-Until October 4, the Foundation for Agrarian Innovation will have open calls for innovation projects for public goods and private goods in sustainable food systems. Santiago de Chile, September 25, 2023 – Paula Miranda, manager of CfiAgrotech, described as “an unmissable opportunity for micro, small or medium-sized companies related to the forestry and livestock sector and/or the national agri-food chain” the calls from the Foundation for Agrarian Innovation (FIA), aimed at innovation projects in sustainable food systems, whether public goods or private goods, which promote the establishment of such systems at the production, processing, transport, sale and consumption of food and agricultural products of national origin. The executive explained that the initiatives are directly related to the objectives pursued by the First International Congress and Fair of Innovation and Technologies in Agrifood, CfiAgrotech, in the line of sustainable innovative solutions to meet the challenges of the national food industry. FIA is an agency of the Ministry of Agriculture, whose objective is to promote innovation processes through strategic guidelines for the forestry and livestock sector and/or the agri-food chain. This, through the promotion, articulation, capacity building and technological dissemination of initiatives that contribute to the sustainable development and competitiveness of the country and its regions. Annually, the Foundation promotes several calls for proposals within the framework of its three lines of action: sustainable management of water resources; adaptation and mitigation of climate change and sustainable food systems. The latter are defined as those that guarantee food security and nutrition for all people, without jeopardizing their economic, social and environmental bases for future generations, covering all elements (environment, people, inputs, processes, infrastructure, institutions, markets and trade, production, processing, distribution), the activities related to the agrifood chain and the effects generated by such activities. CALL FOR PROPOSALS In this area, FIA recently opened two new calls for proposals -where it will contribute up to 90% of the total cost of the proposal- for which the deadline for applications is October 4: -National Call for Public Goods Innovation Projects in Sustainable Food Systems 2023-2024: These are initiatives to support the development and implementation of innovations in products (goods or services) and processes of free availability and use that promote the establishment of sustainable food systems, either at the level of production, processing, transport, sale and consumption of food and agricultural products, to solve problems or address opportunities, common and transversal to the forestry and livestock sector and/or the national agri-food chain. -National Call for Innovation Projects of Private Interest in Sustainable Food Systems 2023-2024: In this case they are initiatives whose objective is to develop and implement innovations in products ready to be marketed, and/or innovations in processes to be effectively implemented, that promote the establishment of sustainable food systems, either at the level of production, processing, transportation, sale and consumption of food and agricultural products, in companies/organizations related to the forestry and livestock sector and/or the country’s agri-food chain. According to the terms and conditions, available at www.fia.cl, the projects of both calls must be oriented to address at least one of the three thematic lines defined by FIA: primary production, harvesting and post-harvest; transformation and processing; and distribution and commercialization. The latter also includes innovations that promote the design and implementation of solutions that reduce food loss and waste at some stage of the agrifood chain. They must also meet certain characteristics, such as solving problems and/or addressing opportunities directly related to the industry; develop a product (good or service) and/or process that adds value to customers and/or end users; be novel, i.e., a new or significantly improved product and/or process with respect to what is currently available, associated with a level of technological uncertainty in its development and, finally, be of a pilot nature. In the case of public good innovation projects in sustainable food systems, they must also incorporate a freely available and usable public good that addresses problems and opportunities related to knowledge gaps, coordination difficulties, regulations, among others, that are common and cross-cutting for the forestry industry and/or the agricultural chain.