Context
Organic farming (OF) faces significant limitations due to its reliance on “questionable” inputs, such as fertilizers, fungicides, and antiparasitic products allowed by European regulations but not always sustainable (e.g., copper, sulfur, non-organic manures). These substances can pollute soils, harm biodiversity, and undermine the credibility of OF as a truly sustainable model.
BIO² aims to overcome these barriers by promoting a more sustainable form of agriculture based on circular economy principles and green biotechnology, using marine residues, microorganisms, algae, and plant extracts. The project aligns with the EU Green Deal and the Farm to Fork Strategy’s goal of reaching 25% organic agricultural land by 2030.
Objectives
The project pursues four main objectives:
- Develop, produce, and test bio-based agricultural products using circular waste (e.g., fish waste, wastewater) and renewable biomass (microalgae, plants, microorganisms).
- Replace controversial inputs with innovative solutions and foster their regulation, registration, and adoption by sector stakeholders.
- Scale up production of these solutions, creating new value chains and promoting their adoption among organic farmers across Europe.
- Assess the environmental impact, safety, and economic viability of the developed solutions to facilitate their integration into sustainable farming systems.
BIO² focuses on developing products for:
- Plant protection (biofungicides, encapsulated biocontrol agents)
- Fertilization (urine-based fertilizers, fish and algae by-products)
- Animal health (plant- and bacteria-based immune stimulants)
Expected results and impact
- Concrete products:
- 1 biofungicide (500 kg)
- 2 sustainable biofertilizers (5 tonnes)
- 1 immune stimulant (20,000 doses/month)
- 1 plant-based antiparasitic (50 kg/month)
- Technical and scientific outputs:
- Agronomic and environmental data validated in several EU countries (Spain, Italy, Germany, Norway, etc.)
- Life cycle assessments (LCA) and economic analyses compared to conventional treatments
- Tools and strategies to support the transition to ecological farming
- Long-term impacts:
- Reduction in synthetic and polluting inputs
- Increased resilience and circularity in organic systems
- New business opportunities based on valorised waste
- Promotion of responsible, sustainable, and economically viable farming models
Website
Participants
Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR) IT; Nofima AS (NOFIMA) NO; Stiftelsen Norsk Senter for Økologisk Landbruk (NORSØK) NO; NIBIO – Norsk Institutt for Bioøkonomi (NIBIO) NO; Università degli Studi di Udine (UNIUD) IT; Università degli Studi di Milano (UMIL) IT; Agroresursu un Ekonomikas Institūts (AREI) LV; Neiker – Instituto Vasco de Investigación y Desarrollo Agrario, S.A. (NEIKER) ES; AZTI Scientific and Technological Centre (AZTI) ES; ACIB GmbH (ACIB) AT; ROMB OOD (ROMB) BG; Grønn Gjødsel AS (GRONN) NO; Fertinagro Biotech SL (FTN) ES; Universität Rostock (UROS) DE; Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski (SU) BG; Norsk Landbruksrådgiving (NLR) NO; Innovation Acta SRL (INN-ACTA) IT; Sanitation360 AB (S360) SE; Asociación Valenciana de Agricultores (AVA) ES; Trade Corporation International, S.A. Unipersonal (ROVENSA) ES
Funding
