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Special Issue 14th AIEAA Conference

From Words to Deeds: Harnessing Innovation for an EU Agrifood System Transition

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  • Jeroen Candel
Jeroen Candel
Wageningen University
DOI: https://doi.org/10.36253/bae-18083

Published 2026-06-03

Keywords

  • Innovation,
  • European Union,
  • Food System,
  • Green Deal,
  • Farm to Fork Strategy

How to Cite

Candel, J. (2026). From Words to Deeds: Harnessing Innovation for an EU Agrifood System Transition. Bio-Based and Applied Economics. https://doi.org/10.36253/bae-18083

Copyright (c) 2023 Jeroen Candel

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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Abstract

This paper presents a keynote speech delivered at the 2025 AIEAA conference in Pisa, titled “From Words to Deeds: Harnessing Innovation for an EU Agrifood System Transition”. It critically examines the current EU innovation landscape in food and agriculture, arguing that prevailing policy frameworks prioritise incremental efficiency over transformative change. Drawing on recent political developments, including the rollback of the Farm to Fork Strategy, the paper highlights how vested interests, agricultural exceptionalism, and reductionist notions of competitiveness constrain progress. It advocates for innovation strategies that are normatively grounded, inclusive, and politically attuned, and underscores the need to reframe innovation as a means to achieve ecological sustainability, social justice, and democratic renewal. The paper also reflects on the roles of researchers, calling for a shift towards honest brokerage and greater engagement with the political economy of food systems. Ultimately, it calls for a recalibration of innovation policy to support genuine, structural transformation.

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