FERTILAB

Who is the project aimed at?

Agricultural professionals, waste managers, public and private organisations working in sustainability, fertiliser companies and biotechnology innovation businesses, as well as researchers and environmental policymakers interested in sustainable alternatives to chemical fertilisers and pesticides.

Project objective

Transform digested sewage sludge and other organic waste into biofertilisers and organic soil amendments with biopesticidal and biostimulant properties, thereby contributing to more sustainable and local agriculture based on agroecology and the efficient reuse of nutrients.

Project description

A project led by the Department of Agri-Food Engineering and Biotechnology (DEAB) at UPC that transforms sewage sludge and other organic waste into biofertilisers and organic soil amendments with biopesticidal and biostimulant properties. Through processes such as nutrient recovery (struvite and vivianite) and solid-state fermentation using specific strains, the project produces sustainable alternatives to chemical fertilisers and pesticides. It promotes local and organic farming, uses a collaborative “Living Lab” model and aims to deliver environmental benefits such as reduced emissions, improved biodiversity and carbon sequestration in the soil.

Funding: Rural Development Programme of Catalonia