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Project Topic
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The AgrI-fiSh project proposes the adoption of an innovative farming system, which directly links agriculture with aquaculture productions through circular economy principles, to respond to the environmental and socio-economic challenges face to climate change in the Mediterranean region. The project focuses on the innovative use of the waste productions of the agriculture sectors as a resource for the aquaculture. The wastes analyzed within the project will derive form organic and climate-smart agriculture and will be used for the testing of innovative feeds for freshwater aquaculture in Algeria, Italy and Spain. The nutraceutical potential of defined wastes, such as grape seeds and pomace, cereals and legumes, will be assessed together with the potential in the use of natural antimicrobial substances to be added to the feed. To date wastes produced by wine processing are currently only used for livestock feed, and have demonstrated a high quality potential due to a significant presence in lipid, protein, carbohydrate, and other nutraceutical biocompounds. The project will upscale the valorization of such agricultural wastes to the creation of sustainable feeds for aquaculture. In addition to the wastes the feeds will be composed also by percentage of medicinal plants and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) form goat whey discards, with the scope to reduce the use of antibiotics for disease control in aquaculture and strength the immune system of fish. Nutraceutical potential of such wastes, in combination with other biocomponents (e.g. whey, cereals, medical herbs), will foster animal and human health with consequent benefits for the environment and the society. In fact, the nutritional potential of the wastes is significant and such concentration of substances have shown to be useful for human health also with indirect consumption. The AgrI-fiSh project will contribute to the transition to a more resilient agro-system through an innovative and sustainable farming system, which promotes an efficient use of biological and natural resources with an increase in the productivity, with consequent benefits for the local economies. At the environmental level, the project is conceived to be resilient by preventing form pollutant discards; limiting the use of animal feeds and promoting instead vegetal components for aquaculture feeds; limiting the costs of agricultural discards; and promoting sustainable agriculture. The project inscribes in the Call 2 - Thematic Area 2- Farming systems - Topic 2.2.1. and proposes an innovative model with mixed farming system, which focuses on the valorisation of the local dimension of the farming and production systems. It will serve for a better management of natural resources throughout the development of a virtuous system, which will help in reducing discards and pollutants, and develop a better and efficient use of resources and freshwaters, while limiting the use of antibiotics and pesticides along the entire process. The overall aim of the project will be to contribute to the national and European strategies in mitigate and adapt to climate change and is in line with the Green Deal. It will reduce the environmental foot print of the aquaculture sector, create new social and economic potential at the local levels, and enhance the competitivity of the sector. Agriculture and aquaculture will be directly linked, enhancing their mutual potentials in a circular process, and strengthening the sustainability of the local communities. The project will contribute to cooperation, knowledge sharing and capacity building enhancement among different supply chains, such as winery and agriculture, milling, feed production, aquaculture, which will mutually benefit from the support of the research community.
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