Algae biomass is highly underexploited and its efficient utilization is one of the main challenges in current and future EU marine policies towards sustainability. CIRCALGAE will boost the blue bioeconomy by applying an integrated biorefinery concept to valorise the massively produced (over 36 Mt of algae biomass annual world production) and vastly underexploited algae industrial waste streams (which can add up to 95% of the initial biomass) from the main existing sources to date: the phycolloid production from macroalgae and protein/lipid microalgae industries. CIRCALGAE’s simple, water-based technologies, will transform these waste streams into value-added ingredients to be used in specific texturized vegan foods, health-promoting food ingredients, protein rich feed, and cosmetic formulations incorporating texturizing or highly bioactive ingredients for topical use. 3 blue biorefinery schemes up-scaled to hundreds of kg will be demonstrated throughout CIRCALGAE project. 12 demonstrator products will be developed by food, feed and cosmetic industry partners validating the great potential of novel algae ingredients in these key sectors. Additionally, 2 final products will be qualified for market including their studies in consumer acceptance assessments. Through co-creating and co-learning, CIRCALGAE will connect all algae cross-sectional actors, including industrial end-user partners, RTOs, technological and consultancy SMEs, for the validation of all health-promoting effects and claims, regulatory aspects and environmental, economic and social impacts, engaging all relevant stakeholders in the primary sector to re-shape the current industrial network for a future thriving blue bioeconomy.

Packaging waste accounts for 36% of solid waste in EU towns, with plastics being the most widely used material in European food retail, covering 37% of food sold. Recent research shows that important reductions can be achieved by focusing on six plastic applications that are projected to account for 86% of the total reduction achievable by 2040, with multilayer/multimaterial packaging constituting the biggest untapped potential. Consumer awareness of packaging waste and their environmental and social externalities is driving change, while major brands encounter difficulties in self-regulating, as they lack innovative solutions immediately applicable for their most complex packaging. Retailers, as key actors in the food value chain, can choose to lead the transition by promoting a fundamental rethinking of their delivery chains. R3PACK will contribute to Reduce, Reuse, Rethink PACKaging by securing fast and extensive uptake of industrially relevant, cross-sectorial, cost-effective innovative technologies allowing immediate substitution of complex multilayer plastic packaging with high performing fiber-based packaging and economical, industrial and environmental optimisation of reuse schemes demonstrated at large scale and transnationally in 3 EU countries by 2 major retailers, covering the needs of 13 different food product types. R3PACK will moreover offer a clear pathway towards a normalized framework for reusable packaging’s food safety and for reusable packaging’s washing methods, that will serve as reference at EU level. R3PACK will finally offer decision support tools ready to be used by businesses to choose the right packaging solution (between optimized reuse schemes and developed R3PACK paper-based packaging) meeting closely the needs of their products.

The current food system is unsustainable and underperforming, having high environmental and socio-economic costs, while still failing to ensure food and nutrition equity for all. Dietary shifts towards novel foods based on alternative protein sources (NFAP; proteins derived from insect, fungi, bacteria, micro and macro algae and agriculture and aquaculture by-products), provide a unique opportunity to reduce consumption of animal-based proteins potentially minimizing the impact of the Food Systems. However, knowledge regarding the environmental, economic and social impact of the widespread production, provision and consumption of NFAP is very limited and not integrated into a holistic vision of the food system able to identify trade-offs, interaction between food system actors and second and third order impacts. The goal of EPIC-SHIFT is to provide an unprecedented, independent, solid knowledge base on the sustainability (env., eco. and soc.) aspects of NFAP as options for protein diversification for human consumption. Considering that the contribution of each NFAP types to reorganize the food systems may differ, EPIC-SHIFT applies a quadruple helix innovation model in its multi-actor approach to roadmap the sustainable development of NFAP for Planetary Health Diets. Designed as a think-tank and adopting Food Systems Thinking approach, EPIC-SHIFT will provide a multidimensional impact assessment of 7 NFAP (from protein type to product level) at scale complemented with the necessary recommendations for food environments, marketing, regulatory approval, infrastructure and investment needed to support long-term market growth. EPIC-SHIFT integrated scenario analysis will further result in decision support tools that will inform policy and decision-making about the trajectories to achieve the sustainable integration of NFAP in the EU diets ensuring resource efficiency, food security and nutrition within a framework of just transition for all food system actors.

