FEAST (Food systems that support transitions to hEalthy And Sustainable dieTs) aims to support the EU's just transition to healthy diets produced by sustainable food systems. Using a Multi-Actor Approach, FEAST will leverage current best practice and co-design novel solutions with EU food system stakeholders, including diverse vulnerable groups, to identify how they can be supported and empowered to facilitate and benefit from the transition to healthy and sustainable dietary behaviour at all levels and in all sectors of the food system. FEAST's objectives are: 1.To better understand, describe and measure barriers and facilitators that influence the dietary behaviour of different groups (particularly vulnerable groups), accounting for geographical, socio-economic, behavioural, gender and cultural differences 2.To collaborate with key stakeholders in Europe’s food systems to identify and/or design and test innovative and effective tools, programmes and strategies, including social innovations, that will enable consumers to make informed food choices that promote the self-management of healthy and sustainable dietary behaviours and lifestyles 3.To empower individuals to adopt healthier and more sustainable dietary behaviours, choices and lifestyles by means of evidence-based strategies and tools addressing all food system actors at the level of Member States, EU and wider international community 4.To increase the adoption of food and health policy interventions that aim to drive the transition to healthier and more sustainable diets by all stakeholders within the food system by designing and testing scientifically-informed ommunication strategies, and associated monitoring approaches, that could be used by policymakers All stakeholders will be invited to our FEAST project and we will not accept that anyone is left behind or is left hungry and wanting because we do not believe in zero-sum games - we adhere to the principle that all must ‘Win’.

The aim of BELIS is (i) to increase the competitiveness of the EU and Associated Countries legume breeding industry by improving the methodologies and the governance structures of the breeding sector; (ii) to design conditions that allow an efficient delivery of the achieved genetic progress to the breeders and seed industry, and to the other actors (registration offices, extension services, feed and food industry, farmers). The project will focus on seven forage crops and seven grain crop that are currently grown to produce feed (for ruminants – cattle, sheep, goat and monogastric animals – pig, poultry), food (as is or after processing) or to deliver ecosystem services. BELIS has three main objectives: (1) To develop tools and methodologies for cost-effective breeding programmes and deliver proofs of concept, with and for breeders, (2) To facilitate the economic and regulatory environment: variety registration, variety recommendation and business models, (3) To implement an efficient, ambitious and durable transfer of innovation through the BELIS platform that includes a network of breeders and actors from scientific research, extension services and seed, food and feed industries, as well as a training portfolio. By enabling the creation of improved varieties in many species, adapted to different areas and uses in Europe, this project is relevant for the destinations towards “Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services”, mainly contributing to “Access to a wider range of crops and breeds with a broadened genetic base is improved in line with global biodiversity commitments”. It also supports the “Practices in agriculture and forestry support biodiversity and the provision of other ecosystems services”. In addition, BELIS will have a positive input on natural biodiversity, reduction of air and water pollutions and farming system sustainability.

PROTEIN2FOOD’s aim is to develop innovative, cost-effective and resource-efficient plant proteins –rich food sources with positive impact on human health, the environment and biodiversity. The quality and quantity of protein from selected highly nutritious seed crops (quinoa, amaranth and buckwheat), and legumes with high protein quantity (lupin, faba beans, pea, chickpea, lentil) will be significantly enhanced by using a multi-disciplinary approach that will include genetic, agronomic, food process engineering, sensory, socio-economic, and environmental assessment. Research is expected to improve the quality of plant proteins, produced in Europe, and of the sustainability of their production and processing. Through a better understanding of the: i) genetic mechanisms driving the protein formation and accumulation in the seed, ii) plant performance towards biotic and abiotic stresses, and iii) protein interactions with other components in the food matrix and its sensory repercussions in the final food products, this research should lead to the development of adapted plant protein sources with positive impact on environment and biodiversity as well as human health. Expected results in the project are: i) enhance the protein production by 25% through new effective breeding techniques and optimised crop management with an increase by 10% of the EU’s arable land destined to protein-crop production, using also marginal soils, ii) accelerate protein transition from animal-based protein to plant based protein in Europe with clear impact on reduction of carbon footprint, iii) increase EU agro-biodiversity by introducing promising high quality crops and legumes. Further, activities will support the prototypes of new protein-rich-protein food with exceptional market potential. Finally, we will improve the EU’s visibility in the area of food processing and technology through high impact factors scientific publications.