The European Network for Rural Development (ENRD) has published a projects brochure detailing how The European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) is supporting the growth of the Bioeconomy.  EAFRD is part of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and supports rural economic growth and community development and will invest €96 billion across EU member states between 2014-2020.

EAFRD is delivered through national Rural Development Programmes (RDPs) which support rural development directly by investing in farms and other rural companies and through supporting skills development, knowledge exchange and innovation projects led by farmers (in Operational Groups).  It also includes funding for local community-led regeneration plans through the LEADER Programme. 

Support from EAFRD for farms to invest in the Bioeconomy compliments the work ENABLING is doing to identify and promote best practices in the development of bio-based products, by identifying how EAFRD grants can support farmers to take up these ideas.

The new ENRD brochure identifies how investments from EAFRD have supported local projects to commercialise new types of food and feed products, bio-energy and bio-based products.  In relation to bio-based products the brochure specifically features case studies on developing hemp-based construction materials in Latvia, a Finnish bio-composites project and a project reviving the traditional cork value chain in rural Spain. 

ENABLING is delighted to see these types of projects being supported by EU funding, thus facilitating investment by farmers and rural entrepreneurs in bio-based products.

The ENRD brochure is available at: https://enrd.ec.europa.eu/publications/eafrd-projects-brochure-bioeconomy_en

A swiss brand, Happy Genie, has developed a new business model to produce environmentally sustainable fashion bags, produced and sourced locally from apple farming residues.

The innovative process lies in making use of otherwise discarded material (apple waste) for the creation of a product of appeal (high design).

The value chain is organized as follows:

• Apple producers providing apple waste;

• Laboratory processing hard and liquid waste material

• Logistics and transport for shipping throughout all the process

• Industry transforming the material

• Manufacturing to create the handbags

Farmers gain economic benefits from selling or addressing the waste created from their apple’s production and processing. Furthermore, they have the opportunity to foster their network with other industrial/manufacturing/selling sectors, enhancing visibility and opening new market opportunities.

On the other hand, retailers and logistics can claim of belonging to a sustainable production value chain that responds to the principles of sustainability, locally sourced and produced, fair trade, and circular economy.

The key factors that contribute to the success of this business model are:

• large apple production in nearby regions

• proximity with the different industrial steps

• skills, tools, machinery, and knowledge needed for the transformation.

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The platform for Bioeconomy of the Czech Republic is based on the basic definition of bioeconomy. The definition encompasses the production of renewable biological resources and their conversion to products from foodstuffs and feedstuffs up to products based on bioproduct and bioenergy. Foundations of bioeconomy include agriculture, forestry, aquaculture, food industries, power engineering, chemical industries and biotechnological sectors. With respect to its interdisciplinary character, bioeconomy encompasses a range of industries producing, using or controlling biological resources and activities linked to research of processes at the genetic and molecular level and their utilization in industries. Members of the Platform gradually form teams dealing with the specific fields of bioeconomy.

Objectives of the Platform are to deepen knowledge in the respective fields of bioeconomy by means of research and education and to promote their use in practice at the level of enterprises and public administration while respecting principles of sustainable development. For these purposes, the Platform coordinates activities related to bioeconomy, organizes professional discussions, workshops and seminars for various target groups and asserts the latest knowledge into practical life in collaboration with industries.

The Platform opens for collaboration with other platforms and organizations of the same focus to exchange topical information and to participate together with them in activities related to the development of bioeconomy.

President of the Platform is Assoc. Professor Miroslav Hájek from the Czech University of Life Sciences, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences

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GreenBone is a patented technology proposing a bone substitute solution. It is a synthetic, acellular, re-absorbable, new generation bone graft, sourced from rattan (a bamboo-like plant), which was developed to reconstruct bone defects caused by diseases, traumas or presence of non-unions. This wood-based product is suitable for surgical reconstruction of bone defects, repairing large bone gaps or voids. GreenBone can be produced in any size and shape to solve all the problems and medical needs experienced every day in bone grafting by orthopedic surgeons. The process to convert wood hierarchical structures into new biomimetic hydroxyapatite scaffolds lists as follows: the raw material is harvested (rattan), and processes through Pyrolysis, Carburization, Oxidation, Carbonation, and finally Phosphatization.

