As we all know, the Mediterranean area is a crossroads of different cultures and ethnicities, which however share a distinctive interest in the quality of food, the protection of environmental resources and the defense of traditional products and activities.

Agriculture and livestock farming are two of the key sectors of the Mediterranean economies, there's no doubt about that. And cows and pigs are, for most countries, the most common sources of traditional food.

However, due to the ever-increasing demand of quality products, Mediterranean producers have focused more and more on intensive farming to speed up and improve production. This has also led to increased pollution and several other environmental concerns.

Developing and testing innovative technologies which can turn livestock waste into resources is the main goal of RE-LIVE WASTE.

Livestock waste has been (and is) a major source of pollution, but it can now become an opportunity for society and farmers’ development.

Project pilot plans will be installed in 4 different countries and transform slurry into an organic high-value commercial fertilizer (also known as struvite), contributing to smart and sustainable growth and to the creation of new business and market opportunities.

RE-LIVE WASTE perfectly matches the 2030 UN Sustainable Development Goals, supporting circular economy as a path towards an innovative, environmentally-friendly, efficient and sustainable future.

Overall objective

To stimulate innovation among public institutions and private companies for a more effective management of waste from intensive livestock farming, by facilitating cooperation between researchers, businesses, public authorities and the civil society

Specific objectives

To help farmers use innovative equipment to transform slurry into an eco-friendly fertilizer and reuse it within a circular economy approach

To help public institutions draft new regulations to recognize struvite as a fertilizer and provide legislative and financial support to promote the use of innovative effective equipment

To improve transnational cooperation and connections between researchers, businesses, public authorities, the civil society and other stakeholders

Dates: from February 2018 to July 2020

Source of Funding: Interreg Med programme (https://interreg-med.eu/)

WP3-Testing-CUT responsible partner

Activities in which CUT is the Responsible Partner:

Activity 3.1: Coordination of WP Testing

Activity 3.5: Environmental Evaluation of the pilot activities

Scientific responsible: Dr. Maria G. Antoniou-Assistant Professor at the Department of Environmental Science and Technology of the Cyprus University of Technology.

CUT Team Members: Nomiki Kallikazarou, Kostas Andreou, Eleni Keliri

Kallikazarou Nomiki

Keywords: Green Growth, Circular economy, Livestock waste management, Struvite, business opportunities

The partners:

• Italy

- LAORE Sardegna - RegionalAgency for Agriculture Development

- Sereco Biotest snc di Luca Poletti

- Cooperativa Produttori Arborea – Società Agricola (Associated Partner)

• Spain:

- ALIA- Agricultural transformation society
- FGN- Fundacion Global Network
- LA UNIÓ DE LLAURADORS I RAMADERS DEL PAÍS VALENCIÀ

- Centro de Investigación y Tecnología Animal-CITA, (Associated Partner)

• Cyprus:

- DoE- Department of Environment of the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment
- CUT- Cyprus University of Technology
- Armenis Nicos&Sons (Associated Partner)

• Bosnia Herzegovina:

- SERDA- Sarajevo Economic Regional Development Agency

- Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences

- PD Butmir (Associated Partner)