Prudent
PRUDENT aspires to change the way agriculture and forestry systems currently operate and to accelerate the transition to sustainable agriculture and forestry practices and smart farming technologies. The project will identify and evaluate the most effective green nudges that can enable farmers/foresters’ behavioural change to more sustainable agriculture and forestry.
Nudges will be also tested in natural contexts to evaluate the interactive effect of nudges with actual policy changes in the transition to sustainability. Innovative nudging tools will be employed to boost farmers/foresters’ self-regulatory capacity and enhance the durability of nudging effects.
Four different systems, representing major farming and forestry systems in Europe (arable crops, perennial crops, livestock and forests) in various EU regions (Northern, Southern, and Central Europe) will be studied to account for the heterogeneity of farming/forestry systems and contexts in the EU.
PRUDENT will provide a set of social innovations and business models establishing roadmaps for a shift towards sustainable agriculture and forestry and will develop a series of policy recommendations and tools to foster behaviorally informed policy design and implementation.
Partners:
- Agricultural University of Athens
- Politecnico di Milano
- Centro Euro-Mediterraneo sui Cambiamenti Climatici
- ILVO
- Università di Trento
- Green & Digital
- The Association Of Balkan Eco Innovations
- Athens University of Economics and Business
- European Forest Institute
- Q-Plan International
- AgriFood Lithuania DIH
- Asnacodi
- Boerennatuur Vlaanderen
- Boerenbond
Project website: prudent-project.eu
Locality
The main objective of LOCALITY is to develop circular and sustainable value chains, linking industrial players to stimulate co-creation and bring new and innovative algae-based products to regional and global markets while protecting and restoring Europe’s aquatic ecosystems.
LOCALITY sets the basis for the market uptake of innovative, socially responsible, and sustainable food, aquafeed ingredients, agriculture, and textile products formulated using algal biomasses and ingredients from side streams and the Baltic and North Seas, demonstrate their social and economic benefits, define commercialisation strategies and ensure consumer and market acceptance. Project results, developed technologies, and products to relevant stakeholders, thus fostering the replication of such circular ecosystems are disseminated.
LOCALITY is based on novel approaches and innovative products involving local stakeholders and international markets. The Consortium is completely market-oriented, with industrial partners addressing all value chains. Value chain reinforcement, consumer perception and acceptance, regulatory and technological barriers surpassing, business models, and market strategy development are key LOCALITY components. The designed products will gain a strong position in the European marketplace in the coming years.
Partners:
- NIVA
- Wageningen University
- GreenCoLab
- IRTA
- Algaia
- ESCI
- Civitta
- Proviron
- Algen
- Nord University
- Lgemsynalgae BV
- Lovely Day Foods Gmbh
- AgriFood Lithuania DIH
- University Of Agriculture Krakow
- Umea University
- Sparos LDA
- Riasearch
- Food & Bio Cluster Denmark
- Folvengaard AS
- BaMS Innovation Cluster
- Origin By Ocean
- Aller Aqua Group AS
- Viva Maris Gmbh
- Nordic Seafarm AB
- University Of Applied Sciences Boras
- Mounid AB
- Vital Seafood AS
- Quazy Foods
Project website: www.locality-algae.eu
GFarm for LIFE
GFarm for LIFE brings together key stakeholders from science, business, public and state sectors to jointly implement and develop a project which aims to develop a systematic ecosystem model for a more accurate and reliable assessment and register of GHG in agriculture, forestry and other land use (AFOLU) sector and design a framework for a national carbon absorption certification and monitoring.
The specialness of our project is that its actions take place directly in parallel with the upcoming EC regulations, allowing direct involvement in the process and helping design a national strategy that would have the potential to be an example in Europe.
Challenges
Strategic Challenge: Achieving national and EU climate change mitigation and adaptation targets by enabling systemic change in part of Lithuania’s AFOLU sector and governance regarding GHG emission reduction and implementing carbon farming initiatives.
- Lack of common procedures and holistic approaches for AFOLU sectors’ climate impact assessment at scale.
- The technological ecosystem for GHG emission and sequestration monitoring, accounting, and informed decision-making within the AFOLU sector is underdeveloped.
- Insufficient positive incentives to promote behavioural change within the AFOLU sector and support the transition towards carbon farming practices.