The orthopedic solutions help to:

• Improve bone healing

• Complete regeneration of bone defects

• Improve quality of life · Prevent future amputations

• Reduce healthcare & social costs.

Farmers involved in the value chain are gaining new source of revenues from trading rattan and other raw materials necessary to the GreenBone creation, and which products represent a high market value.

Faenza, Italia

Dr. Carmen was inspired by natural resources and weaving techniques to create a sustainable non-woven textile from pineapple residues.

The Ananas Anam company has created Piñatex®, a natural, non-woven textile made from pineapple leaf fibres. It is a soft, versatile, lightweight and durable material, making it suitable for use across fashion, soft interiors, automotive and other applications.

It hits all the sustainability buttons at once: it is a material that is completely cradle to cradle (Cradle to Cradle Certified™), it substitutes leather that has a very heavy environmental and welfare impact, and it brings new income streams to subsistence farmers, allowing them to fully utilize their crops.

13 million tons of waste is created from global pineapple agriculture every year. This provides the basis that the same practice has a great potential to be replicated in several regions of the world.

The current practice is already offering the following benefits and results to farmers and local communities:

• A new source of income for farming communities who otherwise rely on a seasonal harvest;

• High profitability of reusing an otherwise discarded product (plant leaves);

• The leftover biomass (after decortication) is retained to use as a natural fertiliser or biofuel, offering a further economic prospect;

• 13 pineapple plants/480 pineapple leaves generate 1 square metre of Piñatex®

• Lower environmental damage from a monetary worthy activity of leaves processing.

The entrepreneurial vision of the founder to connect people, ecology and economics resulted in determinant to create a vibrant new industry that is both socially and environmentally responsible.

The project originates by the need of improving the safety and sustainability of agriculture and aquaculture practices as to provide a technical solution to:

• the unbalanced mix of different nutrients in agricultural and aquaculture practices

• the scarcity of some essential nutrients such as phosphorous

• the willingness of different stakeholders to reduce greenhouse gas emissions generated during agricultural and aquaculture practices, such as waste water and flue gases.

By making use of marine water and nutrients from wastewaters rich in Calcium, Nitrogen and Phosphorus coming from sewage and pig manure, the project SABANA has developed a large-scale integrated microalgae-based biorefinery in the proximity of the University of Almeria (Spain) for the production of bio stimulants, biopesticides and feed additives, in addition to biofertilizers and aquafeed.

The project has opened its first DEMO plant that can produce 1 hectare of microalgae from agricultural and aquaculture waste.

The process can be summarized as follows:

1. Collection of pig manure and sewage collection

2. Production of Microalgae

3. Harvesting and processing of microalgae

4. Biorefinery of the microalgae crops

5. Creation of aquafeed additives & Bio stimulants/biopesticides (high value) and aquafeed and biofertilizers (low value).

Joluplant is an ornamental grower of Chrysanthemums, which developed a process to add value and re-use spent peat and perlite substrates.

Joluplant collects these residues from the neighbouring strawberry and cucumber growers. The process entails a steam treatment and storage at 70°C for an hour.

During the treatment, partners PCS and ILVO perform different research activities such as:

• Optimizing the steaming process in regard to testing for plant-pathogenic fungi and insects, as well for weed seeds

• Ensuring the quality of the processed substrate by testing the physic-chemical and biological characteristics, and adjusting the fertilization and composition

• Assessing the need for blending the hygienic substrates with other materials (compost, bark, …) or inoculate it with beneficial micro-organisms

The final product has proven to work in the field and to deliver the same quality of Chrysanthemums peat.

Thanks to this innovation Joluplant is achieving different benefits both technically and economically:

- The company will have to buy less new peat substrate, especially for growing plantlets, and can better plan its activities in the growing season

- The energy cost for steaming is at least in balance with the cost of buying new peat

- There is a potential reduction in the of fertilizers thanks to the presence of nutrients in spent media

- The other farmers (strawberry and cucumber growers) can drop off their used substrate as a resource without cost. Additionally, they can use their spent substrates on their own fields as a soil amendment (but there should be an added value for the soil), or have to pay a certified waste processor (gate fee).

