Healthy, sustainable and resilient cropping systems

Crops under pressure: Building resilience for the future

Keeping healthy, sustainable, and resilient cropping systems is increasingly complex due to the unprecedented, combined pressures of climate change, biodiversity loss, demographic shifts, economic strains and geopolitical uncertainties. Extreme weather, soil degradation, water scarcity, and new and reemerging pests threaten food production leading to significant economic, social, and environmental impacts. These challenges are particularly critical for European agriculture and forestry, which must be equipped to safeguard food security, reduce dependencies on external inputs, and ensure their essential functions, resilience, and sustainability.

Improved varieties, crop diversification and plant health are central to this transformation. Healthy plants form the foundation of sustainable food systems but face growing threats from pests, diseases, and environmental stress. Expanding and safeguarding genetic diversity, through the conservation and use of plant genetic resources, enhances the capacity of crops to adapt and thrive in diverse conditions.

Protein crops such as pulses and legumes also play a strategic role in this transition. They enrich the soil, support biodiversity, and reduce the need for synthetic fertilisers, helping to close nutrient cycles and strengthen Europe’s self-sufficiency in plant proteins. Expanding their local production across the EU can help close the plant protein gap, improve self-sufficiency, and meet rising demand for healthier, more sustainable diets. Overcoming existing barriers is crucial for establishing a sustainable and competitive plant protein sector in Europe.

Research and innovation are vital to maintain cropping systems in challenging environments while striving for a sustainable, climate-neutral and biodiversity-friendly farming system.

Research in action

Advancing Integrated Pest Management and innovative crop protection solutions

Research and innovation are advancing integrated pest management (IPM) solutions that support sustainable farming and resilient crop production.

Projects such as Conserwa, Agrosus, and GOOD are advancing sustainable weed control methods, continuing the efforts of IWMPraise.
Oper8 collected and promoted non-chemical weed management practices, ensuring that farmers and advisers can access proven alternatives.
The AdoptIPM project is optimising existing IPM tools, developing new ones, and designing cost-effective, environmentally friendly IPM packages for wider adoption.

Effective knowledge exchange brings practical and innovative solutions directly to advisers and farmers.

IPMWorks has established a European network of farmers and advisers to showcase cost-effective IPM strategies.
AdvisoryNetPest is strengthening a network of advisory services across the EU, fostering knowledge exchange and driving innovative solutions for crop protection.
RENOVATE provides training experiences and fosters networking for farmers in the field of sustainable crop management.

Innovative crop protection solutions

Research and innovation projects are developing next-generation crop protection systems that strengthen sustainability, reduce environmental impact, and enhance resilience.

Sagropia and NextGenBioPest are advancing innovative, low-risk, and bio-based solutions for pest and disease control. Both focus on practical alternatives to synthetic pesticides and the development of integrated strategies for key crops.
MultiSoil and SOILRES explore how healthy soils contribute to natural pest suppression and overall crop resilience. These projects promote biodiversity-based practices that improve soil quality while reducing dependency on external inputs.
PHAntastic, VINNY, BioBIVE and AGRO4AGRI develop bio-based, biodegradable, and nano-enabled materials for more sustainable fertilisation and plant protection.
Cropsafe and Zelda will develop sustainable, bio-based alternatives for crop protection.

Tackling emerging threats to plant health

Emerging plant pests and diseases threaten food security, agricultural sustainability and biodiversity. Research and innovation initiatives aim to reduce the impact on key crops across Europe, supporting EU Plant Health efforts.

EU-funded projects such as REACT, Patafest, Nem-Emerge, POMATO, CITRUSBUSTERS, EUFAWReady and BeXyl are addressing these challenges by developing tools for the early detection, prevention, monitoring, and management of critical plant pests, including priority pests.
Projects like PurPest, Forsaid, Stella and Cerberus are advancing early detection through digital technologies, improving surveillance and supporting plant and forest health efforts in the EU.
SenseApest and EmergeNOW are developing tools for plant health diagnostics to increase the effectiveness of EU import controls.

Innovation in plant breeding

Plant breeding innovation contributes to the growth of sustainable agriculture production and securing Europe’s food supply.

Root2Res, BarleyMicroBreed and BOLERO aim to devise breeding strategies for climate-resilient crops optimising the root-microbiome interaction.
IPMorama, SHIELD4Grape and GrapeBreed4IPM aim to develop plant varieties resistant to pests and diseases, which support integrated pest management (IPM) and reduce dependence on chemical pesticides.
BELIS and Legume Generation promote legume breeding to foster EU-grown plant proteins for a sustainable, resilient and competitive European legume sector.

Organic breeding innovations:

Liveseeding focuses on delivering high quality organic seeds of diverse cultivars for organic farming.
InnObreed seeks to improve the performance of organic breeding in the fruit sector
OrganicYieldsUp boosts yields within organic systems.

Supporting plant genetic resources

Plant genetic resources are crucial for strengthening agricultural resilience. Their vast range of traits and their adaptability are key to broadening the genetic bases of cultivated crops and facilitate faster adaptation to climatic challenges. However, current trends in global erosion and loss of genetic diversity increase agricultural vulnerability and reduce options for the future.

PRO-WILD and FRUITDIV target the conservation and effective use of Crop Wild Relatives (CWRs), the wild cousins of cultivated crops, in breeding and farming, focusing respectively on arable crops and fruit trees.
COUSIN aims to showcase the direct application of CWRs in the development of market-ready and climate change resilient crops.
BreedingValue, GEN4OLIVE and Harnesstom actively used genetic resources to broaden the genetic base of crops and create new breeding opportunities.
INCREASE enhances access, management and use of legume genetic resources.

Improving local breeds and crops provides opportunities for diversification in agriculture along with new openings for regional, high-quality products and economic development.

Projects like Biovalue, Radiant, CropDiva and Divinfood focus on conserving biodiversity while creating value through the promotion of underutilised crops and landraces.
ROTATES and Prosper seeks to incorporate minor crops into farming systems, enhancing biodiversity and forging stronger links between agriculture, the environment, and consumer health, paving the way for local crop diversification.

Sustainable protein crop systems

The potential of protein crops

Validating and demonstrating the potential of protein crops in terms of social, economic, environmental, climate and health benefits, is key to enhance their uptake and integration across European production systems.

VALPROPATH is working in five different pedo-climatic areas of Europe, to create sustainable and competitive plant protein value-chains by enhancing the production, processing, manufacturing and marketing of grain legumes. VALPRO Path has developed a Story Map to highlight existing gaps and barriers across the grain legume value chain at European level, while also providing essential regional insights.

Protein crops and ecosystem services

Legumes are protein crops that provide multiple ecosystem services that are essential to the resilience of farming systems, including soil fertility improvement through biological nitrogen fixation, biodiversity enhancement, carbon sequestration, and pest and disease regulation.

LEGENDARY, LEGUMES, and VALERECO, are working on on quantifying and valorising the diverse ecosystem services provided by different legumes (including minor crops) and will provide tools for guiding farmers and advisors in legume adoption and best practices.

Together, these projects aim to promote more sustainable and resilient plant-protein cropping systems and supply chains in Europe.

Intercropping

The LEGUMINOSE and IntercropValuES projects are focusing on intercropping as a strategy to diversify farming systems. They aim to improve productivity, biodiversity, and environmental sustainability by integrating legumes with other crops, thereby reducing reliance on synthetic fertilisers and pesticides.