Objectives
- Holistic Methodology
To develop, pilot and validate holistic methodologies and streamlined procedures for GHG emission and sequestration assessment for the Lithuanian AFOLU sector at local (farm), regional and national levels - GHG Monitoring Database And Carbon Register
To collect, update and validate soil and forestry monitoring databases at the local – farm/land site, regional – different country area and national -Lithuania levels as a framework for monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) structure - Data Calculation And Measuring Technological Infrastructure
To develop, pilot and implement a common technological infrastructure and cross-platform digital tools for GHG balance monitoring, accounting, data exchange and governance for the agriculture sector - Recommendations For Promoting A Carbon Farming System
To establish and pilot an incentives framework at the national level for reducing the climate impact of the Lithuanian AFOLU sector based on market principles (by encouraging additional investment), policy guidelines and farmer behavioural change
Partners:
- AgriFood Lithuania DIH
- UAB ART21
- UAB Dojus Agro
- UAB Litagra
- National Paying Agency
- Lithuanian State Forest Service
- Vytautas Magnus university
- Lithuanian Forest and Land Owners Association
- UAB Melda
- UAB Strategy Labs
Project website: www.gfarm.lt
Forest 4.0
The overall objective of the FOREST 4.0 project is to establish a Centre of Excellence (CoE) to transform the forest environment monitoring, data acquisition, and analysis, and capture value from the collected data by implementing innovations based on artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT).
The CoE will be founded by two Lithuanian partners (Vytautas Magnus University – VMU) and Kaunas University of Technology – KTU) teaming with a leading counterpart from Sweden (Linnaeus University – LNU) and three networking and business development partners (InteriorCluster from Sweden, ART21 UAB and AgriFood Lithuania Digital Innovation Hub from Lithuania). The CoE will be created as a new legal entity and will comprise leading researchers from different domains that will implement an ambitious long term research and innovation strategy. The CoE will also provide innovation services to businesses and host a startup incubator. The impact of the project will be a rise in research excellence and reputation in forestry management and AI/IoT technologies for Lithuania; the constitution of a critical mass of excellent international researchers in the targeted domains; the production of a growing amount of research (publications) and innovation (patents, new technologies, startups) outputs; and expanding international networks for the Lithuanian partners.
Project Coordinator:
- Vytautas Magnus University
Partners:
- Kaunas University of Technology
- Linnaeus University
- Interior Cluster Sweden
- UAB ART21
- AgriFood Lithuania DIH
Project website: forest40.lt
FarmTopia
Farmtopia is a Horizon Europe project spanning three years, from September 2023 to August 2026. Comprising 22 partners from 12 countries, Farmtopia’s goal is to democratise digital farming, making it accessible to all.
Despite the agricultural industry’s increasing interest in Agricultural Digital Solutions (ADSs), their adoption among European farmers, particularly small-scale ones, has remained limited. This creates a significant gap that needs addressing to enhance the economic and environmental aspects of the agricultural sector.
Farmtopia envisions a future where ADSs cater to the needs of small farms more readily, encompassing their creation, deployment, and affordability.
The envisioned impact includes providing validated ADSs to over 64,000 small farms. As the project advances, we will continually update our website with further details about the SIPs (Sustainable Innovation Pilots), digital solutions, and results.
Partners:
- Neuropublic
- Green Supply Chain
- AgriFood Lithuania DIH
- Foodscale Hub
- Politecnico di Milano
- Agricultural University of Athens
- UAB “ART21”
- University College Dublin
- Pilze-Nagy Ltd.
- Substratproduktion Kynast-Löcke GmbH
- Anamob
- SmartRDI
- Agricolus s.r.l.
- Sata s.r.l.
- Gaia Epicheirein
- Ku Leuven
- W. Govaerts & Co.
- ITC Murska Sobota
- Arvalis Institut Du Vegetal
- Carbon Bee AgTech
- Fédération Régionale des cuma de l’Ouest
- Poios Einai To Afentiko?
Project website: farmtopia.eu
EDIH4IAE.LT
The consortium implementing the initiative "EDIH4IAE.LT" (otherwise - "Digital transformation of the industry, agriculture and energy sectors in Lithuania") was established by the Confederation of Lithuanian Industrialists, Vytautas Magnus University, the Lithuanian Innovation Center, the agro-food sector technology company "ART21", digital innovation center "AgriFood Lithuania", Science and Technology Park of the Institute of Physics, Lithuanian Energy Institute and Smart Energy DIH.
