• The European CAP Network announces 30 nominations for Operational Group projects for the 1st EIP-AGRI Innovation Awards 2024
• The awards consist of 6 categories plus a popular vote award, in which the public will select their favorite project.
• The 1st EIP-AGRI Innovation Awards 2024 will be held on May 7 in Estoril, Portugal, as part of the EIP-AGRI Operational Groups: Innovation in Practice Conference.

There are a multitude of innovative projects in the European agricultural sector—led by Operational Groups (OGs) —aimed at alleviating the challenges currently facing agricultural and rural activity. These projects are essential for offering solutions and deserve to be known so that their experience can be applied and transferred to as many geographical areas as possible. In this effort to achieve recognition, the European CAP Network has announced the 1st EIP- AGRI Innovation Awards 2024 for OGs.

Thus, 30 projects have been nominated to compete in the six categories of the awards:

1. Sustainable management of natural resources in agricultural practices
2. Business models in food supply chains
3. Animal welfare and husbandry
4. Mitigation and adaptation to climate change
5. Sustainable forest management
6. Digitalization

Within each category, five projects have been selected as finalists . From these nominees, one winner will be selected for each category, chosen by the awards jury. A seventh award will also be presented to the "public favorite," based on the virtual votes cast by the public for their favorite projects.

Spanish finalists

The European CAP Network has selected, within their respective categories, three Spanish Operational Groups (OG) for the final:

1. GO SUBALMA – Improving the productivity and sustainability of subterranean drip irrigation systems that use olive mill waste as fertilizer through the use of nanobubbles

Category : Climate change mitigation and adaptation

This GO addresses water and fertilizer conservation in a climate-resilience context, as well as introducing new business opportunities for farmers beyond olive oil. The project establishes circular economy strategies for the reuse of olive mill byproducts as fertilizers using techniques that ensure maximum water efficiency.

The proposed technique focuses on the use of subsurface irrigation and the injection of nanobubbles into olive mill effluents, reducing the use of synthetic fertilizers in precision irrigation. This increases olive grove productivity, saves water, reduces labor, minimizes herbicide use, and increases fertilizer efficiency.

A larger-scale monitoring project is currently underway.

2.  GO PHYTODRON – Validation and Safety of Aerial Drone Applications in the Agroforestry Environment

Category : Digitalization

This GO integrates drone technology into agriculture, especially in the application of plant protection products (PPP). Why? Drones offer precision and minimize waste and environmental impact. The project was created with the goal of regulating the use of drones: safety, sustainability, effectiveness, and their regulatory framework.

To this end, farmers from various sectors collaborated with representatives from the agri-food industry, research institutions, and regulatory bodies. The results yielded regulatory protocols and awareness-raising activities that can be replicated in various agricultural settings across Europe.

3. GO SUBER – Global modernization of the cork sector: mechanization, improved working environment, optimization of organization and trade

Category : Sustainable forest management

This GO addresses the challenges of cork extraction, promoting new protocols that foster safety and gender diversity in the sector. Thus, the project has developed patented tools such as electromechanical debarking grippers and new protocols based on the latest technologies. In fact, it has developed new applications for virgin and granulated cork, testing new uses as industrial raw materials. The project has facilitated the licensing of patents and their adoption by the industry.

The project also proposes occupational health and safety protocols , including greater access for women to the cork-stripping profession. These protocols have given rise to the "CorkClass" quality guide.

The results can be applied in Portugal, France, Italy, and North Africa.

Now that the Spanish projects have been described, we remind you that you can vote for your favorite. Voting closes on May 3, 2024, at 11:59 PM.

Conference “EIP-AGRI Operational Groups: Innovation in Practice”

The awards ceremony is part of the "EIP-AGRI Operational Groups: Innovation in Practice" conference , which will take place on May 7, 2024, in Estoril, Portugal. The objective of this meeting is to disseminate the results achieved by European OGs, foster networking and knowledge exchange, support the next generation of innovative projects, and encourage collaboration between transnational and/or cross-border OGs.

In the 2023-2027 CAP, GO projects remain a key tool for innovation in the agricultural and rural sectors and for knowledge exchange. By December 2023, according to data provided by EIP-AGRI (the support unit of the European CAP Network for Innovation and Knowledge Exchange), more than 3,400 projects had been notified to the European Commission.