Generating Knowledge for More Sustainable Food Systems

Food systems are responsible for one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions. If we want to address the climate crisis, innovation policy needs to increase its focus on this area. Innovation and new approaches are needed more than ever in this area. With the subject-specific funding initiative Sustainable Food Systems, the FWF offers researchers the opportunity to work with citizens on basic research projects. Their findings will help accelerate the transformation to economically, ecologically, and socially fair food systems. The Fonds Zukunft Österreich has provided €1.5 million in funding for this initiative. In the first step, researchers can apply to the Top Citizen Science program or the Science Communication program. Further calls for other FWF programs are also planned.

Part of a joint initiative with aws 

The aim of the joint initiative with aws, financed by the Fonds Zukunft Österreich, is to trigger innovation in the food system as a whole, from basic research to individual projects. In addition to research funding, aws plans to encourage innovation in food systems using awareness-raising activities, networking, and knowledge transfer (To be notified of future programs in the aws Food Systems Initiative, please sign up here). The FWF is also launching the first call focusing on Sustainable Food Systems in the Top Citizen Science funding program on February 22. Starting March 31, researchers will also be able to submit innovative projects to the FWF's Science Communication program to help make their findings accessible to the general public.