Find their new Publication on Grow - Store - Steam - Re-peat: Reuse of spent growing media for circular cultivation of Chrysanthemum here.

There are not enough recycling solutions for plastic packaging in Norway up to now. FuturePack project was developed by Grønt Punkt Norge to contribute reaching Norway´s ambitious targets of increasing material recycling and received funding from the Research Council of Norway.

The action started through a seven weeks campaign where rigid plastics packaging waste from households was collected and addressed to recycling facilities.

In the process, plastics products are finely sorted, washed, shredded, and converted to plastics raw materials (granulates), which are melt and employed in industrial plastic operations.

The innovation implies a significant reduction of CO2 emissions thanks to a combined use of biomass and waste plastics, versus the conventional way of using fossil resources only for producing Polyethylene (PE) and Polypropylene (PP).

The process starts with the collection of used plastics from households and industry. This is combined with Norwegian biomass waste (wood and straw) supplied by farmers.

The type of feedstocks applied in the process are: 1) wood biomass, 2) straw biomass and 3) polyolefin plastic waste. Forest-based feedstock has the best availability for industrial use, while marine raw materials are not recommended for this process.

It is innovative to produce PE and PP from a combination of biomass and plastic waste, while contributing to reduce dependence of fossil materials.

On October the 30th, the ENABLING project was presented at the regional meeting of the participants in the project SUWANU (Sustainable Water Treatment and Agricultural Reuse Options in Europe) in the Hotel Imperial, Plovdiv. Participants of the meeting represented different agricultural institutions from the South-Central region and from Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, as well as from the Directory of Water Management. The ENABLING project and its online instruments (Coaching platform, Trading platform) have been presented by the members of BGBIOM. They answered the questions related to the advertised project platforms. Participants in the meeting demonstrated great interest for the instruments developed in the project.

BGBIOM sets its presence in new COST Action - FUR4Sustain - about chemicals and plastics produced from biobased 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA). FUR4Sustain project (“European network of FURan based chemicals and materials FOR a Sustainable development") will realize R&D for the whole value chain of FDCA, involving up to now 28 countries and more than 40 institutions (including several industries), worldwide.

FDCA is an added value chemical, coming out of biorefineries and holding great promise as a key building block, especially due to its resemblance to the petrochemical terephthalic acid (TPA). In 2004, FDCA was identified as a key chemical for the future development of the biobased economy in a key study conducted by the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

As an arable farmer, Mathieu works around 70 hectares. Of this, 27 hectares of grass is organic, which he sells to a neighbouring organic goat farmer; 8 hectares are dedicated to peas production and 16 hectares to grain. Mathieu is also a recognized straw supplier, selling certified straw bales to the construction sector.

With the decision to enter a new market with the Hemp in box brand, Mathieu devoted 10 ha of its land to hemp production (Cannabis Sativa).

The number of hectares for this culture can shift from year to year, depending on the hemp seed prices.

In the past, hemp was a common agricultural crop. It was mainly grown to make ship ropes. Mathieu Hendricks again engaged in the cultivation of hemp and came up with Hemp in a box, an ecological building system with hemp lime. Their building materials are based on hemp lime and can be used for new construction, renovation and insulation. Both for the professional and the do-it-yourself. The old hemp lime process was way too labour-intensive. The conventional operation requires around 3 hours to build 1 m² of building materials, the process created by Mathieu and Co. produces prefab materials and takes 1 week to build a complete house.

Hemp in a box is not a contractor or builder, but a supplier of natural building materials. The company needs to buy extra hemp shives from France and the Netherlands with no big difference in price from the one produced by Mathieu.

The company also applied for a patent for the production process of the lime hemp, as it is unique and much more efficient than the old known process. In the future, if the patent is granted, they aim to apply their process abroad and sell their product to make extra income.

A German company has developed an innovative fibre-reinforced thermoplastic for injection moulding and extrusion. The input material (granules) contain up to 75% cellulose from meadow grass. Grass can be used to produce fibre and other bio-based products as a raw and recycling material (plastics, biomass) . The goal is to substitute conventional thermoplastic based on crude oil and to use raw materials as efficiently as possible.

