RUSTICA showcases groundbreaking upcycling at RAMIRAN 2023

The RAMIRAN Conference, held in Cambridge, featured a presentation by the RUSTICA project on 13th September, led by Fien Amery from the Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (ILVO). The presentation demonstrated the conversion of fruit and vegetable waste into bio-based fertilizer components, offering a sustainable solution for agriculture.​

The presentation focused on “upscaling from lab to field”, showing the progressive validation of bio-based fertilisers. This process began with the design of the fertilisers based on the chemical characteristics of the building blocks and underwent several lab validations through incubation trials before proceeding to field experiments. In between the validation steps, the composition of the bio-based fertilisers was adjusted to meet the stakeholder needs.

The RAMIRAN (Recycling of Agricultural, Municipal and Industrial Residues in Agriculture Network) is a research and expertise network set up to improve nutrient utilisation and minimise the environmental impact of livestock manure and other organic material used in agricultural systems. The conference is attended by experts and stakeholders in agriculture and residue management, and provides a platform to share and further promote innovations in this sector.

For more information, have a look at the presentation given by Fien Amery from ILVO: Download the presentation (PDF).