NOVEL PROCEDURES AND SUSTAINABLE GUIDELINES TO ENHANCE THE USE OF ALTERNATIVE FERTILISERS

Project Information

NOVAFERT

Grant agreement ID: 101060835

DOI

10.3030/101060835

Project closed

EC signature date 18 May 2022

Start date 1 September 2022

End date 31 August 2025

Funded under

• Food, Bioeconomy Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment

Total cost

€ 1 998 829,00

EU contribution

€ 1 998 829,00

Coordinated by

UNIVERSITEIT GENT
Belgium

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - NOVAFERT (NOVEL PROCEDURES AND SUSTAINABLE GUIDELINES TO ENHANCE THE USE OF ALTERNATIVE FERTILISERS)

Reporting period: 2024-03-01 to 2025-08-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

To improve sustainability and self-sufficiency of European agriculture, a transition towards the use of alternative recycling based fertilizers is required. To raise awareness about the effectiveness and environmental safety of alternative fertilizing products, the lack of comprehensive mapping of existing nutrient recycling technologies and alternative fertilizing products poses a significant challenge. This gap hinders informed decision-making. Additionally, the absence of standardized Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methods further complicates the evaluation of environmental and social impacts. In response to these challenges, the development and implementation of local policies supporting this transition is critical. NOVAFERT aims at providing crucial info for the effective and safe utilization of alternative fertilizers tailored to regional needs and market demands across the EU. These strategies will enhance the uptake of alternative fertilising products and contribute to recommending directional guidelines for the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). All deliverables can be found at the deliverable section on www.novafert.eu but also via the Biorefine Cluster Europe website and EU-farmbook.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

NOVAFERT mapped 92 nutrient recovery technologies and 125 alternative fertilising products across Europe. Data was categorised by region and consolidated into a public online inventory (see www.novafert.eu/inventory) . NOVAFERT also developed an Atlas of Nutrient-Oriented Living Labs, compiling 50 labs in Spain, Ireland, Croatia, Finland, Belgium, and Poland (see website). Based on this atlas, 7 Lighthouse Demo’s in these regions were selected to showcase nutrient recycling using local resources. These hubs enable knowledge exchange among stakeholders. To foster regional contextualisation, NOVAFERT established 7 regional working groups, catalysing project outputs and sustainability at EU and regional levels.

NOVAFERT initiated a consensual method for environmental assessment, delivering a Sustainability Mapping Report and a draft Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) guideline (D2.1 & D2.2) . Additionally, a general action plan (D3.2) for policy support was developed, complemented by region-specific plans (D3.3) and 4 policy briefs on RENURE products (D3.5 & D3.6).

NOVAFERT translated research into validated methodologies, action plans, policy inputs, and large-scale demo’s. Key achievements include a harmonised PEF-compliant method validated by 15 case studies and 270 scenarios (D2.4) , ILCD datasets submitted to JRC/DG ENV, and the first Social LCA for bio-based fertilisers (D2.5) highlighting positive social impacts and improvement areas.

Policy engagement led to 7 Regional Specific Action Plans (D3.3) highlighting the most critical areas to address. The consortium also introduced a dashboard Indicator system for BBF technology readiness (D3.4) supporting policymakers and investors.
Market uptake was supported by surveys, 7 circular business cases, and an Exploitation Plan (D4.5). Capacity building included 20 regional workshops (D5.4) and 4 international events (D5.5) with 1,000 participants .
NOVAFERT also developed a free massive open online course (MOOC). The course consists of 4 modules and is freely accessible on the NOVAFERT website.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

NOVAFERT provided evidence-based scientific support on alternative fertilising products and technologies. Key achievements in this respect are the Novafert inventory and Atlas as an accessible scientific resource for stakeholders. Furthermore Novafert accelerated the transition to a circular agricultural economy by validating and demonstrating scientific insights in a real world context.

NOVAFERT developed the first Product Environmental Footprint (PEF)-compliant methodology tailored for alternative fertilisers, surpassing traditional LCA approaches by integrating biodiversity, carbon sequestration, soil health, and social benefits. Validated through 15 product studies and 270 scenarios, this framework enables cross-product comparisons and feeds into the EU Environmental Footprint database, supporting harmonised evaluation and future ecolabeling. The project also created the first ILCD-compliant Life Cycle Inventory for bio-based fertilisers and conducted Europe’s first Social LCA, demonstrating rural job creation and social value alongside environmental gains. This science-based consensual methodology on the environmental performance of BBFs will lead to optimized knowledge exchange and the possibility to harmonize with industry leading to a strong foundation for more sustainable fertiliser systems. This achievement together with decision-support tools such as SWOT/PEST analyses and a Dashboard Indicator for technology readiness will help administrations to align incentives and CAP measures with verified sustainability data.

The development of a portfolio of support policies and legislative instruments informed and contributed to the 2025 amendment of the EU Nitrates Directive, integrating RENURE into legislation—which means a paradigm shift in nutrient recovery governance. The potential of enabling RENURE use under strict environmental standards represents a major milestone aligned with the Green Deal and Farm-to-Fork Strategy forming a regulatory driver for the acceptance of biobased fertilizers.

Market uptake was driven by 7 Lighthouse Demo’s (D4.2 and D4.3) validating BBFs that replace up to 55% of mineral fertilisers, coupled with cost–benefit analysis and detailed business model development. Case examples (e.g. pig slurry digestion, blood hydrolysates, soil improvers) show economic viability under EU Fertilising Products Regulation. This lead to an exploitation plan (D4.5) to be used for uptake and future replication and strengthens the competitiveness of Europe and European agriculture in the fertilizer market. Authorities in Andalusia, Flanders, and Poland already integrated NOVAFERT outputs into their circular economy planning.

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