RESFOOD
RESOURCE EFFICIENT AND SAFE FOOD PRODUCTION AND PROCESSING
GA No. 308316
Deliverable No.
D9.5
Deliverable Title
Organisation
of
two
project
conferences/workshops,
including
proceedings
Document ID
RESFOOD-D9.5-Final v1.0
Dissemination level
PU
Main Author
Milena Patuelli - UNIRESEARCH
Issue date
30/12/2015
EUROPEAN COMMISSION DG Environment
SEVENTH FRAMEWORK PROGRAMME THEME ENVIRONMENT FP7-ENV-2012.6.3-1
RESFOOD-D9.5-Final v1.0
Disclaimer and acknowledgement
This project has received funding from the European
Union's Seventh Programme for research, technological
development and demonstration under grant agreement
No 308316.
This document reflects the views of the author(s) and does not necessarily reflect the
views or policy of the European Commission. Whilst efforts have been made to ensure
the accuracy and completeness of this document, the RESFOOD consortium shall not be
liable for any errors or omissions, however caused.
Document information
Document Change Log
Version
Date
Comments
v0.1
23/11/2015
First draft of document
v0.2
17/12/2015
Second draft of document
v1.0
30-12-2015
First final version, approved by Executive Board, (will
be) submitted to EC.
Document Distribution Log
Version
Date
Distributed to
v0.1
23-11-2015
WP involved people
V0.2
22-12-2015
Coordinator & project manager
Verification and approval
Name
Date
Verification Final Draft by WP leader
Milena Patuelli
30/12/2015
Verification Final Draft by Coordinator
Willy van Tongeren
30/12/2015
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RESFOOD-D9.5-Final v1.0
Executive summary
RESFOOD addresses the most important topics in the food chain towards resource
efficient and safe food production and processing, leading to maximised resource
productivity and recycling and re-use of valuable materials by research and
demonstration of the proposed green solutions: Increased output with reduced input.
The communication and dissemination actions are a crucial element of the RESFOOD
project: it is vital to inform about the project and its results among stakeholders and
practitioners of the sector, to create a consensus among the experts community and to
show the end-users practical and concrete examples on how the project results can be
used, adapted and exploited by the food production and processing industry. To this end,
the organisation of info-sessions or workshops, addressing a small but targeted audience,
was important to train the users of the project results, in particular SMEs and equipment
suppliers: participants could get practical demonstrations of how to apply the project’s
technologies and implement them in their own realities and understand their benefits
both in environmental and economic terms. These info-sessions served both the
communication and the exploitation objectives of the project, as they help create the
conditions for market uptake of RESFOOD research results.
This deliverable contains a description of the three info-sessions which were organised in
three different locations: the first one at M13 of the project in Germany, under the
responsibility of Kronen, addressing water management and decontamination
technologies; the second one at M19 in the Netherlands, under the responsibility of
Demokwekerij, addressing re-use of water and nutrients in horticulture, in particular for
soilless cultivation; and the third one at M28 in Spain, under the responsibility of
ADESVA, addressing efficient ferti-irrigation techniques in horticulture, which was
followed by a training held at the Demo Nursery under the initiative of TNO, presenting
the latest advancement on water recirculation techniques for irrigation.
The organising partners are a supplier active in the food processing sector, an agriculture
partner active in the production sector, and a research partner developing innovative
cultivation techniques, respectively. Such diversification in terms of timing, geographic
and sector positioning, made each session unique in itself: it was possible to present the
RESFOOD results from complementary angles, their progress and their impact all along
the food chain.
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RESFOOD-D9.5-Final v1.0
Table of contents
Disclaimer and acknowledgement ............................................................................ 2
Document information............................................................................................ 2
Executive summary ............................................................................................... 3
Table of contents ................................................................................................... 4
List of figures ........................................................................................................ 4
List of figures
Figures 1, 2 - Willy van Tongeren addresses the plenary of the info-session at the
KRONEN Future Days. ............................................................................................ 7
Figure 3 – Eric Lefebvre, Technical Manager at Kronen, presenting the functions and
advantages of the equipment developed within RESFOOD........................................... 8
Figures 4, 5, 6 – Eric Lefebvre presents the first prototype of the washing machine
developed within RESFOOD..................................................................................... 8
Figure 7 – Presentation and discussion of RESFOOD project results ............................ 9
Figures 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 – Visits to pilot implementation at Demokwekerij ..........10
Figure 14 - Aurelio Gomez from ADESVA presenting the RESFOOD project to the plenary
..........................................................................................................................11
Figure 15 – Visit to to the experimental farm ..........................................................12
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RESFOOD-D9.5-Final v1.0
1. Introduction
1.1.
Background
RESFOOD addresses the most important topics in the food chain towards resource
efficient and safe food production and processing, leading to maximised resource
productivity and recycling and re-use of valuable materials by research and
demonstration of the proposed green solutions: Increased output with reduced input.
