Europe is undergoing a profound transition towards a circular, bio-based economy that not only drives innovation and rural development, but is also in line with the European Union’s (EU) goal of achieving climate neutrality and zero pollution. At the heart of this transition lies the conversion of primary agricultural crops into biomass for the chemical, plastics and fibre industries.
Whilst crops such as rapeseed, sugar beet, hemp and flax are becoming increasingly important for supplying these industries, little is known or documented about their environmental performance across the various growing regions.
Working together towards a valid assessment framework
The SUSTAINCrop project therefore systematically investigates the environmental impacts of these crops. It will deliver a scientifically sound framework, validated by the various stakeholder groups, for assessing the sustainability criteria of primary crops. This framework is aligned with the EU’s ‘Safe and Sustainable by Design’ (SSbD) approach and the EU Taxonomy.
Through Knowledge Exchange Communities in Europe and Latin America, SUSTAINCrop will develop and validate a georeferenced crop database, a digital modelling framework and an interactive dashboard for scenario-based impact assessment.
Better decisions through knowledge transfer
By providing policy-relevant criteria, best practices and digital tools, SUSTAINCrop aims to improve decision-making for farmers, industry and policymakers, thereby enhancing the environmental performance of bio-based value chains in Europe and beyond.
inter 3 is one of 12 international partners and is specifically responsible within this project for designing the knowledge transfer between stakeholders and experts, as well as for implementing a Delphi study.
The project is funded by the European Union under the HORIZON Europe programme within the ‘Zero Pollution’ cluster.
