Involving French and Spanish partners based around the Pyrenees, the ORHI project has contributed to the development of a circular economy in the agro-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.
- 10 June 2021
‘Each year the EU generates 88 million tonnes of food waste and 25.8 million tonnes of plastic waste. Between 31 % and 39 % of these plastics are destined for incineration and landfill. The ORHI challenge is to use organic and plastic waste more effectively and productively. This will foster the resilient and circular food systems that are needed in urban areas.’
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.
To create synergies between urban and rural entities involved in the food chain, three regional and two cross-border workshops were held. They included thematic group sessions and business-to-business meetings and were attended by 336 companies.
Practical results
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.
Cheesemaker, Axuribeltz has installed technology to turn whey into material that can be used to make other marketable products. Technology company, Ingredalia has developed a method of making pharmaceutical products from broccoli. Finally, Ekoalde, an association of ecological food producers, has improved its logistical processes to reduce its use of plastics.
Advanced testing
Among the solutions for which testing is well advanced are a refrigeration technology that extends the shelf life of fresh food, and freezing technology that extends that of frozen food. After defrosting, it is of similar quality to fresh food.
Further examples are the development of prototype products from the introduction of mycelium – the vegetative part of a fungus – into organic by-products and the elaboration of a business model for turning plastic mulch by-products into urban furniture.
ORHI disseminated information about useful technologies at a demonstration workshop in which a Japanese firm participated, performed studies to ascertain the viability of certain solutions and promoted activities aimed at transferring solutions between companies.
Beneficiaries
‘Thanks to ORHI, we have learnt about the technology for generating nanobubbles. It is a technology widely developed in Japan, but hardly known in Europe, which helps increase productivity in agricultural and fish farming crops. We have decided to acquire a device and open a line of research aimed at its application in hydroponic crops.’
Patrick Riga, Neiker – Basque Institute for Agricultural Research and Development
‘Thanks to ORHI, we have been trained in aquaponics techniques and have developed an experimental unit in our fish farm. This allows us to use the output water from the fish farm as an input for growing the vegetables we will use in our cooked products.’
Michel Goicoechea, Truite de Banka – fish farm located in Banca (Pyrénées-Atlantiques)
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “ORHI” is EUR 1 990 645 with the EU’s European Regional Development Fund contributing EUR 1 293 919 through the “Interreg V-A – Spain-France-Andorra (POCTEFA)” Cooperation Programme for the 2014-2020 programming period. The investment falls under the priority “Conserving and protecting the environment and promoting resource efficiency”.