EDIH4IAE.LT will provide an opportunity for agro-food, energy and industrial companies and authorities in the region of Western and Central Lithuania to integrate environmental, digital and social solutions into their main business models. EDIH4IAE.LT has the best opportunities to support the ambitions of the 2021-2027 Digital Europe Program, which aims to ensure that Europe undertakes the digital transformation of the economy and society and provides its benefits to companies and citizens.
The goal is to make the digital transformation of the industry, food and energy sectors more efficient, giving priority to business and public entities operating in the region of Western and Central Lithuania and to the implementation of basic digital technologies (high performance computers, artificial intelligence and cyber security).
Tasks:
- increase the demand and absorption potential of digital technologies;
- develop digital skills necessary for digital transformation;
- reduce the risk of investing in digital technologies, helping companies to attract additional financial resources;
- with the help of digital technologies and business models, to increase the integration of Lithuanian economic entities into the EU and international value creation chains.
Coordinator:
- Lithuanian Innovation Center
Partners:
- Lithuanian Confederation of Industrialists
- Vytautas Magnus University
- Lithuanian Energy Institute
- UAB "ART21"
- Science and Technology Park of the Physics Institute
- AgriFood Lithuania DIH
- SmartEnergyDih
Project website: e-dih.lt
EWA 2024: participants should be motivated by more than just the prize money
EWA, a free programme that promotes women’s entrepreneurship and the potential to develop innovative solutions for the future of agrifood, is returning to Lithuania. It is an EIT Food initiative supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), an EU institution. The project will be launched for the third time and will be coordinated by AgriFood Lithuania. The success of last year’s mentees is a testimony to the fact that it is possible to commercialise an idea within six months with mentors’ help and gain valuable experience. So even those with only a vision for the business are invited to apply before 31 May.
Call for early-stage startup founders
The organisers have good news for women who are planning to participate in the programme as owners of existing businesses. This year, you can apply if you have a startup that has been on the market for up to three years (instead of the previous requirements of two years). A startup may also have received double the amount of funding from private or public funds than in previous EWA years - that is, up to €60,000.
“The expectations for innovative ideas of the participants remain the same: we hope to see ideas that have the potential to positively impact the food system, improve the quality of people’s lives, or contribute to a more sustainable and efficient use of our planet’s resources,” comments Kristina Šermukšnytė-Alešiūnienė, CEO of the AgriFood Lithuania cluster and the digital innovation hub, patron of EWA Lithuania.
The top 10 most promising young entrepreneurs selected by EIT Food will work individually with their assigned experienced mentors for six months, taking part in face-to-face and virtual seminars and training sessions. They will also have the opportunity to actively benefit from international networking opportunities within the world’s largest and most dynamic food innovation community.
In autumn, the EWA will hold its final event at the traditional international AgriFood Forum, which annually attracts an audience of nearly 3000 people. Female innovators will take part in a pitch competition, watched by business angels and potential investors from all over Europe. The three best performers will be selected by an expert jury based on their startup idea and the progress they have made over the last six months. The winner will be awarded €10,000, while the second and third-place winners will receive vouchers of €5,000 and €3,000.
Women’s leadership as a way to achieve positive change
K. Šermukšnytė-Alešiūnienė points out that a lack of determination is one of the main reasons preventing women from pursuing a career in agrifood. According to official EU data, men apply for a senior position by meeting only 30% of the requirements, while women doubt themselves even if they do meet 70%.
“However, they have the potential to make a substantial contribution to strategic goals such as reviving Europe’s depopulated regions. Agriculture and the food industry are the main economic activities of women in many remote areas. Also, females have an instinctive ability to foster the well-being of their communities. But we need to empower them to be entrepreneurs and promote creative, sustainable innovation that responds to the challenges affecting food systems and the planet in general,” says the agrifood industry expert.
Tools for personal and professional development, more self-confidence, professional support and belonging to the EIT Food network - these are the values of the EWA, which K. Šermukšnytė-Alešiūnienė identifies as the key to success for women innovators in the creation of innovative startups.
