About SECUREFOOD2050

Improving resilience and food security in 2050 climate through soilless precise agricultural techniques and irrigation with wastewater properly treated by innovative technologies to ensure food safety
 

 Massimo Del Bubba PhD, University of Florence, Italy 

SECUREFOOD2050 project was funded by  the 2019 JOINT CALL OF THE ERA-NET COFUND ON FOOD SYSTEMS AND CLIMATE. 

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 862555. 

Total budget:   557,466  € 

This proposal aims at mitigating the impact of climate changes by using innovative technologies for (i) increasing the availability of water suitable for irrigation, (ii) reducing water use and demand, (iii) reducing the dependence on fertile land in countries predominantly characterized by sandy soils, and (iv) Increasing the willingness of farmers to use treated wastewater for irrigation and of consumers to buy the agricultural products obtained by irrigation with TWW.

More in detail, the technical solutions proposed by SECUREFOOD2050 aim at the replacement of fresh water with TWWs obtained by using (i) an innovative concept of constructed wetlands in which an artificially aerated bed is integrated with a biochar-based filtration section and (ii) bioaugmented septic tank.

Furthermore, aiming at reducing water and soil exploitation, our project will investigate aeroponics and biochar assisted cultivation systems, as innovative soilless agricultural techniques for crop (rocket, pepper, strawberry, tomato, cucumber, olive and prickly pear) production, in which TWWs will be adopted for irrigation. Experiments will be carried out under current 2050 worst climatic scenario. The project will monitor the safety and quality of the food products, covering a broad spectrum of contaminants characterized by different physicochemical properties and ability to diffuse along the agricultural production chain.

The use of a side product of biochar production from waste woody biomass, i.e. the “Distillato di Legno”, will be innovatively tested as a green plant protection product, potentially suitable for replacing or reducing the conventional use of pesticides, besides its fertilizing properties.

SECUREFOOD2050 will also take care of the social aspects concerning consumer preferences and acceptability, as well as farmer’s possible reluctances to using TWW for irrigation. The overall obtained results will be integrated with data referred to materials and resources used with the various cultivation techniques applied in the different climatic-environmental scenarios, to perform a life-cycle assessment (LCA) of the food products obtained. 

WP1: PROJECT MANAGEMENT (WP Leader: M. Del Bubba, PC; months 1-36)
WP2: WASTEWATER TREATMENT AND CHARACTERIZATION FOR IRRIGATION
PURPOSES (WP Leader: N. Ouazzani ; months 4-33) 

WP3: POT/MESOCOSM AND AEROPONICS IMPLEMENTATION (WP Leader: E. Giordani ; months 4-24)
WP4: CROP PRODUCTION AND ANALYSIS OF SAFETY AND QUALITY (WP Leader: K Madani ; months 6-30).
WP5: SOCIOECONOMIC STUDIES (WP Leader: S. Zeghichi Hamri ; months 16-33)
WP6: CAPACITY BUILDING AND TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER (WP Leader: H.T. El Zanfaly ; months 16-33)
WP7: COMMUNICATION, DISSEMINATION AND EXPLOITATION, OF RESULTS (WP
Leader: M.C. Bruzzoniti ; months 16-36)
 
 

(1) Impact on food security, as well as sustainability and resilience of food systems

(2) Impact on food quality
(3) Impact on food safety 

(4) Impact on consumer behaviours 

(5) Impact on price stability.
(6) Impact on producers.
(7) Impact on policy makers