BIOBOOST-PRO

Context

In the Northwest Europe agricultural system, the use of hydroponics - a technique of growing plants without soil, using water enriched with nutrients - is becoming more and more popular each year. This technique is valuable as it helps saving space and water, and helps diversify food system. 

However, hydroponics is heavily dependent on chemical fertilizers made from petroleum, imported from outside Europe. These fertilizers contain essential nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen, which are limited resources on earth and require a lot of energy to produce. 

At the same time, essential nutrients (such P and N) are lost in the form of non-recycled manure, and livestock farmers are searching for solutions for processing animal manure in order to respect local legislation protecting water quality (EU Nitrate Directive). 

The solution : biponics as a circular farming method. The roll-out of bioponics (a waterbased growing method for crops using organic fertilizers which can be produced from manure) is an opportunity to shift from a linear to a circular process. 

What BioBoost-Pro project brings

BioBoost-Pro tackles the barriers for the uptake of bioponics in NWE (e.g. lack of knowledge) by all  the value chain stakeholders : growers, manure producer/suppliers, authorities, umbrella organisations. This will be done through three main objectives : 

1. Testing bioponics in real life : through 11 pilot set-ups in Belgium, Germany, France, Ireland, and the Netherlands, using organic fertilizers produced from fish, poultry and/or pig manure; 
2. Making bioponics easier to adopt : by the development of transnational tool. This includes 4 business models, 1 methodology for territorial strategy development and 1 toolkit providing hands-on information for value chain stakeholders; 
3. Training and raising awareness : through a  learning network that will connect 60 growers and manure producers/suppliers. The project will also engage 50 policymakers and umbrella organizations through advocacy activities, and run awareness campaigns in the five countries involved.

The ultimate goal: a more sustainable and less polluting agriculture

BioBoost-Pro aims to help the hydroponic sector in Northwest Europe to make the transition from a linear (petrochemical fertilizers) to a circular value chain (organic fertilizers from manure). This will reduce manure pollution and preventing loss of valuable nutrients, thus, supporting a more sustainable agriculture in Northwest Europe.