Sustainable livestock and dairy systemsprimary
5 projects
Core contributor across SmartCow (cattle research infrastructure), PPILOW (poultry/pig welfare), R4D (dairy resilience), ClieNFarms (climate-neutral farms), and CORE Organic Cofund.
Organization
CENTRE WALLON DE RECHERCHES AGRONOMIQUES
Belgian agricultural research centre specializing in sustainable livestock, crop diversification, soil health, and food authenticity across large EU consortia.
Research institutefoodBE
H2020 projects
11
As coordinator
0
Total EC funding
€2.9M
Unique partners
244
What they do
Their core work
CRA-W is the Walloon agricultural research centre in Belgium, focused on applied research in crop diversification, livestock production systems, soil management, and food quality. They bring strong experimental and analytical capabilities to multi-partner EU projects, particularly in sustainable farming practices, animal welfare assessment, and food authenticity testing. Their work bridges lab-based agricultural science with on-farm validation, contributing field trial data, nutritional analysis, and participatory research methods to large European consortia.
Core expertise
What they specialise in
Crop diversification and soil healthprimary
3 projects
Major role in DiverIMPACTS (crop diversification, their largest project at EUR 980K), EJP SOIL (climate-smart soil management), and ClieNFarms.
Food authenticity and safetysecondary
2 projects
Participated in AUTHENT-NET (food fraud detection networks) and CORE Organic Cofund (organic food systems integrity).
Alternative proteins and insect-based feedemerging
1 project
Partner in FARMYNG, an industrial-scale mealworm production demonstration project for fish-feed and pet-food applications.
1 project
Contributes to INVITE, developing new tools for plant variety testing including genetic markers and phenotyping under the EU DUS/VCU framework.
Earth observation for agriculturesecondary
1 project
Participated in EO4AGRI, a coordination action linking earth observation data to agricultural monitoring needs.
Evolution & trajectory
How they've shifted over time
Early focus
Food authenticity and organic standards
Recent focus
Climate-smart farming and alternative proteins
In the early H2020 period (2016–2018), CRA-W focused on food system governance — food authenticity networks, fraud detection standards, organic food certification, and coordination of national funding bodies. From 2019 onward, their work shifted decisively toward on-farm sustainability: alternative proteins, plant variety resilience, climate-neutral livestock, and multi-actor participatory approaches with farmers. This evolution mirrors the broader EU Green Deal pivot, but CRA-W's specific move into insect protein and robotic farming infrastructure suggests deliberate positioning in agri-food innovation.
CRA-W is moving toward climate-neutral agriculture and novel protein sources, making them a strong fit for future Horizon Europe missions on soil health and food system transformation.
Collaboration profile
How they like to work
Role: specialist_contributorReach: European32 countries collaborated
CRA-W operates exclusively as a consortium partner — they have never coordinated an H2020 project, which positions them as a reliable technical contributor rather than a project leader. With 244 unique partners across 32 countries, they plug into very large consortia (their projects are predominantly multi-actor RIA and CSA actions). This broad but non-leading profile means they bring deep subject expertise without the overhead of project management expectations.
CRA-W has built an extensive European network of 244 unique partners spanning 32 countries, reflecting their consistent participation in large multi-partner consortia. Their geographic reach is pan-European with no obvious concentration beyond their Belgian home base.
Why partner with them
What sets them apart
CRA-W combines livestock science, crop research, and food quality testing under one institutional roof — a rare breadth for a regional research centre. Their consistent involvement in multi-actor projects means they have strong connections to farming communities and practical field trial infrastructure in Wallonia. For consortium builders, they offer a Belgian partner with genuine agronomic lab-and-field capability, not just desk research.
Notable projects
Highlights from their portfolio
- DiverIMPACTSTheir largest project by far (EUR 980K), focused on crop diversification — signals this as a core institutional strength.
- FARMYNGIndustrial-scale insect protein production represents a strategic pivot into alternative feed and novel food ingredients.
- EJP SOILA European Joint Programme on climate-smart soil management (EUR 429K), placing CRA-W in a flagship EU soil research network.
Cross-sector capabilities
Environment — soil health and climate change mitigation in agricultureResearch Infrastructure — cattle and livestock experimental facilitiesSpace/Earth Observation — agricultural monitoring applicationsManufacturing — insect protein extrusion and automated production systems
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