Aerial sugarcane field in Brazil

Activities:

FIRST PHASE

In the first phase, we will set up and prepare our study by getting in motion a genuine multi-actor approach to stakeholder engagement that covers the quintuple helix, through the establishment of a Stakeholder’s Network, and an Experts Panel. We will then map the current technological state of play to recover nutrients for fertilising products from secondary raw materials in the EU and AU, cataloguing the recovery/recycling techniques, technologies and derived fertilising products in a comprehensive database. This phase ends by diving further into our EU and African case regions by identifying case studies of existing installations converting secondary raw materials into fertilisers and assessing the market and regulatory framework effect to their performance.

SECOND PHASE

In the second phase, we will develop and assess our solutions by setting up and operating the FERTITEC KEP (accessible here) a virtual space for networking, decision making, good practice and knowledge exchange among key stakeholders of alternative fertiliser relevant sectors. Accompanied by the development of the AI-powered EcoFerti tool which will offer farmers personalised recommendations for the optimal use of alternative fertiliser products. These efforts will be bolstered by assessment of our gathered case studies against technical, environmental and socioeconomic factors to start the road towards determining which may be classed as Best Available Techniques for alternative fertiliser production from secondary raw materials.

THIRD PHASE

In the third phase FERTITEC will instigate a cross-case analysis in terms of effectiveness, efficiency, environmental impact and economic viability, using the insights gained over the preceding two phases. Grounding our final selection in expert knowledge, the candidate Best Available Techniques will be co-validated together with our Expert Panel and Stakeholder Network.

FINALLY

These actions will feed a process of stakeholder’s empowerment, knowledge transfer, mutual learning and good practice exchange. Entailing capacity building programmes on alternative fertiliser products, accompanied by field visits to show studied innovations in practice. Moreover, special efforts will be made to define business models for Best Available Techniques to ensure their commercial viability. We will use these results to define policy briefs and guidelines adapted to all our case regions that help the design of a more supportive framework. Finally, through an EU-AU extrapolation workshop we will engage African policymakers to assure FERTITEC’s lasting, global impact on innovative alternative fertilisers.

Consortium

Consortium

Funded by the European Union under GA no. 101181513. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or REA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

Funded by the European Union under GA no. 101181513. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or REA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.