CONSOLE (November 2020 update)

The fourth project meeting of the Console "CONtract SOLutions for Effective and lasting delivery of agri-environmental-climate public goods by EU agriculture and forestry" was held on 07 & 09 October 2020 through videoconference due to the current sanitary emergency related to COVID19. 

The meeting aimed was to provide a general overview of the activities carried out in the last eighteen months of the project and to plan contingency plans for the next project activities. 

During the meeting, the lessons learnt about the diagnostics of extended experiences on agro-environmental climate public goods (AECPG, s) were discussed. As well as some recommendations were presented such as: addressing contracts to specific regions, the definition of clear AECPG objectives, the involvement of land managers, simple and clear design of contractual solutions, a fair payment level, including elements of collective agreements. Results-based solutions and collective solutions do not fit all contexts.  

Furthermore, participants also discussed activities related to the development of a draft catalogue of practical solutions. The catalogue will show existing successful experiences and good practices in AECPG's contracts based on case studies that will be presented in a model that can be used as an example for professionals including suggestions for replicas. It will also create a "design guide" intended as a systematic and comprehensive process for the design of AECPGs contracts, including the conceptual framework, determining design variables, legal and technological aspects and the roles of different levels of governance in implementation. 

The project partners also discussed in detail the implementation of the next activities concerning pan-EU surveys on farmers and other rural landowners, the survey of other key actors and stakeholders, digital workshops that will all take place online, due to the current health situation of COVID-19. 

The CONSOLE project aims to promote innovation in the sustainable delivery of agri-environmental-climate public goods in EU agriculture and forestry. The CONSOLE framework will allow for better design and facilitate the implementation of innovative contractual solutions for the supply of AECPG under various conditions across the EU. 

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SmartProtect (November 2020 update)

The SmartProtect project is a thematic network focused on interregional knowledge sharing of SMART IPM solutions for farmers and consultants. AREFLH would like to inform you this month that the SmartProtect IPM Thematic Network project is listed in the thematic networks of the EIP-AGRI Service Point networks in the health plant category. EIP-AGRI is a European platform for the exchange of knowledge on sustainable agriculture and horticulture.  

Thematic networks are multi-actor projects that gather existing knowledge and best practices on a given topic to make them available in formats that are easily understood by end users such as farmers, foresters, advisors and others. They are currently 34 Thematic networks funded under Horizon 2020 calls 2014-2019 .  

For more information see the full list of EIP-AGRIs  

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 How RNAi Works  

Ribonucleic acid (RNA) interference, often abbreviated as RNAi, is a new technique that allows precise targeting and then turning off specific genes inside an organism’s cells. The mechanism behind RNAi was first described at the turn of the 21st century.  

RNAi disrupts the process of extracting the information stored in an organism’s DNA and using it to produce proteins, thus interfering with physiological processes at a cellular level. Proteins are essential components of all living organisms on the planet Earth. 

RNAi prevents mRNA from getting to ribosomes in one piece. This is done by applying another molecule, called a double-stranded RNA, or dsRNA for short, that matches the target mRNA in its structure. (I know that there are perhaps too many RNAs to keep track of in this text, but there is not much that I can do about it). This molecule enters the cell, reacts with a few special proteins that are already present in the cell, and then literally shreds the target mRNA. As a result, no information is delivered to the ribosomes and no new proteins are produced.  

How RNAi works in Insect Control 

RNAi is a powerful technique that has many potentials uses in biotechnology and medicine. One of the promising applications is developing new insecticides. We can identify a specific gene that is unique to an organism belonging to a given pest species and is essential for its survival. We can then synthesize dsRNA that matches this gene, get it inside the target organisms, and then kill them by turning off this gene. Non-target organisms that do not have the same gene should not be affected in the process. RNAi allows designing an active ingredient that aims at a specific pest in a specific manner. In the field, such a dsRNA can be delivered to a target insect in two ways. The first one is to genetically modify crop plants to make them produce dsRNA in their foliage 

The second way of deploying insecticidal dsRNA is to produce it at a factory and then spray it on the foliage. There are several such products at different stages of development.

 What RNAi can’t do in Insect Control 

RNAi may well open a new chapter in insect control, complementing and maybe even replacing to some degree synthetic chemicals that currently dominate this field. However, it will not provide a silver-bullet solution that will once and for all protect crops from insect damage. So far, it appears that insecticides containing dsRNA as their active ingredients will have the same problems as their predecessors. 

First, some groups of insects are not particularly responsive to RNAi. Beetles, such as Western corn rootworm and Colorado potato beetle mentioned above, are generally susceptible. However, caterpillars, as well as aphids, leafhoppers, scales, whiteflies, and their relatives are rather recalcitrant. We do not yet know why this happens, but it may have something to do with their ability to digest dsRNA in their guts before they make it into the cells. 

