Innovation Fund Denmark awarded a grant of 201 million DKK to Denmark’s broad, green research and innovation partnership, AgriFoodTure. The partnership is one of 4 appointed by the Danish Government, which shall contribute to Denmark’s green transition through research and new innovative solutions. It is AgriFoodTure’s vision to accelerate the green transformation in agriculture and food production – and now the partnership has found a leader to take on the new role as Mission Director.
“We in the board and hiring committee are fully convinced that Anette Engelund Friis will take AgriFoodTure to the next level. We believe that she is going to be the driving force that can unlock the potential of this partnership. Anette Engelund Friis has gained the required experience in the area of green transition from working many years in the food sector, both domestically and internationally. She has previously worked in the Danish Agriculture and Food Counsel, CGIAR research program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) as well as at The World Bank where she worked in the Climate Funds Management Unit.
Her experience with building and operating in partnerships will be crucial for AgriFoodTure’s success in the years to come,” says chairman of AgriFoodTure, CEO of Arla Foods, Peder Tuborgh and continues: Anette Engelund Friis will be replacing interim Mission Director Lisbeth Henricksen from the 1st of December 2022. Anette Engelund Friis’ most recent position was as Senior Operations Officer at The World Bank where she worked with climate funds, greenhouse gas reduction targets and climate credits.
Anette Engelund Friis’ job will, among other things, be to oversee projects and initiatives that has already been launched or is going to be launched, to recruit new and relevant partners both domestically and internationally who can join the partnership and lastly, she will be in charge of fundraising. “I will work to makes this mission-driven partnership the focal point for those who wants to transform the Danish food and agriculture sector. The partnership has great potential, which is grounded in the unique way that it has brought together partners from universities, knowledge and innovation institutions, SMEs and large, national and international companies, civil society actors and authorities. The partnership is built on a white paper written by almost 300 actors from all parts of the Danish agrifood cluster. This shows the broad consensus there is on both challenges as well as the solutions that are needed,” states Anette Engelund Friis.
“I look forward to the job, which will be both challenging and extremely exciting. I believe that together we can make a difference and contribute to Denmark’s national climate goals. It is the first mission-driven partnership where this many actors have joined forces across disciplines within the sector. This gives us an exceptional opportunity to succeed with our mission. I am convinced that with the broad consensus and the strength of the partnership we can drive the green transformation of the Danish food cluster to climate neutral production,” says Anette Engelund Friis.
In 2021, the Danish Government and Parliament allocated 700 million DKK for investments in mission-driven green research and innovation partnerships to achieve Denmark’s ambitious climate goals of 70% reduction in 2030 and climate neutrality in 2050. AgriFoodTure was founded on the 6th of April 2022.
The partnership is built on AgriFoodTure’s roadmap – a visionary white paper that sets the direction for the mission that the partnership is build upon. The white paper also sets the framework for the green transformation of the Danish food cluster.
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