The WasteReuse project in collaboration with the European Economic and Social Committee organised a stakeholders Forum on Tuesday 12th May 2015, in Brussels.
The Forum, entitled “Towards Sustainable Use of Agricultural Waste” provided briefing on latest research results and practical experiences regarding the sustainability of agricultural and organic waste types to be reused in farming and will give an opportunity to environmental and agricultural sector representatives and to other stakeholders to discuss the key challenges related to sustainable agriculture and waste treatment and to contribute in these areas.
At the Opening session Ms Dilyana Slavova, President, NAT Section, EESC and Mr Angelo Innamorati, Official, European Commission, DG Agriculture and Rural Development, Unit Environment, Forestry and climate change, addressed the Forum participants, presented the views of the EESC and EC respectively, in relation to Agricultural Waste.
Prof. Konstantinos Komnitsas, the WasteReuse Project Coordinator, presented an overview of WasteReuse research results and the project’s contribution on the sustainable use of Agricultural Waste
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Dr Federico Tinivella moderated the debate at the Session “Greening the EU agriculture – Incentives and benefits for sustainable agriculture” where:
Mr Patrick Wrixon, President of EISA, presented the Integrated Farming, an initiative for Sustainable Development in Agriculture.
Dr. Andreas Stamer, FiBL, Research Institute of Organic Agriculture, provided a new approach to use organic waste in agriculture and it’s relation to the development of the organic market of the Insect technology.
Prof. Nikos Nikolaidis, Technical University of Crete, presented the concept of Agricultural Sustainability-by-Design, focusing on Soil Functions, Soil Services and Trade-offs.
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Dr Maria Teresa Hernandez Fernandez moderated the debate at the Session “Challenges and Solutions in the Mediterranean Countries and in the rest of Europe for the reuse of agricultural waste” where:
Dr. Roberto Altieri, Institute for Agricultural and Forest Systems in the Mediterranean, presented a quality assessment of a simplified method for olive mill waste composting
Mr Wim Vanden Auweele, Chair of the European Compost Network’s Working Group on ‘Quality Assurance for Compost and Digestate’ presented Quality Aspects of recycled biowaste in relation to the ECN-QAS Label (European Quality Assurance Scheme for Compost and Digestive)
Dr Kostas Chartzoulakis, Institute for Olive Tree and Subtropical Plants, presented alternative technologies for olive mill wastewater management with emphasis on soil application
Mr Jose Maria Gomez, President BIOMASA PENINSULAR, SA, presented research projects focusing on agricultural waste and by-products recycling
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Mr Dimitris Micharikopoulos moderated the debate at the Session “What’s Next – An Integrated Scenario for the use of Agricultural Waste“, where:
Mr Pedro Fernandez Molina, technical expert CARM, presented the benefits of organic matter application to the soil
Mr Antonello Pezzini, Member European Economic and Social Committee, representing the group of Employers in EESC,explained how the agricultural waste is interrelated to the circular economy
Ms An Le Nouail, Member European Economic and Social Committee, representing the group of Employees in EESC, provided a holistic approach towards the agriculture waste
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