A thematic network to design the penetration path of non-food agricultural crops into european agriculture
Non-food Crops (NFC) are used to produce a wide range of bio-products and bioenergy. In spite of considerable investment
in R&D and the increasing need of bio-based industries for feedstock, NFCs are not widespread in EU agriculture, mainly
due to challenges in supply chains and gaps in policy framework and investment incentives. PANACEA aims to set up a
thematic network to foster the effective exchange between research, industry and the farming community so that direct
applicable solutions are widely disseminated and grassroots-level needs and innovative ideas thoroughly captured in order
to design the penetration path of NFC into European agriculture. To achieve this goal, an inventory of long-term scientific
results on the NFC sustainable production will be created building on the profound experience of the consortium, and the
NFC close to implementation will be identified (WP1). Combining the farmers’ and bio-based industries’ needs and interests
(WP2) with the NFC ready-to-practice potential the role of NFC in the rural renaissance will be analysed. A strong and
interactive multi-actor forum will be established with actors from science, industry and agricultural practice to facilitate
capturing and spreading of innovative ideas (WP3). Practice-oriented knowledge on specific value chains easily accessible
and available in the long term will be assured through training courses and relevant educational material (WP4). Knowledge
sharing on technical, economic and environmental aspects of NFC, extensive communication and networking, matching
between the supply and demand sides will be facilitated by the PANACEA Platform (WP5). The project findings will be
disseminated at large following an extended exploitation and dissemination plan that will be active during the project and
beyond and ensure the sustainability of the ‘Thematic Network on Non-food Crops’ through its link with EU wide initiatives,
the EIP-AGRI and its Operational Groups (WP6).