P2Green - Closing the gap between fork and farm for circular nutrient flows
Updated on 24.01.2024
P2GreeN will foster a paradigm shift, from a linearly organised resource and nutrient system within the agri-food supply chain, towards a circular material flow system between urban and rural areas, thereby restoring the coupling of the water-agri-food system using a holistic symbiotic resource management approach following the 3R principle ‘Reduce, Reuse, Recover’. P2GreeN will therefore develop new circular governance solutions for the transition from fork to farm to halt and eliminate N&P pollution by connecting blue urban with green rural infrastructure, focusing on circular nutrient flows of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). This will be done through the implementation and demonstration of innovative N&P recovery solutions for the utilisation of human sanitary waste from urban settlements and its conversion into safe bio-based fertilisers for agricultural production in three pilot regions (P2GreeN pilot regions) on a north-south trajectory from the Baltic Sea region via the metropolitan area of Hamburg-Hannover to the region of Axarquia in Southern Spain. This approach will be extended to follower regions in Italy, France, Greece and Hungary. P2GreeN will close the nutrient cycles of N&P to foster the transition towards a circular and clean economy (green transition) as well as support sustainable food systems from farm to fork, offering viable alternatives to reduce the current usage of mineral fertilisers with innovative, green, bio-based fertilisers and thus minimising the pressure on natural resources, specifically water and soil. P2GreeN will further enable policy makers to replicate P2GreeN’s sustainable regional circular economy models in all regional settings across Europe. To facilitate systemic change, co-creation strategies including the participation of all relevant stakeholders, as well as harmonised governance frameworks that foster innovations will be key to P2GreeN.
Leading organisation/partner
AGRATHAER GMBH
Cities involved
Hamburg, Hannover, Paris
Regions involved
Axarquia region
Key deliverables
- Seven novel governance solutions at the interface of rural/coastal-urban/industrial environments in Germany, Sweden, Spain, Greece, Italy, France and Hungary;
- open green transition innovation platform as permanent knowledge hub;
- three LCA’s and Impact Assessments on nutrient system transformation from fork to farm to fork;
- sector-spanning, cross-cutting governance framework as blueprint for EU-wide projects;
- three blueprints for standardisation and regulation of balanced N&P flows within safe ecological boundaries at EU & regional level;
- three blueprints for upscaling system innovation at EU level.
Key messages for project promoters
A continuous dialogue between all partners covering different aspects of a CE model is of essence due to the often cross-sectorial nature of innovative CE approaches.
Description of future collaboration with CCRI-CSO
- Share information and knowledge of the project with CCRI-CSO;
- take an active part in CCRI support activities of Pilot and Fellow cities and regions;
- participate in CCRI events;
- facilitate exchange with other CCRI pilots, fellows and projects by topic-specific events for sharing knowledge and experiences.
Findings: regulatory bottlenecks
EU 2019/1009 (fertilising products regulation) – Recycling fertilisers not yet included, EU 91/271/EWG §14 (1) – Reclamation of sewage sludge requires minimising any environmental risks, EU 2020/741 – Disinfection & monitoring requirements.
National regulation differs very much between MS which hinders the upscale of circular economy solutions across Europe.
Findings: regulatory drivers
Nutrient losses to the environment pose a major threat for the functioning of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. The biogeochemical N&P fluxes are considered as most critical, as high N&P loads are associated with problems such as groundwater pollution, eutrophication of water bodies and biodiversity loss. The N/P-emissions of the past decades have set the European rivers and coasts into an alarming geochemical and ecological state.
The agri-food sector plays a key role here as it significantly contributes to N&P pollution on the one hand, but at the same time the agricultural production in Europe depends on mineral fertilisers, with an estimated consumption of approximately 11 million tonnes of N&P per year. Current mainstream production methods for N&P fertilisers are not sustainable for Europe’s food security as well as the functioning of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.
The planned revision of the urban wastewater treatment directive (91/271/EEC) imposes stricter standards for nutrient management and the removal of micropollutants. The use of innovative technologies for nutrient recycling from sanitary waste reduces nutrient loads in urban wastewater and allows to filter pollutants such as pharmaceutical residues in urine, before they enter the sewage system.
Environmental outcomes of circular economy solutions
A calculated overall reduction of pollution caused by N&P discharge by 2030 of 10 % compared to the current level (180 Gg/yr for N and 11 Gg/yr for P), and a replacement of mineral fertilisers for N of 2 % and for P of 2.27 % across Europe based on current mineral fertiliser usage
Social outcomes of circular economy solutions
Toolbox for social acceptance of new technologies and food produced based on fertilisers from human sanitary waste.
Economic outcomes of circular economy solutions
Four different circular bio-based fertiliser systems for all farm types of agriculture and horticulture.
Participants
- LEIBNIZ-INSTITUT FUR GEMUSE- UND ZIERPFLANZENBAU GROSSBEEREN/ERFURT EV
- VILLE DE PARIS
- UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DUBLIN, NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND, DUBLIN
- SWEDISH UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES
- COPENHAGEN BUSINESS SCHOOL
- LUKE - NATURAL RESOURCES INSTITUTE FINLAND
- NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND MAYNOOTH
- CENTRE FOR RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY HELLAS CERTH
- BIOAZUL, SL
- C.I.P. CITIZENS IN POWER
- ECOVILLAGE HANNOVER EG
- GOLDEIMER GEMEINNUTZIGE GMBH
- INSTITUT D'ARQUITECTURA AVANCADA DE CATALUNYA
- ICLEI EUROPEAN SECRETARIAT GMBH (ICLEI EUROPASEKRETARIAT GMBH)
- FUNDACION CENTRO ANDALUZ DE INVESTIGACIONES DEL AGUA
- SUN GLOBAL CHEMICALS SERVICES SL
- IRIDRA SRL
- ECOLE NATIONALE DES PONTS ET CHAUSSEES
- CENTRE FOR ECONOMICAND REGIONAL STUDIES
- HAFENCITY UNIVERSITAT HAMBURG
- SUSTCHEM TECHNIKI SYMVOULEFTIKI ANONYMI ETAIREIA - PAN.D.BRAIMIOTIS - PAN.G.SKARLATOS A.E.
- TRANSITION APS
- Triodos Bank
- MOVERIM CONSULTING SPRL
- SOCIEDAD AGRARIA DE TRANSFORMACION TROPS N 2803 DE RESPONSABILIDAD LIMITADA
- AGRI SMART DATA SL
- Touch Down Gotland AB
- SANITATION360 AB - S360
- GOTLANDS BRYGGERI AB
- AGUAS Y SANEAMIENTOS DE LA AXARQUIA SA
