• This is 12.15 million euros with Next Generation funds, applied to the National Rural Development Program 2014-2022
• The approved projects will be implemented by March 2025 by supra-regional Operational Groups to promote innovations in agriculture, livestock, the forestry sector, and the agri-food industry.
• Spain is the second country in the European Union in terms of the number of innovative projects implemented by the European Innovation Partnership consortia for agricultural productivity and sustainability.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has approved the granting of 23 grants to innovative projects in agriculture, livestock, forestry and the food industry, which will be implemented in 2023, 2024 and until March 2025 by Operational Groups. supra-regional bodies of the European Partnership for Innovation in Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability (AEI-Agri) .

These initiatives will be funded with €12.15 million from the European Recovery Instrument (Next Generation) funds , included in the Agri-Food Programme and applied to the National Rural Development Programme 2014-2022 .

Topics of the approved projects

The approved innovative projects fall into three eligible lines to address the sector's main priorities:

A. Short distribution chains and local markets: 3 projects

B. Resource efficiency, particularly precision and smart agriculture, innovation, digitalization and modernization of machinery and production equipment: 14 projects

C. Renewable energy, the circular economy and the bioeconomy: 6 projects

The 23 approved projects will involve 217 entities, including 26 universities and research centers. Who are part of the Operational Groups?: SMEs, non-profit agri-food foundations, universities and technological institutes, professional agricultural organizations, and agri-food cooperatives.

In relation to the subject matter , there are 10 projects on plant production , 7 on animal production, 4 on forestry and associated industries, and 2 on the food industry.

Likewise, 21 projects address digitalization to reduce food loss and waste, improve forest management, facilitate predictive estimates of citrus harvests, and promote the genetic improvement of certain livestock herds.

Geographical areas

The projects will be implemented in more than one autonomous community. Andalusia is the most represented region, with 16 projects; followed by Madrid, with 14; Castile and León, with 13; Castile-La Mancha, with 12; and Aragon, with 11.

Detailed information on this grant procedure can be found at the following link .

Along these innovative lines, Spain's CAP Strategic Plan 2023-2027 will strengthen innovation initiatives, for which 75 million euros of total public spending has been earmarked.