As reported by “Fakt”, the government is subsidizing research… into edible worms. This information aroused the indignation of Solidarna Polska. “We call for an immediate halt to funding for this initiative and for an audit,” the party’s statement read. The Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy and Minister Grzegorz Puda have already responded to the reports.
The National Center for Research and Development, a government agency reporting to the Minister of Development Funds and Regional Policy, Grzegorz Puda (41), provided funding amounting to PLN 6.5 million to the project, which includes the cultivation of edible insects in the stairwells
– we read in “Fakt”.
Solidarna Polska: “We call for an immediate halt to funding”
These reports enraged the politicians of Solidarna Polska. Zbigniew Ziobro’s party even issued a statement on the matter.
Funding for the above of the initiative is the implementation of an ideological policy extremely unfavorable to Polish farmers aimed at promoting food from insects as an alternative to one of the world’s best quality products from Polish farms
it was written.
The United Right cannot accept and support concepts that are contrary to Polish interests. It is highly unacceptable to support the ideological madness that is affecting the Polish countryside
said the SP politicians.
We are calling for an immediate halt to funding for this initiative and an audit to verify that the case in question is not an isolated one. Moreover, allocating millions of zlotys to such projects should be judged as a waste of NCBiR resources
– we read in the statement.
The ministry replies: The SmartFood project is not a government programme
The Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy referred to the media reports in a statement sent to PAP on Monday. The ministry stressed that the SmartFood project is not a government program. As reported, 85% of the project is financed from Norwegian funds, and only 15 percent. (PLN 973,000) is mandatory national co-financing resulting from the rules for co-financing Norwegian projects.
Domestic financing is mandatory to obtain foreign financing
– indicated. It was noted that the decision to co-finance the “SmartFood” project was taken on July 21, 2021 by the National Center for Research and Development and that the contract for its implementation was signed on December 1, 2021, and during this period the National Center for Research and Development was not covered by the MFiPR.
The Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy has no influence on the evaluation of projects carried out by Polish research centers and by Polish research centers in consortium with international research centers. The purpose and nature of university research is their autonomous decision. Independent experts evaluate and select projects
the ministry reported.
It also turned out that the SmartFood project mainly concerns the cultivation of fruit and vegetables, with insect breeding as an optional objective.
The presentation of the project as mainly supporting insect farming is inconsistent with the assumptions of the application for co-funding
– wrote MFiPR.
The Ministry notes that independent experts assess the substantive value of applications for co-financing for each project. The grant will be awarded on this basis. A team of independent international experts from Austria, Germany, Denmark and Greece was assessed for the SmartFood project. According to the rules of the programme, experts from donor countries (Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein) and from the beneficiary country (ie Poland) cannot participate in the assessment of co-financing applications.
As reported, the SmartFood project is carried out by a scientific consortium of national and Norwegian universities, consisting of: Centrum Badań i Innowacji Pro-Akademia (leader), Polish partners – Cracow University of Technology, Academy of Special Pedagogy. Maria Grzegorzewska; Norwegian partners – Norwegian Institute for Air Research, Western Norway Research Institute, BI Norwegian Business School.
Puda: It is funded by Norwegian funds, not government funds
The scientific work of the university has no influence on government policy. The project “SmartFood: Engaging citizens in food diversity in cities” is carried out by a scientific consortium of national and Norwegian universities. It is financed from Norwegian funds and not from government funds
— also wrote Grzegorz Puda, Minister of Funds and Regional Policy, on Twitter.
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olnk/PAP/”Fakt”/Twitter/wPolityce.pl
Source: wPolityce