Recover precious nutrients from urban waste, agri -food waste and volcanic ashes to produce biofertilizers. This is the European Landfeed project, presented by Enea to Ecomed 2025. An initiative that combines technology, circular economy and sustainability to create value from what is normally discarded
New fertilizers recovered from waste
The European Landfeed project aims to develop new biofertilizer through the reuse of urban waste, agri -food waste and volcanic ashes. The initiative was presented by AENEAS At the Ecomed Fair in Catania, which took place from 15 to 17 April. This is an important appointment dedicated to environmental technologies and energy systems in the Mediterranean.
The event was an opportunity for Enea to illustrate the key role it will play in the development of the project.
A platform for industrial symbiosis
The creation of an industrial symbiosis web platform is one of the main objectives underlying the project. This is intended to simplify the management of residues and encourage their reuse in the production of biological fertilizers.
«The Landfeed project aims to recover precious nutrients from agricultural, forest, industrial and urban waste and by -products»Explains Antonella Luciano, a researcher Enea. “THEn this way are reduced to waste, promoting sustainable agriculture is promoted and a European biofertilizer market is created, reducing dependence on imports».
«In this way we will be able to coordinate the entire production process, promoting the collaboration and exchange of by -products and waste between companies in a system of industrial symbiosis – adds Luciano -. Furthermore – continues – We will make our contribution to implement a “digital passport of the product” for organic fertilizers, in order to guarantee traceability along the entire chain of supply and production, thus optimizing the use of different organic residues, based on the principles of the circular economy».
Traceability and innovation at the service of the soil
Among the objectives of the project also to develop a digital passport of the product to ensure the traceability of biofertilizers along the entire supply chain. In line with the principles ofcircular economythis system will allow to optimize the use of organic residues and encourage more efficient and respectful agricultural practices of the environment.
Among the proposed technological solutions, Landfeed provides for the creation of innovative chitosan and microalgae coatings, capable of issuing nutrients in a controlled way. These coatings will improve the efficiency of the fertilizers, the crops will increase and reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the impact on water resources, contributing to the restoration of land biodiversity.
The Italian Studio case: Sicily at the center of innovation
The project includes five European study cases, each focused on different types of organic waste. The Italian pilot case will be developed in Sicily by the University of Catania with the collaboration of Enea.
Here will be used: sludge from waste water treatment plants, residues from freshwater fish farms, microalgae crops, agricultural digestate, industrial waste processing and volcanic ash of Etna, rich in minerals useful to the ground.
These materials, albeit heterogeneous, will be transformed into biofertilizing through sustainable processes within an industrial symbiosis model that maximizes efficiency in the use of resources and reduces the environmental impact.
A more sustainable Europe thanks also to waste
Every year in Europe almost 60 million tons of food waste are generated, with serious environmental, economic and social consequences. The European Union has adopted measures to halve food waste by 2030, promoting solutions involving the entire production chain.
The Landfeed project offers the population a replicable model that allows you to transform the waste into a resource, thus building more resilient and sustainable agriculture.