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Knowledge category: Projects

Bio-based FERtilising products as the best practice for agricultural management SusTainability

Updated on 12.04.2023

Increasing land productivity in a sustainable way is the main current challenge in the farming sector. The EU-funded B-FERST project is proposing an integrated bio-waste valorisation system in agricultural management. The project is introducing a more sustainable resource management solution via tailor-made nutrient dosing adapted to farming systems.

Acronym: B-FERST
Countries: Belgium, Germany, Italy, North Macedonia, Poland, Spain
Project website: bferst.eu
Start and end date: 01.09.2019 - 30.04.2024
Budget: 10 016 296 EUR
Funding source: Bio-Based Industries Joint Undertaking

More information

Central to the effort to reverse soil nutrient loss is the reuse of bio-waste to replace non-renewable, non-domestic and energy-intensive raw materials. B-FERST aims at changing the market uptake of fertilisers in intensive agriculture as well as reducing the carbon footprint of the fertilisers’ production by at least 10 %, thus minimising their environmental impact.


B-FERST’s main objective is to integrate the valorisation of bio-wastes in agriculture management plans creating a new circular and bio-based value chain. Bilateral interaction between farming and fertiliser sectors is considered, focusing on a paradigm shift in the fertiliser value chain with eight specialised fertilisers. Specialised nutrient mixes are required to achieve a more sustainable management of resources by tailor-made nutrient dosing adapted to farming systems.


The sustainability of B-FERST is based on the reuse of bio-waste to replace non-renewable, non-domestic and energy-intensive raw materials:


1) Bio-based solid fertilisers including renewable sources of macronutrients (N,P,K) obtained from three by-products streams: i) ashes, as source of P and K from: Waste Water Treatment Plants (WWTPs) (sewage sludges), and agri-food such as: slaughterhouse waste, olive & livestock wastes; ii) struvite as source of P & N from WWTP and agro waste (pig slurries), and; iii) compost as source of organic carbon compound, N, P and K from Organic Fraction of Municipal Solid Waste, and agro waste (manure livestock).


2) Biostimulants for soil nutrient improvement from two approaches: selected microbiological strains as Microbial Plant Biostimulant or Non-Microbial Plant Biostimulant from cardoon oil meal processing (agricultural by-products) and compost extracts. Bio-degradable coatings based on biopolymers will be used when MPB is added to the fertiliser products to protect the beneficial micro-organisms and guaranty their performance.


The viability is based on previous R&D from other Research and Innovations Actions projects. The manufacturing process will be demonstrated at a demonstrative industrial scale. Then, specialised fertilisers will be performed and validated in five crops tests (Spain, Italy, France, Poland and Ukraine) comparing their functionality to that of traditional fertilisers in terms of: sustainable sourcing; logistics; soil; and growing conditions, reaching a TRL6.

Relevance for Circular Systemic Solutions

The objectives of the project are systemic and include, for example, creating at least seven new cross-sector interconnections within the bio-based economy, and creating at least three new bio-based value chains by integrating technologies and increasing interconnections and synergies both within traditional agriculture stakeholders as well as through developing new bonds with other industries.


The project will provide learnings for cities and regions that are seeking to transition to circular bioeconomy and are looking for best practices and technologies that can be replicated which include industrial symbiosis practices as well as stakeholder engagement for new value chain development.

Horizon programme(s) and/or topic(s)

Programme:

  • H2020-EU.2.1.4. - INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies – Biotechnology

Topic:

  • BBI.2018.SO3.D4 - Produce biopesticides or bio-based fertilisers as components of sustainable agricultural management plans (1)

Responsible organisation and contact details

FERTIBERIA SA
Contact the project

Project consortium partners

  • Universidad de Leon
  • Novamont SPA
  • FCC Aqualia SA
  • FKUR Kunststoff GmbH
  • Agrisat Iberia SL
  • Vlaamse Instelling voor Technologisch Onderzoek N.V.
  • AG Futura Technologii Dooel Skopje
  • Arcadia International GEIE
  • Fondazione Icons
  • Instytut Uprawy Nawozenia i Gleboznawstwa
  • Panstwowy Instytut Badawczy
Sectors

CEAP2 key product value chain

CEAP2 key product value chain

e.g. chemicals, cosmetics, bio-based industries

e.g. B2B services

e.g. healthcare

including bio-based economy

Territories involved

predominantly urban regions, intermediate and predominantly rural regions, refer to TERCET typology NUTS 3 region