INSTITUT FUR LEBENSMITTEL- UND UMWELTFORSCHUNG EV

Their core work

ILU (Institut für Lebensmittel- und Umweltforschung) is a German non-profit research centre focused on food systems and environmental impact, with a demonstrated specialisation in sustainable crop cultivation and agri-food value chains. In H2020, they contributed to multi-actor research consortia examining how specific crop categories — first legumes, then underutilised crops more broadly — can be reintegrated into European farming and food supply chains. Their practical work sits at the boundary between agricultural production, market development, and sustainability assessment, informing both farmers and the food industry. They bring a food-and-environment angle to projects that need grounded field knowledge rather than purely technical lab work.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their earlier H2020 work (LEGVALUE, 2017–2021), ILU focused on a specific crop family — legumes — and the agronomic and policy conditions needed to scale them: ecological intensification, organic farming, CAP alignment, and market transitions. By their second project (RADIANT, 2021–2025), the scope widened from legumes to the broader category of underutilised crops, and the emphasis shifted from production-side agronomy toward value chain dynamics and market-facing tools — decision support systems, co-creation with value chain actors, resilience, and sustainability framing. The trajectory is clear: from crop-specific farming research toward systemic value chain thinking with participatory tools at its centre.

ILU is moving toward participatory, market-connected research — positioning itself at the interface between farmers, food businesses, and consumers rather than purely in the field or lab.

How they like to work

ILU operates exclusively as a consortium participant rather than a project leader, contributing specialist knowledge within large, multi-partner structures. Both projects involved substantial consortia — 58 unique partners across 18 countries — indicating ILU is comfortable operating as one expert node in a broad European network rather than driving coordination. Their consistent presence in RIA projects suggests they are valued for their specific food-and-environment research angle rather than for management capacity.

ILU has built connections with 58 distinct consortium partners across 18 European countries through just two projects, suggesting they routinely join large, geographically diverse consortia. There is no visible repeat-partner pattern in the available data, pointing to a broad but shallow network.

What sets them apart

ILU occupies a niche that few small research centres fill: food-and-environment research with a specific focus on marginalised or underused crop categories and the market systems around them. Located in Bad Belzig (Brandenburg), they likely bring a Central-Eastern German agricultural perspective that can complement the Western European bias of many food research consortia. For a consortium that needs a grounded, non-university voice on crop diversification, sustainable food chains, or farmer-facing decision tools, ILU offers specialist depth without the overhead of a large institute.

Highlights from their portfolio

• LEGVALUE
  ILU's first and largest H2020 project, addressing the full legume chain from ecological production through CAP policy to market development — the broadest scope they have demonstrated.
• RADIANT
  Marks a clear methodological shift toward co-creation and decision support tools, and expands ILU's focus beyond legumes to the wider underutilised crops agenda gaining traction in EU food policy.