FIAN INTERNATIONAL EV

Their core work

FIAN International is a global human rights organization that advocates for the right to adequate food and food sovereignty. In EU research projects, they contribute civil society expertise and action research capacity — bringing grassroots networks, policy advocacy experience, and direct connections with farming communities and food system actors into scientific consortia. Their value to research partnerships is bridging academic food systems analysis with real-world implementation, social movements, and human rights frameworks. They are not a technical research body but a mission-driven NGO that grounds territorial food system research in lived realities and rights-based approaches.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

With only two projects spanning 2020–2021, meaningful long-term evolution is limited, but a directional shift is visible. Their initial engagement (COACH, 2020) centered on collaborative value chains and the economic and innovation dynamics of territorial food systems. By their second project (ATTER, 2021), the language shifted toward agroecological transitions, territorial dynamics, and action research — suggesting a move from supply-chain framing toward deeper systemic and socio-ecological transformation work. This suggests FIAN is positioning itself as a partner for transformative food systems research rather than incremental agri-food chain improvement.

FIAN is moving toward transformative food systems research with explicit agroecological and participatory framing, making them a strong fit for future projects on food sovereignty, just transitions, and rural community engagement.

How they like to work

FIAN participates exclusively as a consortium partner — they have not led any H2020 project as coordinator, which is consistent with their role as a civil society contributor rather than a research management organization. Their presence in two multi-partner consortia (36 unique partners across 14 countries) suggests they are sought out for their network and advocacy reach, not for technical coordination capacity. Partners working with FIAN should expect a civil society actor that opens doors to grassroots networks and policy channels, rather than delivering scientific deliverables.

FIAN has engaged with 36 unique consortium partners across 14 countries in just two projects, indicating broad multi-stakeholder consortia with strong geographic diversity. Their collaboration footprint reflects the international character of their NGO network rather than region-specific research clusters.

What sets them apart

FIAN International brings something most research organizations cannot: a global civil society network with deep roots in food sovereignty movements, direct access to farming communities across multiple continents, and established credibility with food rights advocates and policymakers. For consortia working on food systems transformation, FIAN offers a legitimacy and dissemination channel that academic partners cannot replicate. Their human rights framing also adds a distinct normative dimension that strengthens proposals addressing equity, justice, and inclusion in agri-food systems.

Highlights from their portfolio

• COACH
  The largest of their two projects (EUR 449,150), COACH tackled innovation in territorial food systems through a collaborative agri-food chain lens — a flagship engagement for FIAN at the intersection of food systems research and civil society mobilization.
• ATTER
  An MSCA-RISE project focused on agroecological transitions, ATTER signals FIAN's integration into researcher mobility and knowledge exchange networks beyond purely advocacy-oriented consortia.