Agrifood Biotechnology
Accelerating agrifood biotech for a more sustainable, resilient and competitive Europe
Why agrifood biotechnology matters for Europe
Europe stands at a pivotal moment. Our food system is strained by climate change, diet-related health challenges, and geopolitical instability. At the same time, demand for proteins and functional ingredients continues to rise. Agrifood biotechnology brings a historic opportunity to make the European food system:
- more secure and sustainable – enabling reliable production while protecting
natural resources. - healthier and more affordable – ensuring nutritious food and feed
ingredients are accessible to all. - lower-impact – reducing environmental footprints across the value chain.
- more autonomous, competitive and resilient – strengthening Europe’s ability to withstand global shocks.
Advanced agrifood biotechnologies – such as precision fermentation, microbial bioconversion and cellular agriculture – can sustainably produce quality food with far fewer resources than conventional agriculture. Worldwide, the opportunity is a $1 trillion market for agritech and other emerging biotech applications by 2040, while dramatically reducing emissions, land and water use.
Europe is poised to seize this opportunity. Progress can be driven through the European Commission’s Life Sciences Strategy, Bioeconomy Strategy, and an ambitious Agrifood Biotech Act and Protein Strategy.
Leading Europe’s agrifood biotech transformation
EIT Food’s ambition is to unlock biotechnology’s full potential for Europe’s food security, competitiveness and sustainability. We are uniquely positioned to do this thanks to our strong track record of connecting education, research and innovation across the food system.
Through the European Agrifood Biotech Alliance, we are the connective tissue of Europe’s biotech landscape – uniting universities, RTOs, farmers, startups, corporations, investors, regulators and citizens behind a shared agenda for transformation.
Collectively we will drive innovation and growth, while advocating & influencing among key EU industry organisations. The Alliance will lead the creation of a Strategic Research & Innovation Agenda – the foundation for a strong public-private partnership.
EIT Food will build a mission-driven agrifood biotech ecosystem. Together we can:
- build a diverse talent pool
- bring innovations to market and help companies to scale
- understand how biotechnologies are perceived by European citizens
- support ambitious policymaking.
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"The future of agrifood is biotech – and so is the future of Europe. The rules for EU leadership are about to be written now. It’s up to us to seize the moment, together.”
Talent, skills and the EIT Food Biotech Academy
A successful transition to a system where traditional agriculture goes hand in hand with agrifood biotechnology depends on a highly skilled workforce. The EIT Food Biotech Academy will train more than 100,000 professionals by 2035, equipping them with expertise in bioprocessing, fermentation, regulatory science, food systems thinking and entrepreneurship. This builds a robust, pan-European talent pipeline.
A related skills academy will focus on Resilient Agriculture, with strong connections between these areas, which are both critical. Trainings will be delivered with universities and other education providers, with the academy offering shaped by a cross-sector Advisory Council.
Entrepreneurship and support for startups
EIT Food empowers entrepreneurs building the next generation of agrifood biotech solutions. Through venture support, acceleration programmes and access to shared infrastructure, we help startups bridge the gap between R&D and scale-up – especially important for fermentation, cell cultivation and molecular farming ventures.
Working with EIT Food gives innovators access to a connected ecosystem designed to help high-potential solutions scale and create real-world impact. Startups within the EIT Food ecosystem can accelerate their commercial journey while accessing opportunities to drive systemic change across the food system.
Consumer insights and public trust
New biotech products can only succeed if they gain public acceptance. Through the EIT Food Consumer Observatory (CO) and our citizen-engagement approaches, we integrate consumer expectations, concerns and cultural values into innovation pathways.
Supporting policymakers with evidence, foresight, and citizen insights
We will equip policymakers with robust, actionable evidence to guide strategic decisions in biotechnology. EIT Food’s Think & Do Tanks play a key role by identifying gaps, co-creating scalable solutions, and enabling innovation to thrive.
Together with our infrastructure, citizen insights, and regulatory expertise, these efforts ensure the EU does more than respond to global biotech trends – it actively shapes them. We align citizens, industry, and policymakers toward a shared vision for a resilient, sustainable, and innovative food system.