Farmers that cultivate the grass regional benefit of increasing profits from the sale of meadow grass as the processing company offers long-term contracts for the biomass suppliers. With growing demand of the grass fibre and other grass-based products, grass prices may rise and provide a secure income for farmers. Grass is easy to cultivate, with low input of labour, machines, and fertiliser and allowing several harvests per year. The cultivation of grass will not lead to a depletion of soils, as biomass residues from the production process are returned to the field as fertiliser. The grass fibre can be fully recycled without generating waste products or waste water. The necessary energy and heat are provided by the affiliated biogas plant, which works with the by-products and residues of the biomass. The water required for the separation of the grass fibres is reconditioned and reused in the process.

Prompted by the need to diversify the sources of biomass for their production, a French company started new production lines working with original bio sources. The aim was to create a high performance and biobased compounds sold to the packaging industry to develop products for several sectors.

The innovation lies on the use of different kind of biomass by-products as fillers in polymers in order to produce packaging.

Biomass from aquatic coproducts (scallops, oysters, algae) result as a suitable input for primary injection moulding processes in the production of rigid secondary packaging, regular consumption goods, technical parts, agriculture and horticulture products, cosmetic.

The raw material needs to be crushed into a powder before being used by the plastic industry.

Benefit for farmers is to be able to recover biomass by-products or wastes in a new market. A cost item can thus become a profit item for them. These examples show good opportunities for farmers to find innovative end-of-life to their wastes and to support the production of environmentally efficient products. Regarding the use of by-products as fillers, The company has direct buying contract with farmers or cooperatives. For the use as raw material for polymer production, farmers have direct contracts with biopolymers manufacturers.

A German company has developed an innovative grass fibre blow-in insulation material for wall, roof and floor cavities, made of 100% renewable natural cellulose from meadow grass. The goal is to substitute conventional insulation material based on crude oil and to use raw materials as efficiently as possible.

The grass is grown by local farmers and has the potential to be sold internationally.

Farmers benefit of increasing profits from the sale of meadow grass as the processing company offers longterm contracts for the biomass suppliers. With growing demand of the grass fibre and other grass-based products, grass prices may rise and provide a secure income for farmers. Grass is easy to cultivate, with low input of labour, machines, and fertiliser and allowing several harvests per year. The cultivation of grass will not lead to a depletion of soils, as biomass residues from the production process are returned to the field as fertiliser.

The grass fibre can be fully recycled without generating waste products or waste water. The necessary energy and heat are provided by the affiliated biogas plant, which works with the by-products and residues of the biomass.

The water required for the separation of the grass fibres is reconditioned and reused in the process.

BIOVOICES is creating a Mobilisation and Mutual Learning (MML) platform in the bio-based domain with the objective of promoting dialogue and co-creation of research, innovation, development and political context in bio-based economy between the stakeholders of the quadruple helix model: civil society/users, industry, researchers, civil society and public authorities.
With the ultimately goal of fostering the awareness of the wider public about the benefits and potential social, economic and environmental impact of the bioeconomy and widening the diffusion of bio-based products (BBP), the project will be running more than 70 workshops in the EU, develop an informative app on bioeconomy, develop stakeholder-oriented policy briefs, co-created within the stakeholders involved in the projec.

Discover more at www.biovoices.eu and subscribe to BIOVOICES platform to keep updated with all BIOVOICES workshops and bioeconomy news!

Russian dandelion (Taraxacum kok-saghyz) proofed to be a suitable replacement for natural rubber in the production of high-quality rubber products such as tyres. When compared to natural rubber, Russian Dandelion has a much greater geographical distribution. It is easier to cultivate and delivers rubber faster.

Residues from the production process can also be valorised for inulin production or be further used for feed, food, biogas, or bioethanol production. The integration of Russian dandelion for rubber production is expected to lead to a higher independence from tropical production sites while creating new opportunities for farmers in lower latitudes, especially for marginal areas that cannot be used for producing other crops. Some of the benefits include:

- New income source due to strong demand of large amounts of rubber
- Easy to cultivate and to harvest
- Faster production of rubber
- Short life cycle (6-8 months), allowing up to two harvests per year

The EU project “Drive4EU”, has calculated an average costs of 45 EUR to produce 1 ton of fresh Dandelion roots, including land, seeds, machines, fertilisers, plant protection, personnel etc, at a time span of 10 years. This cost is estimated to decrease at 31 EUR per ton in a time span of 25 year.

