Creation and promotion of Forest and Agriculture Networks to boost Bio-Based Technologies adoption and Value Chain development.
Summary
BBioNets will help address major challenges such as climate resilience and increased mitigation of GHG emissions, while supporting zero waste and circular economy with biomass reuse, by sharing knowledge and supporting projects that reuse biomass. It will work with EIP AGRI Operational Groups (OG) to manage and process agricultural and forest biomass with bio-based technologies (BBTs).
BBioNets will set up six regional Forest and Agriculture Networks (FANs) in six countries. These will ensure that all AKIS stakeholders are represented. FANs will identify local needs and work with the consortium to decide which BBTs to focus on. They will also use and improve on previous project results. They will help BBioNets share BBT knowledge with farmers and foresters. This will help define new value chains, encourage cross-border collaboration, and make Europe a leader in farming, forestry, and the bioeconomy. BBioNets’ strength lies in its partners’ wide networks, long-established collaborations, extensive knowledge of bio-based technologies and solutions, and long experience in awareness raising, knowledge transfer, capacity building, networking and value chain creation services.
Objectives
BBioNets main aim is to achieve knowledge flow and its appropriate adaptation to local needs, while ensuring that it is transferred in an appealing and easy-to-understand way during the duration of the project. The specific objectives are:
- BBioNets will create a tool to assess BBTs. It will look at costs and benefits. It will match each region’s needs and
resources to the most suitable BBTs, based on technical, environmental, economic, and social aspects. It will help farmers and foresters make better decisions that benefit themselves and the environment. The tool and manual will be on the BBioNets online platform. - BBioNets will create useful and appealing material about BBTs that are most suitable to each region’s needs and sources. The material will be presented in a language that farmers and foresters can understand. It will include videos of farmers and foresters talking about how they used BBTs, short videos explaining BBTs, factsheets, infographics and practice abstracts. All items will be on the BBioNets online platform.
- BBioNets will make its collected information, the BBT assessment tool, and all materials from its online knowledge platform available on its website. The platform will be updated with input from FANs, farmers, and foresters, and with information from relevant initiatives.
Impacts
- Closing the gap between the start of research and the mainstream application of its outcomes in agriculture and forestry.
- Bringing together key stakeholders to engage farmers and foresters and/or their associations/coops. and acquaint them with innovative solutions originating from recently completed and ongoing OGs and other EU-funded projects & initiatives.
- In the short-/medium-term this is expected to increase the adoption of Bio-Based Technologies and incite the creation of new EIP-AGRI Operational Groups.
- In the long-term favourable policy and societal-wise environments to fully implement these technologies and embedding Operational Group projects in agriculture and forestry as essential components of furthering knowledge and innovation.
Project details
Start date:
01 November 2023
End date:
31 October 2026
Funding:
Horizon Europe €1,998,636.20
Project Coordination
Consortium
Teagasc – The Agriculture and Food Development Authority (Ireland)
CREA – Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (Italy)
IUNG – Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation – State Research Institute (Poland)
CTA – Technological Corporation of Andalusia (Spain)
AFS – American Farm School (Greece)
TEPRO Consultores Agrícolas SL (Spain)
FOCUS Strategic Thinking Consultants (Greece)
BIOEAST HUB CR (Czech Republic)
