Agro Fossil Free - Novo Nordisk Foundation - Challenge Programme 2023

General Description

The challenge is to enable a transformation of agri-food systems that will secure sustainable, and healthy foods for all. The programme is aimed at fundamental and strategic research spanning primary production to consumption, as well as financial structures required for this transition.

The research must be interdisciplinary in nature – within technology readiness levels (TRL) 1 through 4 – and touch upon more than a single link in the agri-food value chain, such that feedback loops within the food system are possible. Research strictly focusing on single parts of the value chain, e.g., breeding, ingredients, or food processing technologies, will be considered too narrow. Production of biomass for feed, energy, or materials may be part of the research if it constitutes an integrated part of a circular food system. Behaviour and preferences related to food consumption, livestock commodities, and regulatory frameworks are not in focus.

Any research methodology or discipline can be included, but a clear element of life science rooted in agriculture and/or food production is required. NNF is particularly keen to support data science research interfacing with agricultural and food science areas and strongly recommends a clear data science component in the research. NNF also encourages a high-risk approach for the proposed research. The programme does not include development of specific end-products.

Supported research may include, but is not limited to:

Development of circular food production systems with optimised resource use and biomass conversion efficiencies, e.g., linking biomanufacturing, economics, and landscape planning
Development of production systems for healthy and safe food that employ sustainability traits in the field, e.g., linking nutrition, microbiology, genetics, and agronomy
Design of new, resilient, and high-yielding cropping systems, e.g., linking functional ecology, agricultural systems, and robotics
Development of financial structures that promote sustainable agriculture and food production, e.g., linking biodiversity, processing technologies, and economics
Development of digital twins of agroecosystems, food industry 4.0, or other multi-scale systems analysis tools for sustainability, e.g., linking machine learning, field sensing, imaging techniques, and ecosystem productivity
Eco-friendly blockchain-driven commodity trading for traceability of environmental indicators or food quality parameters, e.g., linking data science, trading, and remote sensing