Many natural resources (e.g. minerals, water, soil, biomass, land and fuels (energy) are
used to grow and process food products, but in many cases their usage is highly
inefficient, due to the lack of technological solutions and knowledge in combination with
uncertainties about health and safety issues. Another important challenge in the food
chain management is the large amount of wasted food. RESFOOD will overcome the main
bottlenecks and barriers leading to a Resource Efficient Food Chain by:



Developing innovative technologies for re-use of Nutrients, Energy, Water and
Biomass, reducing input, maximizing resource productivity and minimizing waste
Develop new methods for improving the disinfection processes for vegetables
ensuring appropriate monitoring of health and safety risks
Validate the solutions in five on-site pilot demonstrations, also including Life Cycle
Assessment
In the RESFOOD resource efficiency concept the focus is a cascade approach: Look first
for the most efficient solutions with the lowest effort, like direct re-use of warm and cold
water (and energy) nutrients and biomass, followed by more complex solutions like
withdrawal of useful products and energy from the water and the recovery of high
valuable components from food waste (biomass). This will lead to 30 to 75 % reduction
of water, energy and nutrients use, 25 to 80 % less emissions to surface and ground
water, 20-30 % reduction of the use of fertilizer products and overall 20 to 30 % more
crop per resource input, combined with better controlling and reducing food health and
safety risks.
Dissemination and exploitation of results is a crucial element in RESFOOD and a
dedicated work package, WP9 on Dissemination, Knowledge transfer and Exploitation
works for centralizing and organizing the specific actions in this framework. A task of this
WP includes the organisation of at least two conferences/workshops to share and discuss
RESFOOD mid-term results with stakeholders (researchers, industries).
The Dissemination Committee made an evaluation about the planned workshops and
training sessions at the beginning of the project and decided that the project will make
the best use of the upcoming events organized or attended by the partners to create info
sessions and trainings in parallel or within such events to increase the impact and to
create synergies. This would give the possibility of having further opportunities for info
sessions than the two info sessions originally intended.
The info sessions are typically defined as half day sessions to share and discuss project’s
mid-term results with stakeholders. The first part of info sessions is mainly concentrated
on the presentation of the project research activities and focused discussion with the
main scientific project partners. The second part consists of a visit to field test or pilot
demonstration for specific target groups, especially SMEs: end-users and suppliers. If the
info sessions are organized by a research partner where there is no pilot site, photos and
audiovisual means may be used to present the pilot demonstrations.
The organisation of the event is under the responsibility of the local partner, whereas the
communication partner supports by helping with dissemination, setting the registration
form through the website and publishing the information and results on the project
website.
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RESFOOD-D9.5-Final v1.0
These info-sessions serve both the communication and the exploitation objectives of the
project, as they help create the conditions for market uptake of RESFOOD research
results.
1.2.
Purpose of the document
The aim of this document is to provide evidence of the organisation of the info-sessions,
delivering a short description of the three events, presenting their concept and main
results in terms of participation and information delivered.
1.3.
Deviations from original DoW
1.3.1. Description of work related to deliverable as given in DoW
It is worth noting that the DoW objectives set a target of two info-sessions, whereas one
more was organised: the reason was that the format of these workshops proved very
successful and cost-effective in attracting a targeted audience and in training them on
the implementation of the RESFOOD technologies.
One info-session was organised at the beginning of the second year of the project under
the initiative of Kronen in Germany to take profit of the concurrent Kronen Future Days,
a big exhibition specifically addressing the fresh-cut industry. This was considered a
precious opportunity to showcase the ongoing tests at KRONEN on fresh-cut processing
equipment, which were delivering interesting results already at that time of the project.
In addition, the project progress made it recommendable to organise a further session in
Spain, in May 2015, under the initiative of Adesva, to present the pilot results within the
work package on horticulture and in particular on the practices for efficient fertirrigation
on soil and soilless crops which took place in the south-west of Andalusia during the
season 2014-2015.
1.3.2. Time deviations from original DoW
According to the DoW, two info-sessions were planned indicatively at Month 18 and
Month 28. As said above, three were organised, thus adapting the schedule to a new plan
foreseeing the sessions at M12, M19, M28.
1.3.3. Content deviations from original DoW
The activities are conducted within the context of the DoW.
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RESFOOD-D9.5-Final v1.0
2. Info-session
2.1.
Info session: “Water management and decontamination
technologies”, 27-28 November 2013, KRONEN Future Days,
Germany
This info-session was organised on 27-28 November 2013, i.e. at M13 of the project, in
the framework of KRONEN Future Days, in in Kehl am Rhein, Germany.
This info-session was dedicated to the water management and treatment systems
developed by RESFOOD to reduce water and energy consumption.