All you need is an idea you strongly believe in
The experiences of EWA mentees and the evidence that all women have a chance to shine should encourage others to participate. For example, Giedrė Kesiūnaitė, an innovator taking her first steps, won in 2021. She started the project with an idea and finished with a seitan-based alternative meat product.
A year later, the business launch initiative brought extraordinary success for Paulina Gruodienė, the creator of Fruttberry, who also joined the programme with just the hint of an idea. She says that her dream to create powdered mixtures of vegetables, fruits, and berries, which can be prepared in half a minute and have no alternative in Lithuania, was born out of a personal need to live a healthier lifestyle.
“I did not become a finalist, but I consider my decision to participate in EWA as a fateful one, because today, together with my business partner, we are growing a responsible brand that generates revenue and is of interest not only to local consumers but also to foreign markets. The reason for this is a sincere belief in my own idea, daily nurturing of it during the programme period, and dedication to the goal after it is over,” shares P. Gruodienė and offers not to focus only on the prize fund.
Finance, she says, is definitely very necessary at the start of a business. However, the advice of mentors who are professionals in their field, the practical knowledge and skills that are 100% transferable to a young business every day, as well as the supportive and inspiring community are all invaluable assets.
K. Šermukšnytė-Alešiūnienė: “Youth and women – among the key pillars of future bioeconomy”
Holistically transforming the bioeconomy sector to harmonize sustainability with economic and environmental goals – this was the core focus of the insights shared at the Bioeconomy Forum 2024 held in March. Industry professionals, policymakers, academics, business and NGO representatives as well as young innovators from Lithuania and abroad exchanged their perspectives at the Vilnius Town Hall. Over 2,000 participants from across the EU, both in-person and online, joined the event, eager to collaboratively shape the future.
The forum was organized by the cluster and digital innovation hub AgriFood Lithuania and the Research Council of Lithuania, in collaboration with the Ministry of Economy and Innovation, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Innovation Agency, LithuaniaBIO, and Invest Lithuania. The event was part of the Europe-wide Bioeconomy Changemakers Festival, initiated by the European Commission's Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, in cooperation with youth ambassadors in the bioeconomy sector.
Greetings from the EU Commissioner
Opening the forum, Virginijus Sinkevičius, the European Commissioner for Environment, Oceans, and Fisheries, expressed support for the country's commitment to finding ways to strengthen the sector. According to him, the bioeconomy offers sustainable opportunities for innovation in agriculture, forestry, and rural areas, enabling income diversification, cost reduction, and increased resilience.
“In the pursuit of transformation, the primary goal must remain sustainability – biomass resources are limited, so we must manage them very carefully both on land and at sea. And let's not forget to involve the youth in any processes, whose creativity and energy will be crucial in driving innovations, especially in revitalizing remote areas,” shared V. Sinkevičius in his welcoming remarks.
Lithuania's Minister of Agriculture, Kęstutis Navickas, emphasized that bioeconomy is a very broad field, and we must harness as many competencies and unconventional solutions as possible to successfully implement specific aspects: “Creating added value from our own production, rather than being a country of raw materials, is one of the key goals we should actively pursue.”
According to the Lithuanian Vice Minister of Economy and Innovation, the challenges faced daily by EU member states are very similar, so we can only solve them together. With these words, Ieva Valeškaitė encouraged the international, interdisciplinary audience to share best practices and seek productive forms of teamwork.
“The national bioeconomy sector already accounts for 7.5% of the total GDP, and we can further harness its potential. For example, by expanding R&D&I activities that ensure collaboration between science and business in the private sector and the growth of human resource competencies,” the speaker commented on the ministry's contribution.
Towards a sustainable European bioeconomy – inclusive and with a unified strategy
Kristina Šermukšnytė-Alešiūnienė, CEO of AgriFood Lithuania, welcomed event participants and called for the exploration of new bioeconomy definitions during the high-level opening discussion. She encouraged sharing ideas on how to integrate these definitions into each related sector. According to her, fostering the growth of young talents and ensuring women's leadership would not only create a fairer society in terms of equality and inclusion but also drive progress in the bioeconomy.
“Young people and women are among the strongest pillars that will help lay the foundation for a greener tomorrow, where dynamic, diverse, and innovative businesses thrive. Undoubtedly, sustainability and responsible resource use should also be considered as potential strengths and competitive advantages for companies. Organizations that implement these principles will not only gain consumer support but also open doors to new markets,” emphasized Kristina Šermukšnytė-Alešiūnienė.
