The removal of harmful pesticides from the EU market is vital to prevent environmental damage, but it’s also making it difficult to protect crops. In this context, the EU-funded CROPSAFE project identified three key crops at risk from pests: potatoes threatened by potato cyst nematode, tomatoes facing losses of up to 65 % from root knot nematode and bananas affected by the emergence of banana weevils. However, the approval process for new management tools is lengthy. The project aims to develop a sustainable solution for pest management. It will advance tools incorporating bioactives, delivery materials, formulations and decision-support models. Specifically, CROPSAFE will use bio-based residues like aquatic biomass and spent coffee grounds, in collaboration with three biorefining partners, to identify effective solutions to pest management.
Improper waste management can lead to soil degradation, water pollution, and harm to local ecosystems due to the high content of organic compounds and heavy metals in OMW. With rising pressure to reduce chemical use and improve sustainability, OLinWASTE aims to create innovative solutions to turn this waste into valuable bioproducts—transforming a costly problem into a profitable opportunity. OLinWASTE will establish a groundbreaking case study for an integrated zero-emission biorefinery, leveraging advanced anaerobic digestion (AD) technology to convert Olive Mill Wastes (OMW) into valuable resources, thereby setting a new benchmark in sustainable waste management and renewable energy production. The project will upcycle underutilized OMW into high-value products such as plant bioimmunostimulants, biopesticides, biofertilizers, biobased plastics, and bioenergy. It focuses on reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs), optimizing exhaust flows, minimizing noise, recovering thermal energy, and reducing odours from pomace and digestate. A system digital twin (SDT) will be created to enhance the entire system sustainability, efficiency, and the optimization of material, energy, and waste flows. Integrated methods will be used to protect soil, water, and air quality. The goal is to boost environmental performance, promote circularity, and cut the carbon footprint in the olive oil and biogas sectors, addressing challenges in waste management and sustainability.
SURFs UP is an EU co-funded project that aims to develop safe and sustainable-by-design (SSbD) microbial and lignin-based biosurfactants. The main project goal is to formulate 9 second-generation (2G) SSbD biosurfactant and integrate them into prototype formulations for home care, personal care, and agrochemical applications to enable environmentally responsible innovation.Within those 9 biosurfactants: 7 are microbial based (including sophorolipids, mannosylerythritol lipids and lipopeptides) and 2 are chemically produced and lignin derived. Among these, several are new-to-market molecules and while others are drop-in solutions, that are going to expand the portfolio of sustainable alternatives available to industry.To produce these biosurfactants, SURFs UP focuses on the valorisation of renewable and underutilised EU feedstocks, including C5/C6 sugars and lignin extracted from hardwood processing residues, as well as waste streams from regional food processing industries. Starting from comprehensive feedstock mapping and optimisation of pretreatment, the project advances through bioprocess optimisation, prototype formulation and performance testing, culminating in the SURFs UP Demo Plant to validate production at large scale. Throughout all stages, dedicated financial modelling and in-depth techno-economic, environmental, and social sustainability assessments are continuously performed to ensure industrial feasibility, compliance with Safe and Sustainable by Design principles, and long-term market readiness.Running from 1 May 2024 to 31 October 2027 and coordinated by Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant (BBEPP), SURFs UP brings together a multidisciplinary consortium of 12 partners, covering the entire biosurfactant value chain. By following the European Commission’s SSbD framework and integrating social and environmental sustainability from feedstock to final formulation, SURFsUP aims to accelerate the transition toward responsible, circular, and competitive bio-based surfactants in Europe.