The main topics addressed were the water management and treatment systems
developed by RESFOOD to reduce water and energy consumption in fresh-cut vegetable
processing and new physical and chemical decontamination technologies offered by the
project as an alternative to chlorine. The info-session also provided a practical insight to
participants during the visit to ongoing tests at KRONEN on fresh-cut processing
equipment.
These innovative technologies were presented to a total of 50 participants, mainly endusers (big companies and SMEs) in the fresh-cut industry. There was a lively exchange
with the 50 participants, where Willy van Tongeren from TNO and Eva Petri from CNTA,
two research partners of the RESFOOD project, explained how the new technologies will
boost resource efficiency and safety in fresh-cut production.
Willy van Tongeren, the RESFOOD Project Coordinator from TNO, addressing the freshcut producers, said that resource efficiency in fresh-cut industry can save a lot of water
and energy, with the help of innovative technologies for water reuse and disinfection, but
also by innovative solutions for fast detection of pathogens and other micro-organisms.
Together with a good (water) management system, based at the HACCP* methodology,
it is possible to maintain the high standards for food quality and safety in this sector of
industry.
Figures 1, 2 - Willy van Tongeren addresses the plenary of the info-session at the
KRONEN Future Days.
Eric Lefebvre, who is the technical manager of RESFOOD activities in KRONEN, hosted
this event and provided a practical insight to participants during the visit to ongoing tests
at KRONEN on fresh-cut processing equipment.
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RESFOOD-D9.5-Final v1.0
Figure 3 – Eric Lefebvre, Technical Manager at Kronen, presenting the functions and
advantages of the equipment developed within RESFOOD.
The info-session was a part of the larger event organized by KRONEN to share and
discuss recent developments in fresh-cut processing technologies and equipment with the
industry. It was an important opportunity for RESFOOD to create synergies with other
researchers and manufacturers who presented new water-jet cutting systems, UV-C
disinfection treatment of process water, trials on heating the vegetables wash-water to
see impact on physiological and durability characteristics and food and use of robotics in
the fresh-cut sector.
KRONEN is a worldwide manufacturer of machines as well as complete processing lines
for preparing, cutting, washing, drying, peeling and packing of fruits and vegetables. In
the framework of the RESFOOD project, KRONEN is working on developing a new
machinery for spraying, washing and disinfecting vegetables based on the new findings
on laboratory tests.
Figures 4, 5, 6 – Eric Lefebvre presents the first prototype of the washing machine
developed within RESFOOD.
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RESFOOD-D9.5-Final v1.0
2.2.
2nd Info session: “Horticulture”,
Demokwekerij, The Netherlands
8
May
2014,
The 2nd info-session was organized to share the preliminary results on the innovative
technologies for efficient and safe use and re-use of water and nutrients in horticulture.
The session was held at the Demokwekerij premises, one of the pilot demonstration sites
for the horticulture research of RESFOOD, on 8th of May, 2014.
This info-session focused on the technologies developed by RESFOOD for efficient and
safe use and re-use of water and nutrients in horticulture. Among the topics covered are
closed recirculation water systems in soilless cultivation, water cleaning technologies and
rapid and early detection of pathogens in food and water at the growing stage.
RESFOOD project coordinator Willy van Tongeren from TNO welcomed the participants,
explaining the wider objective of the project to close the water cycle in the whole food
production and processing sector by means of the innovative technologies combining
water treatment, disinfection and detection technologies. Following this introduction,
Dutch partners TNO and Demokwekerij as well as Spanish partner Adesva presented the
results of the pilot tests in horticulture. These pilot tests have already proved that it is
possible to reduce over 40% of the water consumption maintaining the same fruit quality
and yield in soilless crops. This means a cheaper production process for farmers and
reduction in the total fertilizers and biological control agents used.
Figure 7 – Presentation and discussion of RESFOOD project results
The first part of the programme was concluded with the presentations by Logisticon
Water Treatment regarding an alternative technology that transforms salt water into
fresh water with 40% lower energy consumption and by Microbiome on rapid and early
detection systems that allow detection of bacteria in water and food even at the growing
stages.
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RESFOOD-D9.5-Final v1.0
Following the presentations, the participants visited the pilot demonstration units at
Demokwekerij, where they saw the water and nutrients management in practice and had
their questions answered regarding various aspects of food quality and safety, as well as
the innovative technology and equipment.
The programme was concluded with a visit to Rimato, a large-scale tomato nursery at a
nearby location, where the whole process of tomato production, harvesting and
packaging was demonstrated to the participants.
Figures 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 – Visits to pilot implementation at Demokwekerij
The info-session was widely promoted among the horticulture circles especially in the
Netherlands and surrounding countries, and also at EU level and project partners’
countries. 30 participants from SMEs, sector associations and research institutions (fruit
and vegetable growers, as well as equipment suppliers) working in the horticulture field
attended the info session.
