2.3.1: Volume of production per labour unit by classes of farming/pastoral/forestry enterprise size