Event - Seminar

EU CAP Network Seminar ‘Smart circular farming to address high energy and fertiliser prices’

The EU CAP Network Seminar ‘Smart circular farming to address high energy and fertiliser prices’ took place in Porto, Portugal, on Tuesday 6 and Wednesday 7 December 2022.

  • - CET
  • English
  • Portugal

In the context of higher energy and fertilisers costs, the seminar focused on finding innovative solutions for resilient farming and food systems through smart circular economy approaches.

Participants were selection through an open call for expression of interest.

Presentations and all other seminar documents can be found at the bottom of this page.

EU CAP Network Seminar ‘Smart circular farming to address high energy and fertiliser prices’
EU CAP Network Seminar ‘Smart circular farming to address high energy and fertiliser prices’

Event description and objectives

In response to the impacts of the climate crisis and, more recently, the economic consequences and disruptions to food supply due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s war in Ukraine, the prices for agricultural inputs and products have been driven upward. This contributes to the increased vulnerability of food systems and threatens food security in the long term. Trade disruptions, transportation costs and uncertainties regarding global agricultural markets highlight the dependency on agricultural inputs and commodities. Uncertainties related to energy and fertiliser exports from Russia in particular are putting severe pressure on agriculture and food production in Europe.

The current crisis underlines the urgency of efficient and sustainable use of energy and fertilisers to ensure farm resilience, competitiveness and food security during times of high-priced inputs. Innovative solutions are necessary in order to overcome the current deficits in energy availability and the availability of affordable and sustainable fertilisers. These solutions need to focus on using local resources efficiently, reducing input requirements for production and recycling agricultural wastes and by-products. This would create a more circular approach, with great benefits for the rural economy and ensure a transition towards more sustainable ways of food production.

Knowledge and innovation are essential components in lowering consumption of increasingly scarce resources. Collaboration across sectors and among different stakeholders are key to bringing sustainable solutions from the lab to the ground. The increased availability of data and its use through ICT, IOT, predictive tools and precision technologies can allow resources to be targeted in a more effective and efficient way.

Overall aim

Find innovative solutions in response to the accessibility and affordability of energy and fertilisers by building resilient farming and food systems through smart circular economy approaches at farm and local level to safeguard food security and climate objectives.

Specific objectives

  1. Exchange knowledge on successful practices, opportunities and tools relevant for maintaining and enhancing energy security and fertilisers availability and affordability through a circular approach, and specifically on:
    1. Increasing self-sufficiency
    2. Increasing resource efficiency and sustainability
    3. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions
    4. Enhancing cooperation at both farm and local level
  2. Identify challenges caused by lack of energy security and explore potential solutions
  3. Identify needs from practice and possible knowledge gaps and possible directions for further research
  4. Promote networking among EIP-AGRI Operational Groups and other innovative projects and relevant stakeholders

Target Group

The seminar was interactive and focused on exchange of information on good practices and initiatives in EU Member States. There was a diverse range of participants including farmers, advisors, researchers, circular economy specialists, industry representatives…

Idea and project exchange market

Following the seminar, an additional ‘Idea and project exchange market’ took place in the afternoon of 7 December. This involved more one to one interaction and opportunities for individuals and projects to network and exchange ideas to accelerate the uptake of best innovative practices.

Programme

English language

Final programme

(PDF – 222.22 KB)

Resources

English language

Speaker and facilitator bios

(PDF – 423.45 KB)

English language

Participants list

(PDF – 252.22 KB)

English language

Background information field visits

(PDF – 209.76 KB)

English language

Perspectives on agricultural inputs in view of the current geopolitical challenges - Michael Wolf, European Commission, DG Agriculture and Rural Development

(PDF – 1.7 MB)

English language

Agrofossilfree - Konstantinos Vaiopoulos

(PDF – 2.32 MB)

English language

Hyperfarm - Wouter Merckx

(PDF – 2.95 MB)

English language

Fertibio - Elisa Pellegrino

(PDF – 3.33 MB)

English language

GO-Grass - María Rosa Mosquera-Losada

(PDF – 2.13 MB)

English language

Since-AFC - Stamatia Petridou

(PDF – 1.89 MB)

English language

Tips & Tricks for projects applying for Horizon Europe calls - Xurxo Loureiro Veira, EU CAP Network - Innovation & knowledge exchange - EIP-AGRI

(PDF – 406.31 KB)

English language

EU CAP Network - Magdalena Mach, DG AGRI, European Commission, DG Agriculture and Rural Development circular economy

(PDF – 813.34 KB)