EU-funded researchers are tackling crop infestations with a targeted approach to biological pest control. They have used genetic analysis to identify the most effective natural enemies of aphids, mealybugs and other invasive insects. The results are feeding into better pest control approaches to limit crop damage - reducing losses to farmers and increasing food security.
European universities are being encouraged through an EU-funded initiative to set up platforms to boost innovation and co-creation around the use of geo-data and other space-based applications. Their uses range from satellite navigation, geo-mapping and renewable energy to agriculture planning and other areas.
Flax, hemp, kenaf... Fibre crops are used to make objects as varied as clothes, particle board and cosmetics. Research collaboration between Europe and China could help to make them even more attractive as a source of bio-based materials for industrial products. An EU-funded project has mapped out a path.
EU-funded researchers are carrying out a comprehensive analysis of urban food-sharing schemes, examining how they embrace modern technologies like the internet and smart phones. The worldwide study could help people living in cities make more sustainable use of food resources.
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.
Cereals such as maize, wheat and rice account for almost half of all food calories consumed worldwide, but millions of tonnes of these essential crops are lost to disease each year before they reach our plates. An EU-funded project is waging war on cereal diseases to increase yields, strengthen food security and support a growing world population.
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.
Farming can be hit hard by extreme weather events such as drought, heatwaves and severe frosts. An EU-funded project has developed new modelling tools to better forecast the impact of extreme weather on agricultural production in Europe and beyond - important for protecting the global food supply.
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.
EU-funded scientists delved into a special class of proteins to solve the mystery of how creatures such as winter flounder and ocean pout don't freeze along with the waters they live in. The results could lead to new bio-based anti-freeze alternatives for industry, medicine and food-production.
