Algae grown, harvested and processed using new techniques developed by EU-funded researchers could supply greener alternatives to common ingredients - putting more eco-friendly cosmetics on the shelf and adding more sustainable foods to the menu.
An advanced biofuel plant under construction in Romania is at the centre of an EU-funded project to prove the environmental and economic benefits of producing cellulosic ethanol from agricultural residues.
EU and industry researchers are developing an innovative biorefinery which will convert by-products from the dairy industry into valuable materials that can be used to produce bio-based products, including biodegradable plastic, feeding into the EU's expanding bio-based sector.
The food industry will face significant challenges in the future. However, an EU-funded project has created an international research network capable of confronting environmental threats as well as consumer demand for traceable, ethical ingredients.
EU-funded researchers are using innovative genomic and microfluidic technologies to identify useful enzymes in nature which could reduce the need for toxic chemicals, save energy, and boost the overall sustainability of a range of industries, from agriculture to pharmaceuticals.
The global bioeconomy is growing, but it must overcome hurdles including avoiding competition with land used for food production. An EU- and industry-funded project is exploring using contaminated and waste land for biocrops.
EU-funded researchers have delivered new knowledge on the artificial mass-rearing of certain species of flies. The findings are particularly timely since European legislation recently opened the door for some farmed fly species to be used as feed in the aquaculture sector.
Food-processing technology advances can help producers make healthier, more attractive food with a longer shelf life. To boost uptake of new methods, an EU-funded project has trialled three promising technologies under industrial conditions.
By adapting the Andean lupin to grow as a biomass crop in Europe's poorest soils, the goal of the EU-and industry-funded LIBBIO project is to supply a range of products to the food, animal feed and cosmetics industries.
Understanding the roles land management and its uses play in the overall climate system is critical to mitigating the potential effects of climate change. EU-funded research is helping to enhance our knowledge of these interactions.