Other key insights from the first panel included the need for an action plan with very clearly defined goals and objectives for the successful development of the bioeconomy. However, Argo Peepson, Head of the Bioesources and Climate Department at the Estonian Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture, reminded us that yet another document without a shared vision will not have much significance.
“National bioeconomy strategies should clearly reflect the dialogue between ministries, universities, entrepreneurs, and all other stakeholders, addressing gaps and clarifying perspectives. And a simply better understanding of the bioeconomy concept is crucial in this process. Activities like food production and forestry have existed for thousands of years, yet society questions why we only now talk about these integral parts of the sector as the essence of the bioeconomy,” A. Peepson said.
Alternative proteins: challenges drive improvement
The once niche idea of meat substitutes is now a leading trend, crucial for improving the resilience of food systems, responding to global changes, and other factors. In a discussion dedicated to this topic, Seth Roberts, The Good Food Institute Europe Policy Manager, spoke about the regulation of the alternative protein industry.
“On one hand, regulation can hinder the market entry of both new products and the technologies developed for them. However, we can see the challenges posed by certain rules as opportunities for improvements, such as speeding up processes or fostering closer collaboration between regulatory bodies and companies.
Moreover, we have observed significant progress in innovation development since last year. Many new plant-based products have been approved, and both EU and national funding have increased. This indicates recognition that alternative proteins will play a major role in the future food system,” shared S. Roberts.
Former long-time CEO of EIT Food, Andy Zynga, highlighted the importance of consumer education in this direction: “Encouraging and implementing innovations is not enough. We must invest in educating people, not only presenting protein diversity alternatives but also providing real knowledge about what they are, how they work, and their benefits to society and the environment,” explained the ambassador of the world's largest food innovation initiative.
I. Valeškaitė emphasized that Lithuania needs to actively participate in all discussions on alternative proteins currently taking place at the EU level. This is not only due to economic or ethical aspects but also because of food security, a highly relevant and sensitive topic since Russia started the war on our continent.
“One of the tasks we need to undertake ourselves is growing the talent pool. We can already be proud of the scientists developing the necessary technologies, but it is crucial to strengthen the potential of promising students as much as possible, including scholarships and grants to gain experience from the best in Europe,” said the Deputy Minister of Economy and Innovation.
The Netherlands are leaders in the field of alternative proteins. Therefore, the agreement to promote sector development in Lithuania and across Europe, signed by the Innovation Agency and Cell Agriculture Europe at the Green Horizons Summit 2024, opens up this and many other opportunities.
The sector needs a broad-visioned generation and they need supportive mentors
The EU Bioeconomy Youth Ambassador, Science and Innovation Advisor at the Ministry of Agriculture of Lithuania, Ugnė Dirdaitė, highlighted in a panel discussion reflecting youth empowerment that her generation tends to think globally but act locally: “We see no difference in causes of both local and global problems, and once identified, we are not afraid to seek solutions. This is very important in the bioeconomy sector,” she said.
Nelo Emerencia, Director of Human Capital & Stakeholder Relations of the Bio-Based Industries Consortium, agreed noting that the current generation demonstrates great courage to take risks and view failures as lessons, as well as a stronger entrepreneurial mindset than before: “Young talents understand that we need not only a variety of fermentation technologies but also tools to apply them and then increase and maintain their demand,” he pointed out.
Meanwhile, Andželika Rusteikienė, Director of Lithuania Junior Achievement, shared her insights about the growing expectation of young people for educators to be mentors or coaches rather than traditional teachers: providing practical advice and comprehensive support instead of conventional knowledge and teaching methods: “This changing educational environment suggests a need for a more collaborative and supportive approach that would inspire future generations to unleash their full potential,” said the panellist.
K. Šermukšnytė-Alešiūnienė: „Jaunimas ir moterys – tarp svarbiausių ateities bioekonomikos ramsčių“
Holistiškai transformuoti bioekonomikos sektorių, kuriame tvarumas dera su ekonominiais ir aplinkosaugos tikslais – toks tikslas siejo kovą vykusio „Biokekonomikos forumo 2024“ įžvalgas. Vilniaus rotušėje jomis keitėsi pramonės profesionalai, politikos formuotojai, akademikai, verslo ir nevyriausybinių organizacijų atstovai, jaunieji novatoriai iš Lietuvos bei užsienio. Renginį gyvai ir internetu visoje ES stebėjo per 2 tūkst. dalyvių, norinčių bendromis pastangomis kurti ateitį.
