BioRural seeks to promote currently available small-scale bio-based solutions with a view to strengthen Bioeconomy in European rural areas. To this purpose, BioRural has identified the following “success stories” (covering all Bioeconomy Themes) coming from all 4 geographic quartiles in Europe in which the BioRural consortium operates.
Meet our success stories!
“Bio-based Garden”
The “bio-based Garden” success story refers to crop testing as raw material for bio-based products. The garden investigates in the last 10 years the cultivation, harvesting, and handling of about 80 crops of which the products and by-products are used for different applications (i.e., colouring, natural pesticides, antioxidants, building materials, insulation, tiny houses, etc.). Alternative soil conditioning and biofertilization is utilized to increase sustainability.
- Who: DELPHY
- Where: the Netherlands
- Bioeconomy theme: Biomaterials, both from platform molecules as well as fiber applications
“Bioplastics by NP”
NP designs and produces bio-based and biodegradable polymers (bioplastics). NP develops more than 200 new formulations per year based on polymers produced from first generation biomass like sugars and starch extracted from cereals or sugar cane, but also from wastes or by-products of several industrial activities.
- Who: NaturePlast (NP)
- Where: France
- Bioeconomy theme: Biomaterials
“Fish Welfare”
Pustelnia produces fish, mainly carp and trout. Carp is produced in naturally preserved fishponds covering nearly 400 ha. The fish are fed with plankton (naturally occurring in the pond), sustainably produced cereals and trout is fed with high-quality fodder based only on natural ingredients, to provide optimal conditions closest to their natural diet.
- Who: Pustelnia
- Where: Poland
- Bioeconomy theme: Aquatic/water systems, Food/ agriculture
“Latvia’s State Forests”
“Latvijas valsts meži” (LVM) is a join stock company, owned by the state. It is managing ~1.6 million ha of forests (is is about half of the country’s forests or quarter of the country’s area).
The overall strategic objective of LVM is to implement the sustainable (economically profitable, environmentally friendly, socially responsible) management of the state’s strategic assets, including state forest property, and the development of the necessary infrastructure, services and knowledge.
- Who: LNM
- Where: Latvia
- Bioeconomy theme: Forestry/natural habitats, Food/ agriculture, Aquatic/water systems, Bioenergy, Biomaterials
“Olive pomace gasification”
Aceites Guadalentin olive oil mill has pioneered the first gasification plant of dried olive cake operating at full scale in the agroindustry facility. The innovation stems from the need and opportunity to manage locally the so-called olive pomace. This wet by-product is usually object of transport to be brought to final users, as can be olive pomace oil extraction industries or bioenergy plants.
The solution adopted by Aceites Guadalentín follows the BIOLIZA vision and approach to full circularity of olive oil mills.
- Who: ACEITES GUADALENTIN and BIOLIZA
- Where: Spain
- Bioeconomy theme: Food/ agriculture, Bioenergy, Biomaterials
“Forest debris management and fire prevention”
SCIVEN’s activity endorses municipalities, elderly centers and hotels from rural areas, where debris from forest and agroforestry management are plentiful providing solutions and equipment for the valorization of that biomass through the simultaneous production of heat and electrical power (when possible) at a community level.
- Who: SCIVEN
- Where: Portugal
- Bioeconomy theme: Bioenergy
“Staramaki”
Staramaki is a Social Cooperative based in a rural region in the North of Greece in the area of Kilkis that utilizes the by-product of local wheat cultivation, to create a viable eco-friendly alternative to single-use plastic straws and at the same time create employment opportunities for vulnerable groups of people, promote social cohesion, as well as local and regional development. Staramaki incorporates both environmental and social objectives, supporting the circular economy by capturing value from agricultural waste in order to produce a biomaterial.
- Who: Staramaki
- Where: Greece
- Bioeconomy theme: Food/ agriculture, Forestry/natural habitats, Aquatic/water systems, Bioenergy, Biomaterials
“Algae production in wastewater”
Algae biomass can be used for animal feed, biofuels, biomaterials, organic fertilisers, and soil amendments to improve the soil quality. Valuable compounds for (phyto)pharmacy and cosmetics can be extracted as well. Bio-stimulants and bio-pesticides from algae have already been shown to be very effective in agriculture. Algae can also be used for food (Spirulina, Chlorella) if the wastewater is pre-treated or comes from a side-stream of food production or processing.
- Who: ALGEN
- Where: Slovenia
- Bioeconomy theme: Aquatic/water systems, Food/ agriculture, Forestry/natural habitats, Bioenergy, Biomaterials