Involving French and Spanish partners based around the Pyrenees, the ORHI project, a REGIOSTARS finalist in 2021, has contributed to the development of a circular economy in the agri-food sector. Through research in the project area and countries including Japan, and visits to exhibitions, ORHI identified commercially available methods for using organic and plastic waste generated at all stages of food production. This has led to the compilation of two catalogues: one containing solutions for use of by-products, the other detailing circular business models.

ORHI began by determining the main obstacles to the creation of a circular economy, before identifying potentially useful technologies and disseminating information among businesses. With support from the partners, seven organisations have already implemented ORHI’s solutions and testing is at an advanced stage in a further four.

Research into the use of a ‘nanobubble’ generator to accelerate the growth of cultures and prevent crop diseases, was conducted by Neiker – the Basque Institute for Agricultural Research and Development. This technology could be transferred to hydroponic urban farming, in which plants are cultivated using mineral nutrient solutions in an aqueous solvent, rather than soil.

Similarly, the Truite de Banka fish farm has integrated aquaponics into its processes, allowing waste water from the farm to irrigate plants grown on-site. It is expected that nanobubble technology will soon be used in fish farms in the region.

A collaboration between rural development association, ARDEAR and technology centre, APESA put an anaerobic digestion unit into operation on a farm to turn agricultural waste into biogas. Industrial firm, MCube  set up small anaerobic digestion plants on another four farms and in a food processing company, enabling them to transform their organic by-products into energy.