SMART-UP - Powering Mediterranean Agri-food value chain
About this good practice
The innovations that will be introduced in the context of the Operating Group will allow, through the project in question, to reduce the environmental impact of waste and excess processing of the various production sectors involved, offering new income opportunities through the recovery of bioactive compounds with high added value from waste and production surpluses. All these low-value products, derived from secondary agricultural commodities and industrial processing waste, will be enhanced, using them as raw materials, for the development of a new nutraceutical supplement and for a new formulation for cosmetic use.
To achieve this goal, it is necessary to introduce technological innovations in farms and the acquisition of technical-scientific knowledge related both to the correct management of waste and production surpluses, and to the aspects of feasibility and economic convenience to be undertaken for the production of specific types of nutraceutical products based on citrus fruit derivatives and olive leaves and edible flowers and snail slime.
These are beneficiaries:
JUNGLE FARM
Azienda Agricola COSTANZA IGNAZIO
Azienda Agricola Biologica di PANEBIANCO SALVATORE MARIA
AZIENDA AGRICOLA LA LUMACA MADONITA
MG TRADING
DIPARTIMENTO DI SCIENZE DEL FARMACO - UNIVERSITÀ DEGLI STUDI DI CATANIA
Resources needed
Total budget approved: 466.547,36 €
Total budget allocated: 434.464,18 € VAT included
- Personnel costs: 138.135,23 €
- Travel costs: 6.303,49 €
- Subcontracting and experts: 164.523,18 €
- Intangible and tangible investment: 39.800,00 €
- Goods: 57.218,12 €
- Indirect costs: 28.484,17 €
Evidence of success
The project successfully reduced waste and processing surpluses in various agricultural sectors by recovering valuable bioactive compounds from these by-products, allowing for the development of new products. Two main innovative products were developed: a nutraceutical supplement based on olive leaves and citrus derivatives and a cosmetic formulation using snail slime and edible flowers.
Potential for learning or transfer
An efficient production system must valorise waste, by-products and production surpluses. It is therefore necessary to find a profitable and rational way of using waste that allows to obtain products with high added value that can also be sold in commercial sectors other than the traditional food sector.
These actions guarantee at least a double effect: 1) reduce the costs external to the supply chains for the management of resources, which if not used adequately risk being considered residues, 2) generate additional income and widespread employment in the area.
The methods developed can be adapted to other farms or regions, and scaled up without negative effects, potentially expanding into new markets, including the pharmaceutical sector. The involvement of the University of Catania played a crucial role in the project's success. For a successful transfer, similar collaboration between local research institutions and agricultural enterprises would be beneficial elsewhere .
Further information
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Good practice owner
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