In 2012, Aarhus University (AU) established DCA - Danish Center for Food and Agriculture.
The main purpose of DCA - Danish Centre for Food and Agriculture is to ensure the fulfillment of the contract with the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries of Denmark on the provision of research-based policy support. In addition, DCA serves as a unifying framework for cross-disciplinary activities in the field of agriculture and food.
DCA comprises the departments (and parts of departments) at Aarhus University that carry out research activities in food and agricultural science. The activities in DCA are supported by a centre unit, which is in charge of a number of specific tasks.
DCA organizes its collaboration on research and development with national users and collaboration partners through an advisory panel with the participation of the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries of Denmark, other authorities and the sector, as well as a well-developed system of contact committees.
The advisory panel has the task of advising on the centre's overall vision and strategy, including the relevance of research in relation to future advisory needs of society, national and international research topics, dissemination of knowledge to surrounding communities, and the framework for research-based policy support.
DCA's overall vision is to make a valuable contribution to society in the form of research-based knowledge and thereby contribute to sustainable intensification of food and other bio-based production for the domestic and export market
The production is based on the use of new knowledge and advanced technologies obtained through research and innovation in interaction with experience from practice, which ensures an environmentally friendly land use, efficient use of resources and a high level of animal welfare.
The agricultural and food sector is of great economic importance in Denmark. The value is created by the production and export of food products, but to a large extent also by the export of knowledge, technology and know-how. The sale of Danish products and Danish technology takes place primarily in competitive high-price markets and is therefore often dependent on the products having special quality parameters or special knowledge content.
In the future, research and innovation are expected to become even more important. This applies in relation to the sector's opportunities for agronomic, technological and economic development, and this applies in relation to regulation and framing. This also applies in relation to solving global crises in the food supply, migration due to deteriorating living conditions for rural populations and in relation to the protection of climate, environment and natural resources.
The goal of the research at DCA is therefore - via the research-based policy support - to contribute to problem-solving, to green growth and technological development in the industry as well as to international collaboration on "grand challenges".
DCA is highly recognized for and has many years of experience as a provider of research-based policy support of high professional quality.
The Ministry of Environment and Food of Denmark thus expresses great satisfaction with the advice provided. DCA has a large, competent, experienced and committed resource base in the form of researchers from the five core institutes as well as other research environments at TECH and AU. The research environments are in many areas leading and well-respected in both Denmark and Europe, and the center has achieved its position on the basis of several decades of building competencies, facilities and business understanding under the auspices of DJF.
The center is recognized for delivering relevant research and innovation of high quality and of central importance to the development and competitiveness of the industry. The researchers have extensive experience and willingness to collaborate with the sector, which helps to ensure relevance and better opportunities for funding and application of the research results.
The DCA centre unit supports that research-based knowledge from the DCA area is an essential element in solving national and international societal and business challenges in agriculture and food. The main tasks of the centre unit can be divided into four areas with the following sub-goals:
Policy support: The centre unit supports DCA's independent research-based policy support, which can be used by decision-makers, politicians and businesses to promote developments in agriculture and food.
Sector collaboration: The centre unit ensures that DCA is an essential and visible part of the national knowledge exchange in the field of agriculture and food and supports that DCA forms the framework for a well-functioning research and innovation cooperation with the agricultural and food sector.
International collaboration: The centre unit supports that DCA, in collaboration with national and international partners, contributes to solving global challenges in the food and agricultural area and also ensures support for internationalization in cooperation with relevant AU units, authorities and businesses.
Communication: The centre unit ensures that communication and knowledge exchange supports and expands the collaboration with authorities, companies, organizations as well as national and international partners.
