Project

Agri and food waste valorisation co-ops based on flexible multi-feedstocks biorefinery processing technologies for new high added value.

Acronym
AgriMax
Code
41S06716
Duration
01 October 2016 → 30 September 2021
Funding
European funding: framework programme
Research disciplines
  • Agricultural and food sciences
    • Agriculture, land and farm management not elsewhere classified
Keywords
Food food packaging
Other information
 
Project description

Approximately one third of all food produced globally is wasted every year throughout the whole value chain from farmers to consumers. To extract the significant amounts of valuable compounds contained in these wastes, AgriMax will combine affordable and flexible processing technologies (ultrasound assisted and solvent extraction, filtration, thermal and enzymatix treatments) for the valorization of side streams from the horticultural culture and food processing industry to be used in a cooperative approach by local stakeholders. through the selection of case-scenarios previously developed to a pilot scale by the participating RTOs and their industrial transfer in new applications as food additives, packaging and agricultural materials among others, the project will disclose the holistic potential of four new agro-value chains (residues and by products from the culture and processing of tomato,cereals,olives,potato). Any by-product generated along the production cycle will be valorized in a cascade manner to reach over 40% of high value use of the waste. this will lead to additional production of active ingredients in lower concentrtaion, but also fibres,biogas and fertilizers from the left biomass( the latter with the aim of being used in closed loop in the culture of the cropsused in the project to prevent soil impoverishinng). an LCA and LCC will also study the best approach to minimize he environmental impact of the new value chains without jeopardizing the cost effectiveness of the operations. The pilot multi-feedstock bio-refinery procesees will be validated in two demonstration sites in Spain and Italy. Societal,ethical,safety,techno-feasibility and regulatory aspect will be studied. Last but not least, a business model and platform for communication betweem the potential raw materials suppliers will be set up to maximize the use of the cooperative treatment plants throughout the year.

 
Role of Ghent University
UGent is mainly involved in Work package 6 “Validation and demonstration of agricultural wastes for agricultural applications”. This will include participation in following activities: to select the most suitable waste streams to produce fertilisers; to produce high-value solid and liquid fertilisers; to produce efficient fertilisers to improve crop yields and minimizing the environmental impact; to assess the impact of removing waste streams from agricultural production systems to check the absence of negative impact on the sustainability of the cultivation systems, including impacts on soils and suggesting the suitable compensation though the use of fertilisers from the project when needed. UGent is task leader of Task 6.3 “Soil assessment of crop cultivation with new waste valorisation approach”.