Secondly, while dsRNA appears to be generally safe to non-target organisms, this safety should not be taken for granted. Some of the genes are similar or even identical among different species. 

Thirdly, insecticide resistance is likely to be an issue for the dsRNA just like it is an issue for other active ingredients. Mutants will arise that will be able to somehow destroy or avoid dsRNA molecules. These mutants will survive, proliferate, and take over the world (or at least the field). 

To know more read the article of CropLife  

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This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under Grant Agreement No. 862563.

Smartprotect project : focus on Thrips

Learn about the genome-enable insights on the 17.000-genes Thysanopotera and IPM fact control

The general objective of LOWINFOOD is to co-design, together with actors of the food chain, low-waste value chains by supporting the demonstration of a portfolio of innovations in the fruits & vegetables, bakery products and fish value chains as well as in a-home and out-of-home consumption. Besides, the LOWINFOOD project wants to provide the demonstration and scale-up necessary to enable replication on the market. The main activities of the project are all focused on assessing the effectiveness of these innovations in reducing food loss and waste. The impact of the innovations will be assessed in terms of the amount of food waste avoided, as well as in environmental and socio-economic terms.

The LOWINFOOD consortium gathers over than 27 institutions from 12 European countries (details below) covering a broad range actor (star-up, SME association, hotel, non-profit association, public institutions, SME, university/research, non-profit research organizations & foundations). The H2020 project will run for the next 5 years and is expected to deliver its results in early 2025.

As a consortium member, AREFLH will be tasked with Innovations against loss of fruit & vegetables and with communicating and disseminating information related to this project.

The Lowinfood consortium

The Lowinfood consortium includes 9 research partners, 8 start-ups and companies providing the innovations, 7 companies and associations working in the food sector, 2 public institutions and 1 partner dedicated to communications and dissemination.

Research partners:  

• Università degli Studi della Tuscia (Coordinator), Italy

• Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna, Italy

• Sveriges Lantbruksuniversitet, Sweden

• Fachhochschule Munster, Germany

• The James Hutton Institute, UK

• Universität für Bodenkultur Wien, Austria

• Tamperen Korkeakoulusaatio SR, Finland

• Harokopio University, Greece

• Österreichisches Ökologie-Institut, Austria

Partners providing innovations:

• Matomatic AB, Sweden

• Foresightee BV, Belgium

• Leroma GmbH, Germany

• Mitakus analytics UG, Germany

• Kitro SA, Switzerland

• CogZum Bulgaria OOD, Bulgaria

• Recuperiamo srl, Italy

• Antegon GmbH (FoodTracks), Germany

Partners belonging to food sectors:

• Unverschwendet GmbH, Austria

• Akademie Deutsches Bäckerhandwerk Nord GmbH, Germany

• Pianeta Cospea srl, Italy

• CNA Associazione di Viterbo e Civitavecchia, Italy

• Assemblée des Régions Europeéennes Fruitiéres, Légumières et Horticoles, France

• L.V.L.AE Blue Meltemi Hotel and Spa, Greece

• Iridanos Inambelos SA Thalassa Hotel, Greece

Public institutions

• Regione Emilia-Romagna, Italy
• Uppsala Kommun, Sweden

Related articles in AREFLH website 

• Find all related articles by clicking here

• Low in Food : innovations to prevent food waste

• Low in Food has set its specific work flow

• Participation to the European Association of Agricultural Economists seminar on 9-10 September 2021

• CozZo app in LOWINFOOD : foodwaste innovation within the house

• General Project Meeting of LOWINFOOD (Feb 2022)

• The Lowinfood project reaches italian supermarkets

• Climate change impact of bread transport in Sweden

• Regusto, an Italian mobile app to redistribute restaurant excess food

• Climate change impact of bread transport in Sweden (March 2023)

• The Lowinfood project has been included in the EU's Innovation Radar platform (April 2023)

• In-depth analysis of food waste components in Sweden

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Kick-off meeting in 2020

The kick-off meeting of the LOWINFOOD project (Low-waste Food value chains through the demonstration of INnovative solutions to reduce FOOD loss and Waste) took place on the 2nd & 3rd of December 2020 in an online meeting, due to the Covid-19 pandemic situation. AREFLH as a partner of this project participated in the online meetings.

The kick-off meeting was the opportunity for the project partner to meet each other and discuss the overall project strategy. The project Officer from REA (Research Executive Agency of the European Commission) and a representative of DG AGRI Research and Innovation Unit. Work package leaders and co-leaders also presented their planned activities and fine-tune management approaches and duties.

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under Grant Agreement No.101000439