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The RUSTICA European Project, what interests for farmers?
In Pays de la Loire region, RUSTICA project will take place in one of the 17 National Gross Market infrastructures (Marché d’Intérêt National or “MIN”), in the city of Angers. Here, tons of waste are generated each year by unsold fruits and vegetables.
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After giving a part of these fruits and vegetables to a local charity association, wholesalers still have a huge amount of waste which will end up in the trash.
Then, the current situation is to send this waste to be composted.
At the regional level, there is a real interest in the bioeconomy business development and the region has great opportunities with cooperatives and producers in the plant sector, who could be both producers of this waste and users of biofertilizers.
The Chamber of Agriculture of Pays de la Loire is the French partner of RUSTICA project and will work on a pilot site to produce and experiment innovative bio-based fertilisers promoted in RUSTICA project.
With the idea of studying the technical and economic feasibility of bio-based fertilisers’ production, the European project RUSTICA opens new markets and new perspectives of valorisation of fruits and vegetables wastes for farmers. The main objective of the project is to transform this waste into highly added value products. This could be helpful for farmers to diversify their activities and enhance their waste for selling to other farmers, companies or cooperatives. Farmers could be integrated in a circular economy with benefits for all.
Likewise, bio-based fertilisers from technologies tested in RUSTICA aim to be efficient and to become an alternative. It could be a great opportunity for organic farmers of the region who generally use compost and manures. It could be also very attractive for conventional farmers reducing minerals fertilisers, which can damage water and soil quality through years.
More news about this project:
Rustica family farm visits
Rustica | Last week, we welcomed Guillermo Pena in Leuven. Guillermo is researcher at the Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT).
RUSTICA and Product Standards
The RUSTICA project awaits a wide range of new bio-based fertiliser components and expects a series of blends developed therefrom.
Exchanging thoughts on business model development for novel agri-food technologies
This not only allowed regional stakeholders to learn more about the RUSTICA pilot plants, but it also provided an opportunity for the project partners to have some additional face-to-face meetings.