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Online seminar: Green biorefinery – a Green Deal for agriculture – producing sustainable soy protein alternatives and biobased products

This seminar will describe the disruptive potentials of new local biorefineries to contribute to EU self-sufficiency with plant protein and new biobased products while supporting EU policies on environment and climate.

Info about event

Time

Tuesday 17 November 2020,  at 15:00 - 16:30

Location

Online

Europe is under a dual pressure for fulfilling environmental demands and maintaining a productive agricultural sector, which can meet future demands for genuinely sustainable food supply. Further challenges is the use of fossil fuels and fossil-based products, which pose a serious threat to the climate. Likewise, the comprehensive European import of soy protein can have major environmental and climatical consequences on vulnerable areas of the world. On this backdrop and in full alignment with a Green Deal for Europe, new, innovative solutions are needed.

Research in the production and quality assessment of protein extracted from grass and clover crops has shown a disruptive potential. These crops have very positive effects on the environment and climate and are at the same time highly productive. Further research and innovation will make it possible for Europe to produce its own sustainable protein and new biobased products.

Now, SME’s as well as cooperatives and larger companies are showing their interest and have initiated the first businesses. These new solutions and businesses are in accordance with the European Green Deal and the EU Protein Strategy. Furthermore, they are well placed to contribute to the EU framework including the Common Agricultural Policy and Horizon Europe Programme. 

Objectives

The seminar will describe the disruptive potentials of new local biorefineries to contribute to EU self-sufficiency with plant protein and new biobased products while supporting EU policies on environment and climate.

Programme

Moderator: Niels Halberg, Director, Danish Center for Food and Agriculture, Aarhus University

  Programme for the online seminar  
15:00-15:05Welcome by MEPs Asger Christensen and Pernille Weiss  
15:05-15:15Opening speech: Jorge Pinto Antunes, Member of Cabinet, Commissioner for Agriculture   
15:15-15:25Key-note: The science behind the potentials of green biorefinery by Uffe Jørgensen, Head of Centre for Circular Bioeconomy, Aarhus University  
15:25-15:45

The European potential – 2 cases:

Turning underutilized grassland into valuable products by James Gaffey, Principal Investigator, Institute of Technology, Tralee, Ireland

Biorefining of grass will contribute to a sustainable rural development in Europe by Johan Sanders, Grassa, The Netherlands. 

15:45-16:00

Reflections from and questions to the Commission with Silke Boger from DG AGRI; Fabien Ramos from DG CLIMA; Tomasz Calikowski from DG RTD  

16:00-16:20Q&A to experts and Commission  
16:20-16:30Conclusion by MEP Pernille Weiss  

Download printable programme

Expected participants

Decisions makers and stakeholders from industry, research and the civil society communities – including the areas of environment, agriculture, climate and food

Registration 

For logistical reasons, we kindly ask you to register at the latest by 13 November.

Register here to participate in the seminar