Project

About the project

Currently, the farming sector faces a hard challenge: increasing land productivity in a sustainable way. Over the past decades, however, agri-food specialisation has often compromised the presence of soil nutrients. To reverse this trend, the fertiliser industry must supply renewable nutrients: this is possible only by improving the relationships between the farming sector and the bio-based industries.

Objectives

B-FERST’s main objective is to integrate the valorisation of bio-waste in agriculture management plans by creating new circular and bio-based chains starting from bio-waste. Thanks to a direct interaction between farmers and the fertiliser sector we aim at changing the fertilisers’ paradigm by developing 8 innovative fertilisers: specialised nutrients will be provided by tailor-made dosing adapted to farmers’ needs to improve both the efficiency and the sustainability.

B-FERST:

  1. valorises underexploited bio-wastes for sustainable agricultural management
  2. develops 8 new green fertiliser consumer products to be sold at competitive prices based on nutrient recovery;
  3. reduces raw materials’ dependence by replacing 15- 40% with bio-waste;
  4. improves fertilisers’ sustainability and their management in agriculture;
  5. cuts water and energy consumption as well as the carbon footprint by 10%;
  6. defines guidelines for certification and quality standards at EU level;
  7. improves farmers’ economy thanks to the development of tailor-made nutrients.

Impacts

Development of integrated and sustainable value chains

B−FERST will change the market uptake of fertilisers in intensive agriculture by demonstrating and introducing 3 new integrated and sustainable value chains whereby bio−waste will guarantee a secure and sustainable supply of biomass feedstock. This approach will contribute to decarbonise the fertiliser sector by replacing fossil-based products with bio-based by-products. B− FERST’s expects to reduce at least by 10% the carbon footprint of the fertilisers’ production and thus their environmental impact.

Usage of unused sources

B−FERST consortium will validate new demonstration processes able to integrate the incorporation of bio−waste in form of solid nutrients from ashes, struvite or compost, and Non−Microbial Plant Biostimulant from biomass, to obtain advanced bio−based fertilisers.
The project will allow the substitution of 15-30% of mineral raw material by bio-waste residues. All bio−based products will include between 10 and 43% of bio−based material rate.

Competitive rural economy in the EU

The B−FERST consortium will setup five demo pilots in different geographical areas (Spain, Italy, France, Poland and Ukraine). Know-how and good practices will be transferred and replicated both locally and in other areas. Direct involvement of end users in the whole value chain to create the right environment for product acceptance will be facilitated and promoted.

Partners

The B-FERST consortium is composed of a multidisciplinary team with expertise in every aspect of the whole fertiliser value chain as well as in transversal activities. The team includes large companies, SMEs, research entities and non-profit organisation for a total of 11 partners from 6 countries.

Sister projects

B-FERST collaborates with similar projects, and shares knowledge and experience, to increase the impact of our activities and results.