Periodic Reporting for period 2 - CARINA (CARinata and CamelINA to boost the sustainable diversification in EU farming systems)
Periodo di rendicontazione: 2024-05-01 al 2025-10-31
The CARINA project capitalizes on a highly experienced and transdisciplinary team of 19 partners and 5 affiliated entities from 13 EU and Associated Countries (Italy, France, Spain, Germany, Greece, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Poland, UK, Serbia, Tunisia, Morocco, Switzerland). CARINA is built on the firm belief that a participatory approach is condicio sine qua non for the scalability of CARINA solutions. The importance of social innovation for the success of the project clearly emerges in all its actions: lighthouses, living labs, and policy innovation labs have been appositely planned to play a leading role in jointly developing innovative value chains based on the new oilseed crops carinata and camelina considered as promising multiple low-iLUC feedstocks for circular bio-based value chains. Assuming that consensus for a new crop can be achieved only if the crop makes financial sense and does not require substantial investment to farmers, carinata and camelina fully meet these requirements being able to adapt to broadly different soil and environmental conditions producing high-quality oils for a plethora of potential added-value bio-based applications (bioherbicides, bioplastics, biostimulants etc.). Moreover, camelina and carinata cakes (residues from oil extraction) are protein-rich compounds which can be valorized as animal feed, as well as in a multitude of high added-value products.
During the RP2, the project has generally progressed as expected. Camelina and carinata were the subject of a total of 289 experimental trials, presented at 64 public events. This substantial experimental activity carried within the WP1, combined with, Living Lab meetings, field demo-days (lighthouses) etc, have considerably strengthened the technical knowledge on the two crops, thereby improving the protocols and agronomic solutions for the large-scale development of Camelina and Carinata. Camelina has benefited from more advanced knowledge in European growing areas and from a higher, although still limited, level of familiarity among farmers. Both crops have nevertheless demonstrated considerable potential, particularly as autumn–winter intercrops or as main crops on marginal lands, where conventional species often experience significant yield reductions. Considerable efforts were dedicated to the engagement of stakeholders in the lighthouses events, living labs and policy innovation labs. Significant progress has also been observed in the downstream processing activities. Although today the advanced biofuels remain the predominant and most relevant market for the two crops, almost 60 compounds were identified and several bioproducts (e.g. biostimulants, bioherbicides, food supplements, etc.) derived from the two crops were developed and tested, yielding generally very satisfactory results.In parallel, environmental, economic, and social assessments impacts have been initiated. The preliminary results highlight both positive and negative aspects of the new value chains that will however undergo further refinements and improvements over the last period of CARINA. The elaboration of policy recommendations to support sustainable and certified low-iLUC value chains for camelina and carinata progressed as planned, including updates to the policy landscape analysis and reviews of existing certification frameworks relevant to MRV approaches. Stakeholder engagement was strengthened through Policy Innovation Labs and workshops, which collected insights on challenges and opportunities for value chain development. These activities provide the basis for the foresight-based formulation of policy recommendations. To improve the understanding of co-benefits and potential risks, social innovation strategies were implemented involving stakeholders in the co-design of technical solutions. Finally, visibility, outreach, and exploitation capacity of the project was strenghtened through a coordinated set of dissemination, communication, networking, and valorisation activities.
In general, although inevitably camelina and carinata still need some technical improvements for their cultivation (e.g. weed and pests’ control, harvesting etc.), both showed highly promising results across contrasting growing environments or management conditions, thus revealing a broad adaptability and resilience under marginal conditions in Europe and north Africa. Agronomic trials have been successfully established resulting in a significant advancement of knowledge on camelina and carinata as inter- double-or relay - crops; moreover, the intense involvement of farmers and stakeholders through lighthouse events further accelerated the learning process. A deep characterization of camelina and carinata was performed in term of bioactive compounds: 32 compounds were identified in camelina seeds and 27 compounds in carinata seeds. Together with the utilization the erucic and pelargonic monoacid, the presence of oleic acid enabled the production of additional key monomers such as azelaic and hexanoic acid (from carinata), expanding the range of potential bioproducts. A number of biostimulants, bioherbicides and biopesticides, as well as food supplements extracted from camelina cake were produced and tested at field scale leading to promising results. The analysis of crude carinata oil revealed a high content of monounsaturated fatty acids (about 50%) alongside notable levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids (about 35%). It was confirmed the feasibility of producing the target fatty acids brassilic and pelargonic acids, along with azelaic and hexanoic acids, all of which hold potential.