HORIZON-CL6-2026-03-GOVERNANCE-02 - Looking for consortium – Expertise in social sustainability assessment and agricultural governance

BETA Technological Center (https://betatechcenter.com/) is seeking to join a consortium preparing a proposal for HORIZON-CL6-2026-03-GOVERNANCE-02: Improving analytical capacity and understanding of social drivers in agriculture to better assess social sustainability in the sector. BETA has a wealth of experience in analysing the social aspects of sustainability transitions in agriculture, combining indicator-based assessments with governance and policy analyses. The Sustainability Accounting & Optimisation Unit develops and applies analytical frameworks, metrics, and indicators to evaluate the social sustainability of agricultural systems. These evaluations cover labour conditions, social equity, farmers’ livelihoods, the resilience of rural communities and the social acceptance of environmental and technological transitions. The unit uses a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods to understand the behavioural drivers, perceptions and trade-offs that influence decision-making at farm and value chain levels. BETA’s work explicitly links social outcomes to governance structures, policy instruments, and market dynamics. This enables the identification of factors that enable or constrain the uptake of sustainable practices, as well as the assessment of the distributional impacts and potential unintended consequences of policy measures. The centre is particularly well positioned to contribute to the development of harmonised indicators and methodologies that support evidence-based policymaking at the EU, national, and regional levels. Within a consortium, BETA can contribute to: (i) designing social sustainability assessment frameworks; (ii) analysing social and behavioural drivers shaping agricultural practices; (iii) evaluating policy coherence and effectiveness; and (iv) translating analytical results into policy-relevant recommendations. This expertise will support the development of fairer, more inclusive, and socially robust agricultural policies that are aligned with sustainability objectives. Projects related to this area of expertise include: DESTIMED+ and EVECSA. For more detailed information, take a look at the following webpage: Sustainability Accounting & Optimisation Unit