Agriculture Beyond Food

The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) and the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) have jointly set up an Agriculture beyond Food research programme focused on Indonesia. The initial budget is 2.5 Million Euro for five years. This programme is one of the activities within the framework of the NWO theme Sustainable Earth and the SPIN-programme of the KNAW.

Discussion on the future of bio-based products and the competition between food and fuel is now ongoing worldwide among scientists, politicians and policy makers and the media. The new developments in the field of biofuels are considered both a threat in terms of sustainability and food security, and an exciting new option for agricultural development. Scientific insight in possibilities and opportunities, threats and limitations are needed to judge the future of an agriculture beyond food. It is imperative that in this discussion agricultural, technical, social, economic, environmental and legal scientists cooperate.

In 2008 the programme announced a Call for multidisciplinary research proposals jointly formulated and executed by Indonesian and Dutch scientists, with a deadline of January 8 12.00 hrs. The research should be presented as clusters of well integrated research projects addressing issues of scientific, economic and societal relevance. Involvement of national and local government and other stakeholders is requested in order to address the most relevant issues and to translate results of the research into options for society relevant activities and sustainable development. Funding is available for non-profit research institutions and universities. The programme committee will make a final ranking, based on the advice of an independent evaluation committee. The final decision is made bij the steering committee of the NWO Theme Sustainable Earth. Agriculture beyond Food is one of the programmes of this theme.