<< Background >>According to WHO Europe, 80% of heart disease and stroke could be prevented by limiting lifestyle risk factors, including inadequate nutrition. Despite the well-known intrinsic relationship between nutrition and health, different researchers show that not enough attention is provided to nutrition courses in Medical schools.Globally, medical curricula are found to be insufficiently adapted to nutrition education. For this reason, the collaboration between professionals in nutrition and doctors is essential and innovative methods are needed to improve nutrition education in the medical professions. The innovative approach of the project consists of highlighting this connection by approaching the two disciplines in a complementary way, rather than disconnected from each other. This project will design and implement an undergraduate study program in nutrition, which will be automatically certified through ECTS credits (4 to 6 ECTS will be granted through the module depending on the university). The module will be taught in Medical Faculties across three different EU countries (Italy, Poland and Belgium).The primary target group is composed of university students at an Undergraduate level in medical faculties in these three EU countries. The secondary target group is professors teaching within the three partner universities who will have the opportunity to provide innovative tools to their students on nutrition and health.<< Objectives >>The main objective of this project is to enable future doctors to improve patients’ eating habits to move away from instant and automatic medication. After enhancing the nutritional knowledge of future doctors, the module will be based on a practical learning approach. Students will have to learn the nutritional response adapted to each particular case to be able to see which nutritional solution is the most suitable.<< Implementation >>After the first year of the project, the undergraduate course module will be implemented at the three partner universities in Belgium, Italy, and Poland. A total of 90 students and a maximum of 12 professors will be involved. In addition, two learning activities will be organised, one in Italy and one in Poland. Prior to the implementation of the module, the first learning activity will consist of a three-day short-term staff training to train professors on the content of the Teacher’s coursebook. The second learning activity will be an Intensive Study Programme which will enable 21 students who followed the module to discuss with health and nutrition professionals and to specialise themselves in the comprehension of a specific pathology.<< Results >>We expect the project to be beneficial for all the actors involved in the project, namely medical students, partners, local communities, and other universities in the EU which could implement the module at a later stage. Involving 90 undergraduate medical students and maximum 12 professors will fill the gap in nutrition education in medical schools and increase the offer on EU universities’ course catalogues. In addition, as the awareness on nutrition will be raised, students and Universities’ staff will have the chance to create a transnational network promoting dialogue and good practices within other Universities across Europe.To achieve the above-mentioned results, the project will develop 3 Project results (PR’s). First, a teacher’s coursebook (PR n°1) will contain relevant information on the university module, such as the content of the course, structure, case studies as well as guiding questions for seminars. The coursebook will be divided into three educational sections (Food and Nutrition, Nutrition throughout life, Pathology and Nutrition).Second, a student handbook (PR n°2) will follow the same structure as the teacher’s coursebook. It will include a theoretical part, and in addition to this, it will include suggested readings, a bibliography, guided questions, case studies, exercises, assessment guidelines, and assessment criteria. The undergraduate students will increase their knowledge in nutrition and develop the ability to meet patient needs through problem-solving methods and case studies evaluated by questionnaires and assignments. Third and lastly, the online platform (PR n°3) will make the materials of the Module and existing high-quality research easily accessible to students and teachers. The platform will include a presentation of the module, an introduction to nutrition, a reading list, useful links, case studies, and the student handbook. The platform will also contain audiovisual material illustrating the content of the course module. With the adoption of the new e-learning platform that will be used to teach nutrition in medical departments, digitalisation within different EU universities is enhanced.Finally, the project will help professors and students broaden their network and knowledge on nutrition with two mobility activities, organized during the course of the project.

