The findings highlight a policy trade-off for the EU. Continuing to focus agricultural R&D on increasing yields can boost output, but does relatively little to reduce the sector’s environmental footprint. Redirecting more funding toward efficiency-focused research could instead help lower the use of chemical inputs without creating major food security costs.

The study also contributes to ongoing discussions on how future Horizon Europe funding should prioritise agricultural research in the agri-food and bioeconomy sectors.

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