COOPERATIVAS AGRO-ALIMENTARIAS DE ANDALUCIA

Their core work

FAECA is the federation of agri-food cooperatives in Andalusia, Spain — a regional body representing agricultural cooperatives across southern Spain's largest farming region. In H2020 projects, they contribute real-world cooperative sector knowledge, helping researchers understand how agricultural policies, energy management, and biomass valorization play out on the ground for farming cooperatives. Their value lies in providing direct access to a network of agricultural cooperatives and their practical needs, serving as a bridge between EU research initiatives and the cooperative farming sector.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Early H2020 involvement (2016-2018) centered on biomass valorization and innovation networks, connecting agricultural cooperatives with research on waste sidestreams and business diversification (AGRIFORVALOR, SCOoPE). More recently (2019-2024), FAECA shifted toward data-driven agricultural policy tools, contributing to agent-based modelling and socio-economic impact assessment through AGRICORE. The trend shows a move from hands-on innovation brokering toward participation in more analytical, policy-oriented research.

FAECA is moving from practical innovation brokering toward contributing cooperative-sector data and expertise to policy simulation and decision-support tools.

How they like to work

FAECA has never coordinated an H2020 project — they join as a participant or third party, providing end-user perspective and cooperative sector access rather than leading research. With 44 unique partners across 14 countries from just 3 projects, they operate in large, diverse consortia typical of CSA and RIA actions. This makes them a reliable sector representative to embed in consortia that need real-world agricultural cooperative validation.

Despite only 3 projects, FAECA has connected with 44 partners across 14 countries, reflecting the large consortium sizes of their CSA and RIA projects. Their network spans broadly across Europe rather than clustering around specific country partnerships.

What sets them apart

FAECA's distinct value is that they are not a research lab or consultancy — they are the voice of Andalusian agricultural cooperatives, one of Spain's most productive farming regions. For any EU project needing real cooperative sector validation, farmer engagement, or a demonstration site in southern Mediterranean agriculture, FAECA offers direct access to a large membership base. This practitioner legitimacy is hard to replicate with a university or SME partner.

Highlights from their portfolio

• AGRICORE
  Largest funding (EUR 180,599) and most ambitious scope — building agent-based policy simulation tools, running until 2024, showing FAECA's growing role in data-driven agricultural research.
• AGRIFORVALOR
  Focused on closing the research-innovation divide for biomass sidestreams, directly aligned with FAECA's mission of bringing practical value to farming cooperatives.