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RESFOOD-D9.5-Final v1.0
2.3.
3rd Info session: “Horticulture”, 25 February 2015,
Adesva, Huelva, Spain
The third info-session was organized by the Spanish partner Adesva on 25 February 2015
at their premises and presented the project results regarding the efficient use of water
and nutrients in food production, as well as new disinfection technologies.
More than 50 stakeholders from industry and public bodies joined the info-session, which
presented new methodologies to save water and nutrients in strawberry soil based crops
and two disinfection technologies for drain water in strawberry soilless crops.
The discussion focused on ferti-irrigation management and closed water circulation
systems in greenhouse horticulture.
After the presentation of Magdalena Torres, person in charge of agronomical department,
the interest of the participants focused on the use of information and communication
technologies used to control and monitor the humidity and temperature of the root area
in soil cultivation so that this methodology allows to save almost 50% of water and
fertilizer applied.
Other point of interest was the use of disinfection systems, oxygen ionized and ozone to
disinfect recirculated water because lot of local growers were thinking modified their kind
of crops from soil to soilless.
Figure 14 - Aurelio Gomez from ADESVA presenting the RESFOOD project to the plenary
The participants also visited the experimental farm in Adesva, where the pilot tests are
conducted. This visit was useful because they could check the results obtained in last
season because the trials were being developed again in order to validate the affectivity
of the methodology based on ITC in soil cultivation and the disinfection systems in
soilless cultivation. The participants could see how to use the ICT and the configuration
of the disinfection systems.
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RESFOOD-D9.5-Final v1.0
Figure 15 – Visit to to the experimental farm
The info-session was followed up by a short training session held at the Demo Nursery
horticulture innovation centre in the Netherlands on 2 June 2015 under the initiative of
the project coordinator TNO, to update on the development of the horticulture and
efficient resource management work package. The session was held in the framework of
a larger “crossover” event where energy, water, high-tech systems new technologies
were presented to entrepreneurs of the different sectors.
In particular, the training was useful to present the new solutions investigated by
RESFOOD to treat drain water to remove salt so valuable nutrients can be retained
but also emissions of these nutrients and of crop protection agents are avoided. To this
end, the viability of using electrodialysis reversal to prevent accumulation of sodium in a
recirculating horticulture feed stream was studied.
The benefits of employing electrodyalisisfor the production of nitrogen fertilizers out of
water contaminants in a cost-effective way, thus opening up prospects of industrial
scalability, were presented to the 10 participants of the workshop, mainly professional
coming from the agri-food production and processing sector.
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RESFOOD-D9.5-Final v1.0
3. Conclusions
The info-sessions were organised in three different locations: one in Germany, under the
responsibility of Kronen, addressing water management and decontamination
technologies; one in the Netherlands, under the responsibility of Demokwekerij,
addressing re-use of water and nutrients in horticulture, in particular for soilless
cultivation; and one in Spain, under the responsibility of ADESVA, addressing efficient
ferti-irrigation techniques in horticulture, which was eventually followed by a training
held at the Demo Nursery under the initiative of TNO, presenting the latest advancement
on water recirculation techniques for irrigation.
The RESFOOD partners presented the new technologies offered by the project in
response to the rising challenges in the fruit and vegetable growing sector such as the
tightening regulations on emissions, water scarcity due to climate change, increasing
prices of fresh water and safety concerns related with fresh cut products. The
presentations are uploaded to the RESFOOD website and available at the following link.
The organising partners are a supplier active in the food processing sector, a agriculture
partner active in the production sector, and a research partner developing innovative
cultivation techniques, respectively. Such diversification in terms of timing, geographic
and sector positioning, made each session unique in itself: it was possible to present the
RESFOOD results from complementary angles, their progress and their impact all along
the food chain.
As a recommendation, the format of these event – made up of a number of up-to-the
point presentations describing latest technological results, followed by visits and
demonstration to pilot installation - and addressing a selected and targeted audience
made of local professionals and business of the sector, proved effective in clearly
showing the economic and practicable advantages of research and innovation actions.
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RESFOOD-D9.5-Final v1.0
Annex 1 – Programme of the info-sessions
PROGRAMME OF THE RESFOOD FIRST INFO SESSION: “Water management and
decontamination technologies”, 27-28 November 2013, KRONEN Future Days,
Germany
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RESFOOD-D9.5-Final v1.0
PROGRAMME OF THE RESFOOD SECOND INFO SESSION: HORTICULTURE
2014 – Demokwekerij, NL
8th May
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RESFOOD-D9.5-Final v1.0
PROGRAMME OF THE RESFOOD THIRD INFO SESSION: HORTICULTURE, 25 February
2015, Adesva, Huelva, Spain
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