BACKGROUNDThe main purpose of our project is to design an innovative vocational curriculum on Regenerative Agriculture, which will provide learners skills and knowledge to implement sustainable cultivation methods, therewith giving impetus to transform agricultural practices and landscapes.In the EU, more than 90% of the fields are cultivated conventionally. This type of cultivation creates serious problems for human health, the climate, biodiversity, soils’ fertility, freshwater bodies and the ecosystem as a whole. (UNEP Foresight Brief, 013, May 2019)Regenerative Agriculture with its subtopic Permaculture, responds to all above-mentioned problems as it is a conservation and rehabilitation approach to farming systems focusing on topsoil regeneration, increasing biodiversity, improving the water cycle, supporting bio-sequestration, increasing resilience to climate change and enhancing soil fertility.OBJECTIVESOur overarching objective is to promote, facilitate and accelerate the global transition to regenerative food, farming and land management in order to restore climate stability, increase biodiversity, rebuild soil fertility and produce healthy food.Therefore, the project aims to: 1) close the skills gap in agriculture education by providing a web-based training on Regenerative Agriculture. The course will enable learners to apply alternative cultivation methods, therewith equipping them with the competences to respond to the challenges the agricultural sector is experiencing.2) Inform VET authorities and policy makers about regenerative agriculture thereby giving impetus to include teaching contents on the subject into national framework curricula.3) Integrate the course into curricula of agricultural VET providers, training companies and HEIs.4) Conduct an awareness raising campaign on national and European level giving policy makers, VET providers, farmers and the general public a coherent picture of the state of the art of regenerative agriculture and help improve the perception about alternative farming, its benefits and the possibilities to upscale measures.TARGET GROUPSThe RegAgri4Europe VOOC will empower a new generation of farmers. The course is ultimately targeted to apprentices and other interested persons with an agricultural background (end users). Furthermore, the project targets two additional groups:a) Persons, who actively participate in the development of training curricula and examination queries for agricultural vocation on national level. These include public authorities for vocational education, members of national VET (sub)committees, members of specialist groups, representatives of training networks and policy makers. By including VET representatives and policy makers, the project gives impetus to include contents taught in the project course into the national framework curricula for agricultural education. In doing this, the consortium ensures the achievement of highest possible impact and sustainability of its outputs.b) VET providers in agriculture, training companies and higher education institutions offering agricultural education. By engaging training providers, the consortium ensures the integration of the course content into curricula of independent education bodies and therewith achieves optimal exploitation results.RESULTS IO1: Status Analysis on Regenerative Agriculture in today's agriculture, education sector, public awareness and industrial demand. The major aim of the status analysis is to gain a comprehensive understanding of the present situation of Regenerative Agriculture/Permaculture in today’s agriculture, education sector, public awareness and industrial demand.IO2: Development of RegAgri4Europe Training ProgrammeThe RegAgri4Europe training programme includes: Course catalogue and handbook, reading material, video lessons, learning activities, a virtual library, assessment exams, certificate in all partner languages and English. IO3: RegAgri4Europe Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) - creating an accessible Vocational Open Online Course (VOOC) containing the training and assessment material developed. It also contains a Virtual Community space to support community interactions among learners, professors and teaching assistants.IO4: RegAgri4Europe International Accreditation and TransferabilityThe project also includes a Learning Teaching Training Activity on the Permaculture farm Schloss Tempelhof providing work-based learning experience to participants. IMPACT•Learners' acquisition of important skills and knowledge on Regenerative Agriculture•Improved digital competences of educators and learners•Integration of RegAgri4Europe course content into national VET programs and curricula•Improved perception, awareness and understanding of Regenerative Agriculture by all stakeholders and the general public•Influencing political approaches and measures towards a sustainable agricultural turnaround