New FoodTech projects will be selected by public notice from September onwards.
August 31, 2022
The Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Supply (MAPA) have published a public selection call for proposals focusing on contemporary food systems, new ingredients, alternative proteins, and new food technologies. Launched on August 22, the project is articulated with the National Fund for Scientific and Technological Development (FNDCT), the Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation (MCTI), and the Financier of Studies and Projects (FINEP).
The objective of the public notice is to grant non-reimbursable financial resources for research, technological development, and innovation, as long as the selected projects do not involve technological risk, totaling a global value of R$10 million. The resources come from the Agribusiness Sector Fund of the National Fund for Scientific and Technological Development (FNDCT).
The projects supported will be those that contemplate innovative solutions linked to the Thematic Lines related to Research Networks, Technology-based Entrepreneurship, and Technological Challenges.
According to Sibelle de Andrade, director of the Department of Support for Agricultural Innovation, “this delivery demonstrates how the Mapa innovation guidelines are present in the public calls for proposals. They enhance the entrepreneurial vocation of agribusiness”.
What are FoodTechs?
Through the Secretariat for Innovation, Rural Development and Irrigation (SDI), Mapa is committed to structuring and consolidating an ecosystem of agricultural innovation to digitally transform the Brazilian countryside. To this end, the actions are being organized in five strategic lines: Sustainability for Competitiveness; Bioeconomics; Open Innovation & Innovation Ecosystems; Digital Farming and rural connectivity; and Foodtech and value addition.
Foodtechs are startups in the food sector using new industry technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), Big Data, and Artificial Intelligence. They are also using new materials, leveraging biotechnology and nanotechnology, to change the way food is produced, distributed, and consumed.
As of September 21, FINEP/MCTI will make available the electronic form for submitting proposals, which must be submitted by October 14.
These are some of the lines of action of the Ministry of Agriculture:
- Foster value addition as a strategy to strengthen agricultural production chains;
- Promote and encourage technological entrepreneurship in the country in the area of food processing, focused on adding value and taking advantage of biodiversity to generate new foods;
- Promote actions that prepare the country for food security and food safety, with special attention to the reduction of losses and waste and the use of residues and by-products.
- To identify the main regulatory bottlenecks for the development of FoodTechs;
- Build a National Strategy for Food Systems and New Ingredients.
In a short time, foodtechs gained a lot of relevance for the food industry, especially during the pandemic, a period that made the sector widely known for its delivery and logistics startups. Even so, the sector goes much further and promises to develop even more during the coming years.
It is through these innovation initiatives and public notices, organized by the Ministry, Embrapa and other institutions focused on agricultural innovation, that the ecosystem moves forward, promoting open innovation and synergy among all. The Notice is available on the Agro Hub Brasil Portal.