Safe and secure food production is central to the European Farm to Fork policy. However, secure crop production still depends on the widespread use of chemical pesticides, which is associated with negative impacts on the environment and human health. Diminishing use of so-called ‘candidates for substitution’ identified in Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 is of particular importance for combating harmful effects. SAGROPIA employs integrated pest management (IPM) to demonstrate substitution and reduction of chemical pesticides in the cultivation of potato and sugar beet. These row crops are prone to diseases such as early and late blight and cercospora leaf spot and to pests such as nematodes and the Colorado beetle. SAGROPIA will bring forward thirteen biological and low-risk pesticides from three company partners with the aim to replace several ‘candidates for substitution’ active substances , including the nematicide oxamyl and the fungicides difenoconazole, fluopicolide and metalaxyl. It also aims to reduce overall use of ‘candidates for substitution’ copper and insecticides pirimicarb, lambda-cyhalothrin and esfenvalerate by at least 50%. SAGROPIA’s approach combines several biocontrol solutions that, individually, have already proven activity on specialty crops and are close to market. SAGROPIA solutions are formulated, production is upscaled, and their mode of action is being studied. To grant affordability and ready acceptance by farmers, SAGROPIA envisions not simple replacement of chemical pesticides but incorporation of its solutions into innovative, comprehensive IPM strategies. Effectiveness will be demonstrated in participatory real life-trials performed in five potato and sugar beet growing European regions with active participation and engagement of farmers. Thorough sustainability assessments will give account of economic feasibility and show improved performance in terms of natural resources, people and the environment, besides preparing novel solutions.

There is a global need, from sustainability, food security and also health perspective, to increase dietary intake of plant protein. Side-streams from wheat and rice processing offer large under-exploited raw material potential, and we will work throughout the agro-industrial value chain to valorise that. The main aim of PROMINENT is to develop techno-economically and environmentally viable protein-based ingredients and foods from cereal processing side streams. We will concentrate on novel fractionation and extraction technologies, such as bioprocessing, supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2) -extraction, thermo-mechanical technologies, wet and dry fractionation, and expanded bed adsorption as well as their combinations as novel hybrid processing technologies. A strong focus will be in using enzymatic and thermo-mechanical methods to improve techno-functional and sensory properties of protein ingredients to reach desirable taste and texture in food applications. Pasta, biscuit, cake and beverage food models are the main end product categories, where new protein ingredients will be used as dietary protein source and act as performance proteins to deliver similar techno-functional and sensory properties to animal proteins. We will also assess the safety, quality, techno-economical feasibility, sustainability and market potential of the new protein ingredients and foods, and design strategies for marketing, dissemination, and exploitation of innovations. The project will support the economic growth, resource efficiency and sustainability of the European agro-food industry, and open new market opportunities by generating new plant protein ingredients obtained from cereal processing side streams as well as new products for the consumer food market.

The EFFECTIVE project intends to demonstrate first of its kind and economically viable routes for the production of biobased polyamides and polyesters from sustainable renewable feedstock for the obtaining of fibres and films with enhanced properties, market competitiveness and increased sustainability. Such materials will be applied into eco-designed large consumer products targeting different markets, i.e. construction, automotive, primary and secondary packaging and textile and with the potential of being applied into many other markets (fishing, engineering plastics, agriculture, hygiene and personal care). Following a circular economy approach, the sustainability of the value chains will be further enhanced by the demonstration of an improved end-of-life of the developed eco-designed biobased solutions through the application of monomer regeneration, recycling (for polyamides based fibres and films) and composting/anaerobic digestion (for polyesters based films) processes. The idea that “the end is a new beginning” will indeed drive the products design and realization. The project covers the whole value chain: feedstock production, conversion into innovative biobased building blocks through biotechnological and chemical processes, formulation of innovative biobased polymers (polyesters and polyamides), final products development, end-of-life products management and processing. The project intends to represent a key milestone towards the future industrialization of biobased fibres and films production in Europe foreseeing the mobilization of relevant investments by involved industry partners and fostering the adoption of multi-stakeholders collaboration models to demonstrate effective ways to develop new cases of biobased economy interconnected with circular regenerative economy joining environmental sustainability and economic profitability.

The AFTER-BIOCHEM project aims to create multiple new value chains, from non-food biomass feedstock to multiple end-products, by combining anaerobic batch fermentation and esterification. In the fermentation process robust mixes of naturally occurring micro-organisms will produce organic acids such as propionic, butyric, isobutyric, valeric, isovaleric and caproic acids, with a mineral fertilizer sidestream. Based on the acids, a substantial number of derivatives may be produced, such as Vinyl Acetate Monomer (VAM) and cellulose acetate. The esterification process will convert the acetic acid into ethyl acetate and the propionic acid into ethyl propionate to maximize product value and minimize waste and energy use. The feedstock of the fermentation process may be sugar production byproducts such as beet pulp and molasses, to increase the sustainability of sugar beet, a key European crop. The products will represent valuable renewable, bio-based, domestically-sourced alternatives to petrochemical products in numerous high-value applications such as flavorings and fragrances, hygiene products, pharmaceuticals, antimicrobials and polymers. The mineral fertilizer sidestream will contribute to the EU Action plan for the Circular Economy. The objective from 2020 to 2022 will be to commission the flagship biorefinery in France, which will then run at full capacity and integrate esterification from 2022 to 2024. Two further biorefineries should be initiated in Europe from 2024. The annual revenue generated by the three plants represents ca. €150 million, and at least 180 direct technical jobs and a commensurate number of indirect jobs would be created.

MyToolBox mobilises a multi-actor partnership (academia, farmers, technology SMEs, food industry and policy stakeholders) to develop novel interventions aimed at achieving a 20-90% reduction in crop losses due to fungal and mycotoxin contamination. MyToolBox will not only pursue a field-to-fork approach but will also consider safe use options of contaminated batches, such as the efficient production of biofuels. A major component of MyToolBox, which also distinguishes this proposal from previous efforts in the area mycotoxin reduction, is to provide the recommended measures to the end users along the food and feed chain in a web-based Toolbox. Cutting edge research will result in new interventions, which will be integrated together with existing measures in the Toolbox that will guide the end user as to the most effective measure(s) to be taken to reduce crop losses. We will focus on small grain cereals, maize, peanuts and dried figs, applicable to agricultural conditions in EU and China. Crop losses using existing practices will be compared with crop losses after novel pre-harvest interventions including investigation of genetic resistance to fungal infection, cultural control, the use of novel biopesticides (organic-farming compliant), competitive biocontrol treatment and development of forecasting models to predict mycotoxin contamination. Research into post-harvest measures including real-time monitoring during storage, innovative sorting of crops using vision-technology and novel milling technology will enable cereals with higher mycotoxin levels to be processed without breaching regulatory limits in finished products. Research into the effects of baking on mycotoxin levels will provide better understanding of process factors used in mycotoxin risk assessment. Involvement of leading institutions from China are aimed at establishing a sustainable cooperation in mycotoxin research between the EU and China.