Urban agriculture comes with its own share of environmental impacts. Circular strategies promise to reduce these impacts, but not all strategies are resource efficient and environmentally effective.
This paper finds that the most eco-friendly and circular strategies for urban agriculture, taking a Mediterranean tomato crop as a case study, include:
Struvite (phosphate mineral recovered from wastewater treatment) instead of non-renewable phosphate fertiliser to conserve freshwater
Recycled steel and materials for urban agricultural infrastructure to reduce carbon emissions, toxicity and freshwater pollution
Closed-loop irrigation to minimise ocean and freshwater pollution. However, if new infrastructure is required, it could lead to an increase in carbon emissions.
The slow flower movement is growing in Europe and aims to provide local, seasonal and organic flowers. Why? Because the international flower industry is very harmful to nature and has major negative impacts in developing countries.
In this project, a subset of Science Based Targets Network (SBTN) partners have developed an approach with Bel Group for setting Science-Based Targets (SBTs) for nature in a single dairy farming landscape. A proof of concept for determining ecological thresholds has been developed that can be used as the basis for setting science-based targets for nature within a Dutch dairy landscape.
Project partners have worked with the Initial Guidance of the SBTN, and used the Biodiversity Monitor for the Dairy Farming Sector (Biodiversity Monitor) (an instrument developed through a collaboration of FrieslandCampina, Rabobank and the Dutch chapter of the WWF) as the basis for target and Key Performance Indicator (KPI) development.
Horizon Europe Framework Programme has published a call on circular economy and bioeconomy sectors. The deadline for submissions is 15 February 2022.
The successful proposal will support the European Green Deal with a topic that will support the transition towards a sustainable, regenerative, inclusive and just circular economy across regions of Europe at local and regional scale.
Agroamb Prodalt SL is a rural SME working in the primary sector. It provides agricultural services for farmers and organic fertilisers from biodegradable waste generated in the primary and agri-food sectors. Its process sanitises biodegradable waste and animal by-products with lime and produces organic fertilisers (turning these waste materials into resources).
The sixth EU Raw Materials Week will take place from 15 to 19 November 2021, bringing together stakeholders to discuss policies and initiatives in the field of raw materials.
During the online event on Bio-based solutions for the green and digital transition on 16 November, you will learn how to upcycle woody biomass residues into valuable and innovative products.
