Research priorities for food, agriculture and environment research under Horizon Europe in 2026-27 are set out in an initial draft of the Cluster 6 work programme, due to be discussed at a programme committee meeting on March 12. 

The leaked plans, seen by Science|Business, contribute to commitments that at least 25% of Horizon Europe resources between 2025 and 2027 will go to climate action and 10% to biodiversity research.

On biodiversity, the Commission is asking researchers to work on the decline of insect species, improving the effectiveness of protected areas, scaling up nature-based solutions and strengthening organic plant breeding, among other topics.

As in the draft work programme for 2025, calls for proposals will also target food systems that reinforce the long-term competitiveness and sustainability of Europe’s farming, fisheries and food sectors, from enhancing knowledge on key migratory fish species and tackling pesticide resistance, to studying healthy diets for cardiovascular disease prevention.

Meanwhile, anticipating the EU Circular Economy Act due in 2026, projects will also be funded on electronics, construction products, staging music and sports events, textiles waste and other materials. 

Across the cluster, projects are expected to comply with the “do no significant harm” principle and, where relevant, use advanced digital technologies such as artificial intelligence.

Elsewhere in the plan, funding calls relate to preserving a clean environment and reducing pollution, safeguarding land and water health, developing resilient and green rural, coastal and urban communities, and backing the European Green Deal through innovative governance and digital solutions, particularly in the agricultural sector.

Finally, the Commission highlights the importance of integrating the social sciences and humanities in research projects, since these play “a critical role in finding pathways and solutions for the green transition.”

We think it is important to maintain a public record of how Horizon Europe evolves in successive rounds of drafting between the Commission and member states. This is a political process that, so far, the Commission refuses to make transparent. To this end, Science|Business is making a full history of the drafting process publicly available in our Horizon Papers database. You can share other draft work programmes anonymously at [email protected].