From field to fork, agriculture practices and food consumption face huge challenges. With climate and biodiversity issues looming, production and distribution models must reduce their negative impact on the environment. The pandemic has shown just how precarious our global food system really is. Some countries are experiencing food poverty whereas in others, the danger lies in waste and junk food!

The pandemic also revealed the very close links between natural ecosystems and the way we live, especially regarding agriculture. It is now critical to design new models for sustainable production and food, by preferring systems that are mindful of both nature and humans.

This transition can now happen. Since 2013, Fondation de France and Daniel et Nina Carasso donor-advised fund have joined forces to develop action-research projects. The objective is to encourage another kind of agriculture. This entails fresh thinking on the link between land and humans and the way in which agriculture impacts ecosystems, natural resources and climate, not forgetting food and the part played by producers and consumers.

The program has supported nearly 100 action-research projects, testing and developing new agroecological and food models, based on two criteria:

• involvement: the ability to leverage input from local producers, and consumers as citizens and researchers, to build and implement solutions;
• sustainability: projects that incorporate an assessment of innovation, an explanation of the methods offered and the dissemination of results.

At the same time, during the pandemic-induced lockdown, producers, consumers, nonprofits and local authorities developed initiatives to promote shorter transport routes, encouraging consumers to act responsibly, with a more balanced relationship with producers. Fondation de France supports this work and keeps track of projects and experiences shared, so that they can be reproduced, as it firmly believes that citizens are central to ecological transition.

Trees are the future of agriculture!

Fondation de France also supports the development of research and experimentation in agroforestry. This practice consists in combining trees, hedges, crops and livestock all in one plot. Preserving groundwater tables, fertilizing soil, checking diseases and pests, developing microclimates and protecting species are some of the many advantages of agroforestry.

Having supported scientific research via the funding of doctorates and postdocs, in 2018, Fondation de France started supporting more operational action-research and participative research projects focused on experimentation. These projects are based on close collaboration between research labs and grassroots actors such as farmers, citizens and local community leaders.