MicrobiomeSupport · Towards coordinated microbiome R&I activities in the food system to support (EU and) international bioeconomy goals

The proposed Coordination and Support Action (CSA) has the overall objective to establish an international network of experts and stakeholders in the field of microbiome food system research, elaborating microbiomes from various environments such as terrestrial, plant, aquatic, food and human/animal and assess their applicability and impact on the food system. MICROBIOMESUPPORT will follow the approach of food system and integrate actors and experts from all stages in this circular economy of food. The food system approach is part of the FOOD 2030 concept to promote a systems approach to research and innovation (R&I). MICROBIOMESUPPORT will be one of the key drivers to implement FOOD 2030 strategies, will facilitate multi-actor engagement to align, structure and boost R&I in microbiome and will support the European Commission by coordinating the activities, meetings, workshops and results from the International Bioeconomy Forum (IBF) working group ‘Food Systems Microbiome’. The main concept behind MICROBIOMESUPPORT IS to boost the bioeconomy and the FOOD 2030 strategy, by focusing on the new avenues generated by microbiome R&I efforts. MICROBIOMESUPPORT WILL have a main impact on the coordination of commonly defined R&I agendas which will be incorporated into regional, national, European but also global funding programmes related to microbiomes in food systems. MICROBIOMESUPPORT will create a collaborative international network and integrate know-how in plant, terrestrial, animal, human and aquatic microbiome R&I as well as expertise in bioeconomy applications. MICROBIOMESUPPORT has integrated international partners form Brazil, Canada, South Africa, China, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, India and USA in order to improve the international cooperation and coordination of common bioeconomy research programmes and set a basis for common microbiome R&I agendas.