President of the European Commission Von der Leyen announced additional 140 million euro for research on sustainable food and hunger, and extra 25 million euro for education in times of crisis. The research fund aims to support CGIAR while the education one will be added to the Education Cannot Wait Programme.

Food systems are both a driver and a victim of the global climate crises, depletion of natural resources, and biodiversity loss. Yet — if managed and governed differently — they can be part of the solutions and a champion of change, leading other sectors with solutions and inspiration. A radical realignment of food systems around the world could accomplish an end to hunger and malnutrition in all its forms, while promoting gender equality, job creation, prosperous livelihoods, opportunities for youth, climate solutions, and environmental health. This is what CGIAR proposes to achieve through its 2030 Research and Innovation Strategy. The EU support will strengthen its capacities and interventions to renew its research and innovation portfolio to address production methods, practices and related policies; and to scale up nature-based solutions and ecosystem-based approaches.

Furthermore, the EU will contribute an additional €25 million to Education Cannot Wait (ECW), a global fund for the education of children in emergencies and protracted crises, to support the right of even the most vulnerable children to a safe, quality education and leave no one behind. The new funding brings the total EU contribution to ECW to €52.5 million, accelerating its impact, scope and reach across the globe. During te  the pandemic, 1.6 billion children were out of school globally, and millions may never return to learning. Since its establishment in 2016, the fund has helped over 4.6 million vulnerable girls and boys living in fragile situations and crisis contexts to access inclusive, quality education in a safe and protective environment.

https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_21_4895