DIVERSify is a consortium of scientists, farmers, advisors, breeders and SMEs to co-construct a new approach and tools to investigate the mechanisms underpinning the benefits associated with cropping plant teams, and the crop traits and agronomic practices promoting these benefits. Focussing on arable and grassland systems, the six objectives are to: 1) identify current best practice for plant teams through participatory engagement with agricultural practitioners and scientific literature; 2) determine the mechanisms promoting positive plant-plant and plant-environment interactions using ecological principles to define experimentally the underpinning processes; 3) devise improved plant teams and identify potential breeding targets with a trait-based approach and novel tool to select crop types and deployment strategies that promote performance; 4) collaborate with stakeholders in European pedo-climatic regions and beyond to validate and demonstrate plant teams and devise practical crop management prescriptions; 5) construct a plant teams decision aid for practitioners by collating trait and agronomy data in a framework that can be interrogated for information on crop selection and management in different regions; and 6) work with stakeholders and RUR-6 for participatory knowledge exchange between different actors, EU policy and wider society through an appropriate and targeted array of communication media and activities. The co-innovation approach will allow tacit and scientific knowledge to be applied to real-world challenges in plant team cropping for developing practical solutions, in the form of teams with improved productivity, pest and disease control and environmental benefits. Knowledge exchange on crop traits, management and the decision aid will have impact on farmers, advisors, breeders, science and policy, improving awareness and overcoming barriers to uptake of plant teams for yield stability, diversification, sustainability and resilience.

TRUE - (TRansition paths to sUstainable legume based systems in Europe) is a 22 partner consortium covering business and society actors from legume commodity production, processing, and citizens. TRUE is underpinned by science excellence in the natural and social sciences, and humanities. The main aim of TRUE is to identify and enable transition paths to realise successful legume-supported production systems and agri-feed and -food chains. This is achieved via: a true multi-actor approach that balances environmental, economic- and social-securities by minimising environmental impact; optimising diversity and resilience in commercial and environmental terms throughout the supply chain; and delivery of excellent nutrition to ensure the highest possible states of health and wellbeing for people and animals. TRUE will achieve this using a series of 15 farm networks and 7 supply chain focused innovation Case Studies to characterise key mechanisms and associated ecosystem services indicators. This will empower the production of popular and novel legume-based products on the basis of improved market perspectives and capabilities, including short supply chains. Advanced mathematical approaches using Life Cycle Analysis, and socioeconomic and multi-attribute modelling will create unique Decision Support Tools to identify optimal transition paths to ensure legume supported systems are profitable from ‘the push’, of production, to ‘the pull’ of upstream supply chains, markets and consumers. Critically, the TRUE approach will also advise and empower policy amendments that promote uptake of new farming, processing, manufacturing and retailing practices, in line with the societal considerations of the Responsible Research and Innovation model: policy decision making with state-of-the-art science-based information. The TRUE approach is also augmented by an Intercontinental Advisory Board of 10 international experts in legume supply chain and policy from around the world.