How art and science are helping chicory – An inside look at the new chic project

PUBLIC AWARENESS

Sanz says in their project, they will reach out to the public by engaging them with several activities. A solid publication strategy will be developed and implemented, which will allow them to disseminate publishable data to researchers by using traditional channels (such as symposia, journals, presentations at conferences etc.) and to engage with key stakeholders. Communication with stakeholders and the general public will be crucial since their objective is to increase public awareness and appreciation of NPBTs to generate valuable natural products – this is particularly relevant in case of potential consumers and new products. Training activities aimed at school children and households will be organised allowing researchers and interested stakeholders to gain knowledge and skills in the NPBTs relevant to the project. “To this purpose, we will organise four CHIC days in different European schools for teenagers (age 14 – 16) to educate them about ‘hot topics’ such as new plant breeding techniques,” she says. “Moreover, the educational material will be designed for teenagers and disseminated through smartphones/tablet applications. This will include demos and games to explain in education, the visual and interactive way the relevance of these topics, such as the positive impact of NPBTs, GMOs on human health and increasing food demands.” In addition, Sanz says they will have an active presence on social media channels and organise initiatives to involve artists, since art is an effective ´language´ when it comes to transmitting knowledge, values and a stronger connection with the audience. “Both science and art are human attempts to understand and describe the world around us. Art can not only provide the audience with information, but also elicit visceral, emotional responses and engage the imagination in ways that prompt action and a positive attitude towards such complex topics that could be hard to explain with words and scientific notions,” she states. “For these reasons, involving artists in the project could attract a broader audience, such as people that would otherwise not be interested in scientific developments, since it´s a more evocative and effective way of communicating.”

IMPACT AND SUSTAINABILITY

Within the CHIC project, a socio-economic and environmental assessment will be performed. Regarding socio-economic impacts, there will be assessments on how different NPBTs will influence economic and social indicators such as GDP (Gross Domestic Product), production volume, growth, competitiveness, and employment as well as the distribution of wealth and income between different sectors and regions within the EU. The assessment of environmental issues will be done with the methodology of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) which is an established method of environmental assessment providing information about environmental aspects over the whole life cycle. The LCA will be performed on the NPBTs and based on the whole value chain from breeding, cultivation, harvesting, processing to the final products (inulin and terpenes). The most relevant environmental aspects and parameters (e.g. GHG emissions, primary energy consumption, land use aspects, water issues) with their influencing factors will be identified and compared to a conventional reference system.