Biobridges project was conceived to tackle the key challenge of improving the marketability of bio-based products (BBPs) by fostering close cooperation and partnerships among bio-based industries, brand owners and consumers’ representatives.

BRANDS, BIO-BASED INDUSTRIES and CONSUMERS have a key role shaping the FUTURE towards a more sustainable and greener European economy.

The PRODUCTION, SALE and USE of sustainable bio-based products, replacing everyday’ s fossil-based products, have a great potential to decrease the pressure on our environment, create jobs and boost the economy.

Biobridges project CONNECTS, FACILITATES and SUPPORTS the collaboration among BRANDS, BIO-BASED INDUSTRIES and CONSUMERS aiming to improve the marketability and market acceptance of bio-based products (BBPs).

The Project also stimulates and supports the active engagement and interaction of other stakeholders relevant on promoting the bio-economy such as policy makers, public authorities, clusters, CSOs, NGOs, researchers, associations, local communities… aiming at improving market acceptance of bio-based products.

Discover more at: www.biobridges-project.eu

Prompted by the need to diversify the sources of biomass for their production, a French company started new production lines working with original bio sources. The aim was to create a high performance and biobased compounds sold to the packaging industry to develop products for several sectors.

The innovation lies on the use of different kind of biomass by-products as fillers in polymers in order to produce packaging.

Biomass from cereal waste such as wheat, barley and corn, result as a suitable input for primary injection moulding processes in the production of rigid secondary packaging, regular consumption goods, technical parts, agriculture and horticulture products, cosmetic. The feedstock needs to be grinded, dried and sieved before being used by the plastic industry.

Benefit for farmers is to be able to recover biomass by-products or wastes in a new market. A cost item can thus become a profit item for them. These examples show good opportunities for farmers to find innovative end-of-life to their wastes and to support the production of environmentally efficient products. Regarding the use of by-products as fillers, the company has a direct buying contract with farmers or cooperatives. For the use as raw material for polymer production, farmers have direct contracts with biopolymers manufacturers.

The Plastic Free - Venice Lagoon, in collaboration with the Italian partners of ENABLING Project (FEDERUNACOMA and ITABIA), I.T.T. G. MONTANI, VERITAS, HIREF, and JONIX, as well as with several environmental associations and national institutions, have organized the Plastic Free Event placed in Venice.

The initiative took place on the occasion of the World environmental and Oceans Day, 7-8 June 2019.

The theme for 2019 is focused on "Macro and micro impacts of plastic wastes and possible solutions”. In this context, the workshop of Enabling Project was to give a contribution by showing the first results with particular attention to the innovative best practices and potential growing of European cluster among partners and stakeholders of the project, with the aim to increase the awareness of a more conscious "Enabling Community".

The initiative ended with a clean-up activity, which aims at raising public awareness on the impact of abandoned plastic waste, taken place on 8 June 2019. A particular acknowledgment is going to Dr. Poletto from Unesco-Venice for having contributed to the realization of the event.

Capraia's island is part of Tuscan Archipelago and it hosts an ambitious 360-degree circular economy project every year.

Last May 2019 Capraia held a unique event in the history of the island; for three days dozens of leading Bioeconomy experts gathered to identify all the possible initiatives to be undertaken in the field of the circular economy. The aim is to create a pilot model of circular economy, a "Lighthouse Project" for the Mediterranean Areas.

In this context Enabling Project has been introduced by ITABIA to the attendees, with the aim to transfer the first results of the projects to the strategic stakeholders (researchers, policymakers and associations interested to the bio-economy). (For further details, please see the presentation to the website of Chimicaverde: http://www.chimicaverde.it/capraia-smart-island/)

This was also an opportunity to make, during an event with the stakeholders, the point of the situation that shows an encouraging state of progress after a year of activity.

The goal of the workshop was to move close the stakeholders and local operators an economic system capable of regenerating itself in such a way that waste becomes a material to be exploited, the energy supply could deviate from the fossil towards renewable sources and efficiency, so the saving and quality of raw materials could start being part of the local development strategy.