Descripción del proyecto
Cultivos en el centro de la ciudad
La agricultura urbana encierra un gran potencial de autonomía alimentaria y sostenibilidad ambiental, pero la mayoría de las ciudades de la Unión Europea se enfrentan a una escasa producción local de cultivos y a la infrautilización de residuos ricos en nutrientes. El principal problema radica en el depauperado estado de los suelos urbanos y periurbanos, que dificulta la aplicación eficaz de nutrientes y reduce el rendimiento. En este contexto, el equipo del proyecto NUTRISOIL, financiado por el Consejo Europeo de Investigación, pretende revolucionar la agricultura urbana mejorando la calidad del suelo, promoviendo la recuperación de nutrientes y fomentando el intercambio de conocimientos entre las principales partes interesadas. El equipo del proyecto se centra en el intercambio de conocimientos entre agricultores, instalaciones de compostaje, plantas de tratamiento de aguas residuales y responsables políticos, y está destinado a allanar el camino hacia una agricultura periurbana sostenible, fomentando un método circular de la gestión de recursos en nuestras ciudades.
Objetivo
Many policies promote urban and peri-urban agriculture (UA) through circularity of nutrients to increase food autonomy, minimize food losses, and reduce environmental impacts associated to transport, mineral fertilizer production, and waste management. Yet up to date most EU cities have low local crop production, and although they generate vast volumes of nutrient-rich waste, nutrient recovery through composting and wastewater treatment to substitute mineral fertilizer for application in UA is still anecdotal. What is hindering nutrient circularity for application in UA and what can be done to overcome the obstacles? The variability and quality of recovered nutrients is one key issue. However, there is a more important underlying problem that has not been addressed: the impoverished state and quality of the urban and peri-urban agricultural soil. Adding nutrients to a carbon-deficient soil is counter-productive, resulting in reduced rooting patterns, increased sensitivity to draughts, and ultimately lower yields. The solution to impoverished soils and poor local crop production lies in the cities themselves. A large proportion of urban residues are rich in decomposable organic carbon and can be used to enhance soil microbiota function, counteract acidification, and improve soil quality and nutrient cycling efficiency. The pathway towards UA is to preserve and increase soil OM, while increasing nutrient recovery in urban areas- and this can be achieved through resource circularity right within the city. The goal of NUTRISOIL is to clearly identify, address, and resolve these soil-related obstacles to the sustainable implementation of UA in cities by providing the technical expertise and creating a knowledge transfer exchange amongst farmers, composting facilities, WWTPs, administration, policy makers, and the various governing and coordinating associations implicated in the entire cycle of nutrients in the city: from waste to food.
Ámbito científico
Palabras clave
Programa(s)
- HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC) Main Programme
Régimen de financiación
HORIZON-ERC-POC - HORIZON ERC Proof of Concept GrantsInstitución de acogida
08193 Cerdanyola Del Valles
España