Horticulture produces large quantities of 'green waste', such as plant residue (stalks and leaves), unsalable vegetables and fruit, or over production in certain periods of the year. This waste is being thrown away sometimes, used for making compost, animal food, or for the production of bio-gas. In the BioBoost project the possibilities for high-quality use of horticultural waste and plant substances are being researched and put to use.
Nine research partners, from Belgium, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, combine their knowledge to develop new applications out of the waste products for the bio-economy. In Flanders, ILVO, Inagro, and Vives are participating. The project is called BioBoost, will run for 3 years, and started in 2017. On Thursday June 21, 2018 the first stakeholders meeting for growers and companies in Flanders will be organised and will be held at Inagro, with the title "Agro-food waste flows: from cost items to revenue source." Policy specialists and European companies tell how they cooperate to help organize the bio-economy in the horticultural sector.
High-quality valorization overproduction
Bart van Droogenbroeck (ILVO/Food Pilot): "In Flanders we aim for high-quality valorization of overproduction and class 2 tomatoes, but also courgette, pointed peppers, and cucumbers, into processed food product or ingredients. The use of innovative processing technology offers new possibilities. The low-oxygen grinding and fractioning of wet bio mass is one example of this."