Forumą klasteris ir skaitmeninių inovacijų centras „AgriFood Lithuania“ ir Lietuvos mokslo taryba organizavo drauge su šalies Ekonomikos ir inovacijų bei Žemės ūkio ministerijomis, Inovacijų agentūra, „LithuaniaBIO“ ir „Investuok Lietuvoje“. Renginys – dalis visoje Europoje vykusio „Bioekonomikos pokyčių kūrėjų“ festivalio (angl. Bioeconomy Changemakers Festival), kurį inicijavo EK Mokslinių tyrimų ir inovacijų generalinis direktoratas, bendradarbiaudamas su bioekonomikos jaunimo srities ambasadoriais.
Pasveikino eurokomisaras
Forumą atidaręs už aplinką, vandenynus ir žuvininkystę atsakingas Europos Komisijos (EK) narys Virginijus Sinkevičius išreiškė paramą šalies įsipareigojimui ieškoti būdų stiprinti sektorių. Anot jo, bioekonomika atveria tvarias galimybes inovuoti žemės ūkyje, miškininkystėje ir kaimo vietovėse, leidžia įvairinti pajamas, mažinti išlaidas ir didinti atsparumą.
„Siekiant pertvarkos svarbiausiu turi išlikti tvarumo siekis – biomasės ištekliai riboti, tad valdyti juos tiek sausumoje, tiek jūroje turime itin kruopščiai. Ir nepamirškime į bet kokius procesus įtraukti jaunimo, kurio kūrybiškumas ir energija bus labai svarbūs skatinant inovacijas, ypač prikeliant nutolusias vietoves“, – sveikinimo žodžiais dalijosi V. Sinkevičius.
Lietuvos žemės ūkio ministras Kęstutis Navickas priminė, kad bioekonomika – labai plati sritis, tad būtina pasitelkti kiek įmanoma daugiau kompetencijų ir netradicinių sprendimų, jei norime sėkmingai įgyvendinti konkrečius aspektus: „Kurti pridėtinę vertę iš savos produkcijos, o ne būti žaliavų šalimi – vienas kertinių tikslų, kurio turėtume aktyviai siekti.“
Pasak Lietuvos ekonomikos ir inovacijų viceministrės, problemos, su kuriomis kasdien susiduria ES narės, labai panašios, todėl ir išspręsti jas galime tik kartu. Tokiais žodžiais Ieva Valeškaitė paragino tarptautinę, tarpdisciplininę auditoriją keistis gerąja patirtimi ir ieškoti produktyvaus komandinio darbo formų.
„Nacionalinis bioekonomikos sektorius jau dabar sudaro 7,5 proc. viso BVP ir galime dar labiau išnaudoti jo potencialą. Pavyzdžiui, plėsdami MTEPI veiklas, užtikrinančias mokslo ir verslo bendradarbiavimą privačiame sektoriuje ir žmogiškųjų išteklių kompetencijų augimą“, – ministerijos indėlį komentavo pranešėja.
Į tvarią Europos bioekonomiką – įtraukus visus ir su bendra strategija
„AgriFood Lithuania“ generalinė direktorė Kristina Šermukšnytė-Alešiūnienė sveikindama renginio dalyvius ir aukšto lygio atidarymo diskusijoje kvietė ieškoti naujų bioekonomikos apibrėžimų. Taip pat dalytis idėjomis, kaip juos integruoti kiekviename susijusiame sektoriuje. Jos teigimu, vien padėdami augti jauniesiems talentams ir užtikrindami moterų lyderystę ne tik sukurtume lygybės ir įtraukties klausimais teisingesnę visuomenę.
„Jaunimas bei moterys – vieni tvirčiausių ramsčių, padėsiančių statyti žalesnio rytojaus pagrindą, kuriame klesti dinamiški, įvairūs, inovatyvūs verslai. Be abejonės, tvarumą ir atsakingą išteklių naudojimą taip pat derėtų laikyti potencialia įmonių stiprybe ir konkurenciniu pranašumu. Organizacijos, įgyvendinančios šiuos principus, ne tik susilauks vartotojų palaikymo, bet ir atvers duris į naujas rinkas“, – pabrėžė K. Šermukšnytė-Alešiūnienė.
