EIP-AGRI and the circular bioeconomy

“To achieve climate neutrality by 2050, to preserve our natural environment & to strengthen our economic competitiveness, requires a full circular economy” - the European Commission’s Executive Vice-President Frans Timmermans.

Did you know that on 11 March 2020, the European Commission adopted a new Circular Economy Action Plan? This plan is one of the main building blocks of the flagship European Green Deal. Within this action plan, there is a specific section dedicated to ‘Food, Water & Nutrients’ to “address the entire food value chain to ensure the sustainability of the sector - strengthening efforts to tackle climate change, protect the environment & preserve biodiversity.” More information.

The EIP-AGRI network supports farmers by promoting circular bio-based opportunities adapted to their needs and sharing innovative technologies and practices. All these activities have brought together experts from across Europe with different professions, ranging from farmers, researchers, agribusinesses to regional authorities.

Follow the EIP-AGRI social media campaign on the circular bioeconomy - #EIPAgriCircular. Find a summary of the highlights of the campaign here.

Read the EIP-AGRI Newsletter from May 2020 which is dedicated to circular bioeconomy.

For all relevant EIP-AGRI network activities, see below.

EIP-AGRI Focus Groups 

EIP-AGRI Focus Groups are temporary groups of selected experts focusing on a specific subject, sharing knowledge and experience. Several of them have worked on issues related to the circular bioeconomy, click on each link below to find reports, factsheets and more:

• Circular Horticulture
• Enhancing production and use of renewable energy on the farm
• Fertiliser efficiency - Focus on horticulture in open field
• Mixed Farming Systems: Livestock/Cash crops
• New forest practices and tools for adaptation and mitigation of climate change
• Nutrient Recycling
• Reducing food loss on the farm
• Sustainable industrial crops in Europe: new market opportunities and business models which do not replace food production
• Sustainable mobilisation of forest biomass

EIP-AGRI events 

The EIP-AGRI holds workshops and seminars on specific topics. Click on each link to find reports, presentations and more from events related to the circular bioeconomy:

• EIP-AGRI Workshop Building new biomass supply chains for the bio-based economy
• EIP-AGRI Workhop Opportunities for farm diversification in the circular bio-economy
• EIP-AGRI workshop ‘New value chains from multifunctional forests’
• EIP-AGRI Workshop: Innovation in the supply chain: creating value together
• EIP-AGRI Workshop "Small is smart" - Innovative solutions for small agricultural and forestry holdings

EIP-AGRI publications

As well as the Focus Group reports, the EIP-AGRI Service Point has produced the following publications which are relevant to the circular bioeconomy:

• EIP-AGRI Factsheet Bioeconomy
• EIP-AGRI brochure: Collaboration in the supply chain
• EIP-AGRI Brochure on Creating diverse forests with multiple benefits
• EIP-AGRI Brochure Innovation for European forestry
• The sixth edition EIP-AGRI’s Agrinnovation magazine focuses on opportunities in the circular bioeconomy
• EIP-AGRI Innovative projects catalogue includes 27 projects, including Operational Groups, working on circular bioeconomy

EIP-AGRI Videos

Watch these videos on examples of circular bioeconomy related initiatives from the EIP-AGRI network:

• VIDEO Soil fertility through carbon storage

Inspirational ideas from the network

Articles on examples of circular bioeconomy related initiatives from the EIP-AGRI network:

• A grain dryer which is both energy and time efficient - FI
• Agreegreen: Models for managing woody biomass - IT
• Aquaculture + hydroponics = aquaponics - EU
• Biovakka, Manure management to produce biogas and nutrients in Finland - FI
• Birch sap tapping in Finland - FI
• Cork for 3D printing - ES
• Farmers grow high-yield energy grass near Amsterdam Schiphol Airport - NL
• Farming for energy - IT
• Fertile circularity - EU
• Improving forestry value chains in Finland - FI
• Irish potato company prevents food loss on the farm - IE
• Italian farmers develop circular economy for clean electricity - IT
• Plant-based bioproducts to boost regional development - IT
• Setting up short wood supply chains using hedgerows - FR
• The Platform for Knowledge Based Bio-Economy relevant ERA-NETs - EU
• Tomato grower and fish farmer create profits through water re-use and energy exchange - BE
• Towards a circular horticulture system - NL
• Turning waste into a resource - FR

EIP-AGRI projects

• Operational Groups: Over 70 Operational Group projects working on circular bioeconomy are available in the EIP-AGRI Operational Groups database (update 13 March 2020)
• Horizon 2020 Multi-actor projects: There are many Horizon 2020 multi-actor projects on the circular bioeconomy, click here.
• Featured Horizon 2020 Thematic networks: 
  • AGRIFORVALOR - Bringing added value to agriculture and forest sectors by closing the research and innovation divide to valorize and exploit sidestream biomass resources from agriculture and forestry: website - CORDIS (03/2016-08/2018)
  • PANACEA - A thematic network to design the penetration PAth of Non-food Agricultural Crops into European Agriculture - website - CORDIS (11/2017-10/2020)
  • ENABLING - Enhance New Approaches in BioBased Local Innovation Networks for Growth - website - CORDIS (12/2017-11/2020)

Other

• A (non-exaustive) list of circular bioeconomy projects from Horizon 2020, BBI-JU, Interreg …
• European Commission’s Circular Economy Action Plan
• DG AGRI’s AgriResearch factsheet on Water, nutrients and waste
• DG AGRI’s AgriResearch factsheet on Value chains
• "Circular Bioeconomy" search on the EIP-AGRI database of Operational Groups