CHALLENGES IN BIO-ECONOMY

1. GeNeSys: Use of By-Products as System Innovation The brown gold: valorisation pathway through composting Viaene J., Reubens B., Vandecasteele B., Willekens K., De Neve S. Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research (ILVO), Burg. Van Gansberghelaan 109, 9820 Merelbeke, BelgiumGhent University, Department of Soil Management, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium • CHALLENGES IN BIO-ECONOMY • increasing societal demand for more sustainable and efficient resource use in the agricultural and fisheries industry • only part of qualitative product is valorised • lots of by-products with low-value applications • often linear unidisciplinary science-driven innovation approach followed • failure to market inventions due to unanticipated bottlenecks • The GeNeSys project combines the above challenges in both a methodological and a thematic objective OBJECTIVES • METHODOLOGICAL OBJECTIVE • To devise instruments that support • the development of successful system innovations • THEMATIC OBJECTIVE • To optimise the valorisation of • animal and plant by-products Challenges in agriculture • Improve soil organic matter and soil quality and at the same time avoid nutrient leaching • Improve closure of nutrient and material cycles and decrease the dependency on external inputs (mineral fertilizer, pesticides, cultivation substrate, …) without considerably increasing costs • Outstanding, high quality designer compost is part of the solution because: • Part of the biomass and nutrients are recycled  more efficient use of production resources • Compost characteristics fit the expectations of the end-user • Compost contributes to the supply of effective organic matter • Nutrients in compost are released slowly  prevents nutrient leaching • The mix of organisms in compost  improves soil in biological terms • Long term application of compost can improve the disease resistance of the soil • High temperatures during the process  suppresses weed seeds and germs • But despite the numerous advantages: • Diversity and availability of feedstock and varying composting circumstances • Shortage in fibre-rich materials due to high demand for energy • Logistic & institutional limitations • Economic feasibility? CASE: COMPOSTING • Aim: Development of qualitatively outstanding, economically feasible compost products for various applications in agriculture and horticulture in Flanders • Transdisciplinary and participatory research involving all relevant stakeholder groups (farmers, horticulturists, compost sector, nature sector, scientists, policymakers, etc.) • Possibilities to incorporate underutilized, often more difficult, ‘green’ by-products from vegetables, discards, manure • Possibilities to cooperate with nature-management sector for ‘brown’ by-products (wood chips, clippings, sod cuttings, …) jarinda.viaene@ilvo.vlaanderen.bewww.ilvogenesys.be