Sheep production in Europe is on the decline - meaning the EU is now importing more sheep meat than ever. That's why an EU-funded project is bringing Europe's leading sheep producing countries together to create new solutions and best practices. As a result, farmers across Europe are already seeing an increase in both sheep production and profitability that will also benefit consumers.
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.
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.
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.
Harvesting white asparagus relies heavily on manual labour, an expense that places a financial strain on farmers. To address this, an EU-funded project has developed an automated harvesting tool that selectively picks only ripe asparagus and doesn’t damage the crop. This saves farmers money, improves crop quality and removes the need for back-breaking work.
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.
For years, researchers have struggled to understand how bees navigate so effectively with such small brains. Now, an EU-funded project has developed new technology to enhance our understanding and to potentially advance efforts in bee conservation. This new knowledge could also be transferred to other sectors, such as engineering.
