- Antonio Bartolomé Mena Rubio, Territorial Delegate for Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development in Almeria, inaugurated yesterday the webinar “LIFE NextFUMIGREEN: new toxic-free agriculture” held at Tecnova’s headquarters in Almeria.
- Organised by the Finnova Foundation, the event brought together European experts to discuss the advantages of using green alternatives to chemical fumigants.
- The LIFE NextFUMIGREEN project seeks to ensure the economic sustainability of the European farmer.
The territorial delegate for Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development in Almeria, Antonio Bartolomé Mena Rubio, inaugurated yesterday at the headquarters of Tecnova, the webinar “LIFE NextFUMIGREEN: new toxic-free agriculture”. Organised by the Finnova Foundation, the hybrid event was part of the European Green Week 2024, and featured presentations by European experts who addressed the advantages of using green alternatives to chemical fumigants.
“Almeria is a leading province in the sustainable use of water and in the production of food without waste. Our province is one of the main suppliers of fruit and vegetables in Europe. For this reason, from our region we give special importance to the production of quality and sustainable vegetables,” Antonio Mena stressed. “We intend that with innovation it is possible to achieve the economic sustainability of the producer, following the good environmental practices that are already in place. Projects such as LIFE NextFUMIGREEN are an example of a necessary project to transfer innovation tools to the farmer that are really applicable,” he concluded.
The conference analysed the current situation of the use of fumigants and the existing alternatives to align with the European Green Deal and the protection of the environment. To this end, it was attended by institutional representatives, partners of the LIFE NextFUMIGREEN project that will test the effectiveness of a new type of pesticides phytosanitary product based on natural active ingredients in the protection of the most representative crops in greenhouses, and leaders of other European projects who have told their success story.
On the institutional side, in addition to the territorial delegate, Heinz-Joachim HÖFER, member of the European Committee of the Regions, and Mónica Garcia Aguilar, head of Policies in the Pesticides and Biocides Unit of the Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety of the European Commission, were present. Both offered the European vision of the challenges of agriculture within the framework of the Green Week.
The second block, “Solutions to compensate for the traditional use of agrochemicals aligned with the green deal”, featured presentations by the partners of the LIFE NextFUMIGREEN project. Francisco Calderón, from Fumi-Hogar spoke about Pesticides Technology to maximize the effectiveness of phytosanitary products; Carolina Martinez, from Tecnova addressed innovations that reduce dependence on agrochemical products; Marta Bachs, from B&B Asesores, explained the regulatory trends in phytosanitary products; Abel Zaragoza, from Comercial Química Massó, presented the alternatives to conventional agrochemical products; and José Luis Bustos, from Brioagro, spoke about sensors to minimize the use of inputs.
European funds and financing possibilities occupied the third block, with Finnova. Its CEO, Juanma Revuelta, explained the different European funding options and access to the LIFE Programme call, which will grant 571 million euros to finance ideas to conserve nature, protect the environment, adopt climate measures and support Europe’s transition to clean energy. The deadline for submitting projects is September 17, 2024.
The fourth and last block revolved around Synergies and ways of solution. Carlos Ramos, from FumiHogar, explained the LIFE NextFUMIGREEN project and its contribution against agrochemicals aligned with the Green Deal. Mónica González, from Agrobio, presented semi-natural habitats as restorers of biological control in agriculture. Gonzalo Reguera, from Ekko Gis Environmental Solution, presented cutting-edge environmental solutions. Finally, Patricia Cavanillas, from the Finnova Foundation, presented the HIBA+ project – Consolidation and strengthening of the HIBA Network for the sustainability and digital transformation of the agri-food value chain. (Interreg Poctep 2021-2027).
About LIFE NextFUMIGREEN
LIFE NextFUMIGREEN is a European project that seeks to develop natural pesticides from plant extracts to control the populations of primary pests of greenhouse horticultural crops. The project, led by FumiHogar, in collaboration with B&B Asesores, Comercial Química Massó, BrioAgro Tech and Fundación Finnova, and 60% funded by the European Union’s LIFE programme, will last four and a half years and will test the efficacy of a new fumigant biopesticide that is less toxic than conventional ones. With a total budget of 2,758,921.01 euros, this project aims to improve food security and biodiversity and contribute to the professionalization of farmers in the use of biopesticides.
European Green Week 2024: Towards a water-resilient Europe
The webinar is part of the European Green Week 2024, organised by the European Commission with the aim of raising awareness, promoting and debating European environmental policy.
About FINNOVA
FINNOVA is the Spanish-Belgian non-profit foundation based in Brussels and Spain, which works for the promotion and development of innovation and entrepreneurship in the EU. FINNOVA’s experience in leading communication and dissemination activities of European projects is combined with a solid track record in business creation and entrepreneurship support programs, such as
accelerators, incubators and events, as well as its commitment to the training and employability of young people.
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