Antonio Bartolomé Mena Rubio, Territorial Delegate for Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development in Almería, will open the webinar “LIFE NextFUMIGREEN: New Toxic-Free Agriculture.”

  • Next Tuesday, 18th of June, at 10:00 CEST at Tecnova’s headquarters in Almeria.
  • Organised by the Finnova Foundation, the event will bring together European experts to discuss the advantages of using green alternatives to chemical fumigants.
  • With a hybrid format, face-to-face in Almeria and online, the event will take place from 10:00 to 12:00 CEST.

The Territorial Delegate of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development in Almeria, Antonio Bartolomé Mena Rubio, will inaugurate the webinar “LIFE NextFUMIGREEN: New Toxic-Free Agriculture” on Tuesday, 18 June, at 10:00 CEST at the Tecnova headquarters. Organised by the Finnova Foundation, the hybrid event is part of the European Green Week 2024 and will feature presentations by European experts who will address the advantages of using green alternatives to chemical fumigants.

The day will analyse the current situation of the use of fumigants and the existing alternatives to align with the European Green Pact and the protection of the environment. It will be attended by institutional representatives, partners of the LIFE NextFUMIGREEN project that will test the effectiveness of a new type of fumigant plant protection product based on natural active ingredients in the protection of the most representative crops in greenhouses, and leaders of other European projects who will share their success stories.

On the institutional side, in addition to the territorial delegate, Heinz-Joachim Höfer, a member of the European Committee of the Regions, and Mónica Garcia Aguilar, Policy Officer at the Pesticides and Biocides Unit of the Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety of the European Commission, will be present. Both will offer the European vision on the challenges facing agriculture within the framework of the Green Week.

The second block, “Solutions to Offset the Traditional Use of Agrochemicals Aligned with the Green Pact,” will feature presentations by the partners of the LIFE NextFUMIGREEN project. Francisco Calderón, from FumiHogar, will talk about fumigant technology to maximise the effectiveness of phytosanitary products; Carolina Martinez, from Tecnova, will address innovations that reduce dependence on agrochemicals; Marta Bachs, from B&B Asesores, will explain regulatory trends in phytosanitary products; Abel Zaragoza, from Comercial Química Massó, will present alternatives to conventional agrochemicals; and José Luis Bustos, from Brioagro, will talk about sensors to minimise the use of inputs.

European funds and financing possibilities will be the focus of the third block, presented by Finnova. Its CEO, Juanma Revuelta, will explain the different European funding options and access to the LIFE Programme, 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 17 September 2024.

The fourth and final block will cover synergies and solutions. Carlos Ramos, from FumiHogar, will explain the LIFE NextFUMIGREEN project and its contribution against agrochemicals aligned with the Green Pact. Mónica González, from Agrobio, will present semi-natural habitats as restorers of biological control in agriculture. Gonzalo Reguera, from Ekko Gis Environmental Solution, will present cutting-edge environmental solutions. Finally, Patricia Cavanillas, from the Finnova Foundation, will present 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).

Inscription

Those interested in attending this free event can do so by registering via the following links:

In-person: https://www.eventbrite.es/e/862820518397?aff=oddtdtcreator

Online: https://www.eventbrite.es/e/884933318377?aff=oddtdtcreator

About LIFE NextFUMIGREEN

LIFE NextFUMIGREEN is a European project that seeks to develop natural fumigants from plant extracts to control primary pest populations in horticultural greenhouse 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, this project aims to improve food security and biodiversity and contribute to the professionalisation 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, working for the promotion and development of innovation and entrepreneurship in the EU. FINNOVA’s experience in leading communication and dissemination activities for European projects is combined with a proven track record in business creation and entrepreneurship support programmes, such as accelerators, incubators and events, as well as its commitment to training and employability of young people.