The main objective of SustainFARM is to enhance agronomic, environmental and economic performance of integrated food and non-food production systems (IFNS) by optimizing productivity and valorizing woody components, residual wastes and co-products. IFNS are systems in which trees, crops and livestock components are integrated in different ways at different scales(plot-field-farm).
The specific objectives are to:
a) assess resource use efficiency and design innovative and cost-effective IFNS for optimum productivity,
b) develop sustainability metrics to assess agronomic productivity and environmental performance
c) valorization of the woody components, residual waste and co-products into high value bio-energy carriers and bio-products.
To achieve the objectives, SustainFARM has adopted an innovative case-study approach, whereby locally relevant IFNS are already identified, to work in close collaboration with the local end-users of the technology such as farmers, advisory services and policy makers. By involving the end-users and other stakeholders from the start of the project activity, we will co-generate technology, relevant at the local scale to address productivity issues and enhance valorisation of the unused, residual and co-products.
SustainFARM project is led by the University of Copenhagen, with partners in Germany, Spain, Italy, Romania, Poland and the UK.
SustainFARM is funded through the FACCE SURPLUS ERA-NET Co-fund formed in collaboration between the European Commission and a partnership of 15 countries in the frame of the Joint Programming Initiative on Agriculture, Food Security and Climate Change (FACCE-JPI).