Increasing global trade and climate change have helped the spread of non-native pests and diseases across Europe, posing major challenges to plant health. The EU-funded Dropsa project is working with 26 partners in Europe, Asia, New Zealand and North America to find safe and sustainable ways to protect Europe's fruit industry.
In a bid to foster a more sustainable and competitive olive-oil sector, the EU-funded BeFOre project is developing a molecular database of the most resilient olive varieties that have the highest agronomical potential.
The EU-funded MARKTHEPIG project is using pioneering genetic research techniques to uncover why particular physical traits occur in certain pigs. The project is expected to advance precision livestock breeding techniques and could lead to a more profitable yet sustainable EU pig-breeding sector.
The EU-funded FieldFOOD project is using innovative electric pulse technologies in a bid to make food processing more resource-efficient and cost-effective. Its solutions will be widely applicable across the sector, with specific focus on SME-uptake.
Demand for natural pigments in the cosmetic and food industry is high, but most blue pigments used in cosmetics and food are still artificial. THE EU-funded BIOVADIA project increased understanding of marennine, the blue pigment in blue diatoms. Research continues and could eventually feed into diverse applications, including use of the pigment and diatoms in cosmetics, medicine and agriculture.
Organic aquaculture production is much in demand, but some traditional fish farmers may need guidance on how to make the switch. The ECOFISH project is developing a model and guide that provide just that, helping to set producers on the path to sustainability and added value.
The water-energy-food nexus presents a unique opportunity for the agriculture industry. An EU-funded consortium of research teams saw this opportunity and introduced a new approach to matching water demand with available energy offer to save water without affecting crop production so that the competitiveness of irrigated agriculture is improved.
Waste prunings from orchards, vineyards and olive groves could be a valuable source of biomass energy and help boost rural economies, say EU-funded researchers. The key ingredient is a sustainable supply chain.
A new European centre of excellence for the development of advanced technologies in sustainable agriculture and food security will open in Serbia with the aim to boost economic growth in the region.
