About the FARM Foundation

Created in 2005 in France, the FARM Foundation (Fondation pour l’agriculture et la ruralité dans le monde), recognized to be of public utility, works towards serving the general interest.

Its mission is to inform decision-makers on the best ways to ensure the sustainable development of agriculture and food systems, particularly in developing countries.

FARM is a think tank whose ambition is to contribute to the identification of solutions and the acceleration of their implementation in order to strengthen the resilience of rural territories and farming systems.

FARM facilitates interactions and projects between field actors & researchers, producers & consumers, public & private decision-makers in the South and the North.

FARM informs stakeholders and decision-makers on the paths to take for a balanced agricultural development between economic, social and environmental issues.

Find out more at  https://fondation-farm.org/

Theme and justification of the Prize

In Southern countries, agricultural development and food and nutritional security stand as pivotal issues shaping the lives of millions of people, particularly producers and consumers. In the face of demographic, economic, climatic, and geopolitical challenges, fostering sustainable food systems is imperative. A paradigm shift towards sustainable agricultural models that accelerates agroecological transformation, upholds biodiversity and soil preservation, while strengthening social equity and fair compensation for producers within the context of bolstering food sovereignty, is essential.

While viable solutions currently exist and are being tested globally to sustainably enhance productivity—particularly in areas where it remains insufficient—and improve the livelihoods of producers, investing in research and public action is essential to scale up, disseminate methods, and foster a secure economic and technical environment for producers.

Given its unique positioning at the crossroads between research, business strategies, and public policies, the FARM Foundation considers that bridging these worlds closer is paramount. By launching the FARM Foundation Prize, it advocates for action-oriented research and coalition-building among stakeholders and aims to reward researchers who are committed to this path, focusing on the Foundation’s priority action themes:

• Sovereignty and food and nutrition security
• Construction and adaptation of sustainable agricultural value chains, from producers to consumers
• Resilience of rural territories and transition trajectories
• Financing agriculture and food system transformations worldwide

Objectives of the FARM Foundation Prize

• Honoring a researcher whose academic excellence has been duly recognized through the completion of a thesis and through publications or research activities, and who aligns with the objectives of the Prize
• Promoting and rewarding action-oriented research and the practical application of research outcomes in the realm of agricultural development and food security in Southern countries.
• Enhancing collaborations between public research, the private sector, and public action.
• Acknowledging the academic excellence of scientific endeavors conducted in collaboration with actors and operators within agricultural and food chains.
• Stimulating research on the Foundation FARM’s priority areas of action.

The Prize was co-elaborated by members of the Scientific Advisory Board and FARM management. It is managed with the support of the Foundation’s Board of Directors.

Selection criteria and application procedure

The FARM Foundation Prize will be awarded to one or more researchers whose work demonstrates practical application in the field with stakeholders such as companies, agricultural producer organizations, NGOs, or who have contributed to supporting public policies in Southern countries. Candidates must explicitly illustrate their contributions to the implementation of field actions and/or decision-making among private or public stakeholders.

The Prize is open to French and foreign researchers of any discipline, hailing from both Southern and Northern countries, who are affiliated with French or foreign research institutions. The jury will prioritize promoting research in Southern countries and supporting young researchers. Additionally, the jury will consider the recentness of the research or actions undertaken by the candidates.

Moreover, candidates must confirm that they have no familial ties with employees of the FARM Foundation and/or members of its governance bodies.

Applications in French or English are accepted.

Candidates must submit their applications via the provided link before June 30th, 23:59 (Paris time). The application file must include (in PDF format) the following documents:

• A detailed CV (including name, address, email, phone number, nationality, date of birth)
• Relevant publications of the candidate’s scientific output (minimum of 2, maximum of 5)
• A concise summary document (maximum of 2 pages) outlining their motivation for seeking the Prize and the significance and originality of their contributions.
• Letter of recommendation from at least one technical partner (companies, NGOs, administration, etc.) with whom the candidate has collaborated for the consideration and/or implementation of their research in the field

Only complete applications submitted before the deadline will be considered.

Composition of the jury

To ensure a rigorous and impartial assessment of the applications, the jury will consist of members of the FARM Foundation Scientific Council, a member of the Board of Directors, and external experts.

The President of the jury will be the President of the FARM Foundation Scientific Council.

The jury’s deliberations are final and confidential, and are not subject to challenge or recourse by candidates.

Awards and benefits

• Total Prize amount : €5,000. This sum may be divided among one or two laureates, depending on the applications.
• Publication(s) on the FARM Foundation website and promotion of the work on a dedicated page
• Presentation of the laureates at the FARM Foundation International Conferences (format to be determined).
• Media exposure for the laureate and their work.

The laureate grants permission for the utilization of their work for communication and promotion of the Prize.

Timeline

• Launch of the Prize and call for applications: April 22, 2024
• Deadline for online application: June 30, 2024 – 23:59 (Paris time)
• Assessment of the applications and final selection by the jury : before the end of September 2024
• Award ceremony during the annual international conference in 2025.

Secretariat of the prize will be undertaken by the FARM Foundation. Any enquiries should be addressed at prixfarm@fondation-farm.org.

The FARM Foundation will cover the travel expenses for the laureate(s) to participate in the Scientific Day.

Participation in the FARM Prize and acceptance of the award imply unconditional acceptance and adherence to these rules.