Pioneering sustainable agriculture

LIST has recently launched the LIFE project, a groundbreaking initiative aimed at revolutionizing the agri-food system in Europe and beyond. This project, funded by the FNR and Green ERA-Hub, aims to address the pressing challenges posed by climate change on food security.

In a period of unprecedented global challenges, such as climate change and resource scarcity, the agri-food system is confronted with a number of risks and threats to food-security worldwide. Between extreme weather events, water supply problems, fertilizer and nutrient scarcity or over-application, as well as the emergence of new diseases, the agri-food system must embark on a paradigm shift in which climate-resilient, water and resource-efficient, and self-sustainable systems become the norm.

In this context, locally sourced fertilizers for closed-loop hydroponic farming systems emerge as a sustainable option due to their ability to recapture and reuse water resources, utilize natural upcycled fertilizers, and offer controlled, predictable, and improved food security, regardless of climatic conditions. However, these systems still require a reliable source of sustainably sourced nutrients that are not currently available.

Revolutionizing the agri-food system

This is where the LIFE project, coordinated by LIST, comes in. Throughout this international collaboration, the researchers aim to transform traditional agricultural waste – specifically animal manure – into safe, rich, organic, liquid fertilisers using novel bacterial and chemical transformation technologies coupled with process automation. These liquid fertilisers will be utilized in an on-site, closed-loop, hydroponic farm designed to grow regionally important crops, thereby proving their efficacy and viability.

To ensure the stability and safety of the fertilizers produced, the project will benefit from LIST’s expertise by developing Digital Twin (DT) technologies that control the transformation process and monitor crop evolution on the hydroponic farms. “The DT virtual representation, along with models simulating the different behaviours of physical entities (i.e. crops, and manures), will streamline fertilizer production, maximize crop yield and help reduce the use of conventional fertilizers and natural resources like water,” declared Maria Rita Palattella, researcher at LIST and coordinator of the LIFE project.

Demonstrating feasibility with a pilot farm

To show how the LIFE project's innovative and sustainable approach is both technically and commercially viable, a pilot farm will be set up in Luxembourg with the help of Fësch Haff SARL. This farm will combine cutting-edge features and technologies, such as its state-of-the-art technology for upcycling manure into a bioavailable liquid fertiliser, a model R&D hydroponic farm for growing crops without soil and a novel rainwater-capture system for autonomous agricultural water requirements. It will also use other advanced technologies, designed and developed by LIST, including a Digital Twin system and various sensors and actuators, to monitor and control the farming processes.

“The LIFE project is poised to make significant contributions to sustainable agriculture through advanced fertilizer production methods,” concluded Maria Rita. Indeed, the transformative shift towards a sustainable and interconnected agriculture system should not only enhance fertilizer efficiency and increase the use of natural resources, but also help agri-food actors to make informed decisions while embracing a more circular economy approach.

About this international collaboration

To achieve this ambitious goal, the consortium of the project will make use of their complementary expertise. For example, LIST researchers will be responsible both for deploying the digital and integrated solutions and monitoring microbial water quality to detect potential waterborne pathogens. Meanwhile, the Fësch Haff, based in Luxembourg, will provide the infrastructure for installing these green farming solutions, taking care of the manure transformation and rainwater capture system, and implementing the R&D hydroponic farm model.

The Institute of Sociology and Economics of the University of the Bundeswehr Munich will promote stakeholder engagement and assess both business viability and policy compliance. Lastly, University College Dublin will contribute to the intensification of the fertilizer production process.

This LIFE project received funding under the Green Era Hub programme, with the support of  the Luxembourg National Research Fund, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research and the An-Roinn-Talmhaiochta-Bia-agus-Mara Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

Learn more about the project and its partners