Réseaux des Instituts Techniques Agricoles (ACTA) is a leading network for animal and plant supply chains, bringing together 14 technical agricultural institutes (ITA) which represent the applied research level of the French agricultural research and development system.

ACTA and the ITAs are created and led by the farmers themselves. Their research aims to meet the farmers’ needs and expectations, giving them directly applicable results. Their activities aim to improve farms’ competitiveness and adapt their production systems to modern food systems, meeting the demands of product and process quality and safety, from farm to consumer.

Each ITA is specialised in one or two production areas, whereas ACTA carries out research on transversal and cross-cutting innovative themes such as integrated pest management. These institutes provide an interface between farmers’ needs and academic research. The institutes also offer strong technical support for actors in the different production sectors, and carry out research on behalf of farmers’ organisations. They play major roles in scientific and technical research, experimentation, knowledge assembly, dissemination and training, and support to public policy.

ACTA is a work package leader in the Horizon 2020 project Smart-Akis, coordinator of H2020-Nefertiti, and co-chair the SCAR SWG AKIS4.