Phyto-management; curing soil with industrial crops, utilising contaminated and saline land for industrial crop production

Closed

Programme Category

EU Competitive Programmes

Programme Name

Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking

Programme Description

The Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU) is a €2 billion partnership between the European Union and the Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC) that funds projects advancing competitive circular bio-based industries in Europe.

CBE JU is operating under the rules of Horizon Europe, the EU’s research and innovation programme, for the 2021-2031 period. The partnership is building on the success of its predecessor, the Bio-based Industries Joint Undertaking (BBI JU), while addressing the current challenges facing the industry.

 

Programme Details

Identifier Code

HORIZON-JU-CBE-2023-R-01

Call

Phyto-management; curing soil with industrial crops, utilising contaminated and saline land for industrial crop production

Summary

Phytoremediation, the use of plants to remove contaminants from the environment and in particular soils, has become an important approach in ecological engineering. A relatively new area of phytoremediation is phytomanagement in which non-food high biomass yielding crops are used to reduce and control risks arising from soil pollution, while making a profitable and sustainable use of resources possible by extracting contaminants and valorising marketable biomass. the cultivation of industrial crops in contaminated soils offers great environmental benefits and new social and economic opportunities for primary producers, broader society and the entire bio-based value system. Furthermore, this topic addresses phytoremediation techniques for salt-affected soils to better understand the potential of selected high-yielding industrial crops to restore soil fertility and ecosystem services, including in view of the reconversion to future uses (agriculture, recreation etc).

Detailed Call Description

The high biomass yield (productivity) is an important aspect of the topic.

Proposals under this topic should:

  • Test and optimise, validate and monitor the cultivation and production of high-yielding and resilient industrial crops to restore contaminated lands (by heavy metals or organic/inorganic pollutants) or remediate salt-affected soils in support of the biodiversity and climate objectives.
  • Assess resource-efficient pathways in specific case studies for the valorisation and conversion of biomass and recovered compounds for high-value applications, linking with relevant bio-based industry actors, while taking into account the levels of pollution and/or/ salinisation and suitability of the crop for site phytomanagement.
  • Identify and validate economic-viable value chains, end products and applications of bio-based products in which farmers play an active role and generate additional income.
  • Ensure the minimisation of environmental impacts in the context of good agricultural practices and possible sanitary and other safety related implications through guidelines and Life Cycle Environmental Assessments.
  • Include a task to closely cooperate with activities and projects funded under the Mission ‘A Soil Deal for Europe’, and other parallel projects funded e.g., under Horizon Europe., as well as with civil society (e.g. NGOs) to benefit from social innovation, creativity and engagement.

Call Total Budget

€10 000 000

Financing percentage by EU or other bodies / Level of Subsidy or Loan

100%

Expected EU Contribution: €5 000 000

Thematic Categories

  • Environment and Climate Change
  • Land Development
  • Research, Technological Development and Innovation

Eligibility for Participation

  • Farmers Unions
  • Farmers, Agriculturalists
  • International Organisations
  • Large Enterprises
  • NGOs
  • Non Profit Organisations
  • Other Beneficiaries
  • Private Bodies
  • Producer Associations
  • Researchers/Research Centers/Institutions
  • Semi-governmental organisations
  • Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)
  • State-owned Enterprises

Eligibility For Participation Notes

For additional specific conditions, which are described in section 2.2.3 in the CBE JU Annual Work Programme 2023.

Call Opening Date

26/04/2023

Call Closing Date

20/09/2023

EU Contact Point