Tarp kitų svarbiausių pirmojoje panelėje nuskambėjusių įžvalgų – sėkmingai bioekonomikos plėtrai būtinas veiksmų planas su labai aiškiai numatytais tikslais ir uždaviniais. Visgi Estijos regioninių reikalų ir žemės ūkio ministerijos Biologinių išteklių ir klimato skyriaus vadovas Argo Peepson priminė, kad dar vienas eilinis dokumentas be bendros vizijos neturės didelės reikšmės.
„Šalių bioekonomikos strategijos turėtų aiškiai atspindėti ministerijų, universitetų, verslininkų ir visų kitų suinteresuotųjų šalių dialogą, sprendžiant spragas bei gryninantis perspektyvas. O šiame procese daug lemia tiesiog geresnis bioekonomikos koncepcijos supratimas. Štai tokios veiklos kaip maisto gamyba ar miškininkystė egzistuoja tūkstančius metų, bet visuomenei kyla klausimų, kodėl apie šias neatsiejamas sektoriaus dalis kaip bioekonomikos esmę kalbame tik dabar“, – svarstė A. Peepson.
Alternatyvieji baltymai: iššūkiai verčia tobulėti
Palyginti neseniai nišine tebuvusi mėsos pakaitalų idėja šiandien yra bene pagrindinė tendencija, kalbant apie kritiškai reikalingą maisto sistemų atsparumo gerinimą, atsaką į globalius pokyčius ir kitus veiksnius. Tam skirtoje diskusijoje „The Good Food Institute Europe“ Politikos vadovas Seth Roberts išsakė mintį apie alternatyviųjų baltymų pramonės reglamentavimą.
„Viena vertus, dėl jo gali strigti tiek naujų produktų, tiek jiems kurti skirtų technologijų patekimas į rinką. Tačiau tam tikrų taisyklių keliamus iššūkius pirmiausia galime laikyti galimybėmis tobulėti – kad ir šiek tiek paspartinti procesus ar reguliavimo institucijoms ir bendrovėms bendradarbiauti glaudžiau.
Be to, nuo praėjusių metų stebime nemenką pažangą inovacijų kūrimo srityje. Buvo patvirtinta nemažai naujų produktų, ypač augalinės kilmės, didėja ES ir nacionalinis finansavimas. Tai ženklas, kad pripažįstame, jog alternatyvieji baltymai atliks didelį vaidmenį ateities maisto sistemoje“, – dalijosi S. Roberts.
Buvęs ilgametis „EIT Food“ generalinis direktorius Andy Zynga atkreipė dėmesį į vartotojų švietimo svarbą, judant šia kryptimi: „Vien skatinti ir įgyvendinti naujoves nepakanka. Privalome investuoti į žmonių edukaciją ir ne tik pristatyti baltymų įvairovės alternatyvas, bet suteikti realių žinių: kas tai, kaip veikia ir kuo naudinga visuomenei bei aplinkai“, – dėstė didžiausios maisto inovacijų iniciatyvos pasaulyje ambasadorius.
I. Valeškaitė pabrėžė, kad Lietuvai būtina pirmiausia aktyviai dalyvauti diskusijose visais alternatyviųjų baltymų klausimais, kurie šiuo metu aptariami ES lygmeniu. Ne tik dėl ekonominių ar etinių aspektų, bet ir dėl maisto saugumo – itin aktualios bei jautrios temos, Rusijai pradėjus karą mūsų žemyne.
„Vienas iš namų darbų, kuriuos derėtų nuveikti patiems, yra talentų rezervo auginimas. Jau dabar galime didžiuotis reikiamas technologijas kuriančiais mokslininkais, visgi svarbu stiprinti perspektyvių studentų potencialą kuo labiau – įskaitant stipendijas ir dotacijas išvykti semtis patirties iš geriausių Europoje“, – sakė ekonomikos ir inovacijų viceministrė.
Nyderlandai – lyderiai alternatyviųjų baltymų srityje. Taigi minėtą galimybę bei daugelį kitų atvers susitarimo dėl sektoriaus plėtros skatinimo Lietuvoje ir visoje Europoje memorandumas. Jį „Bioekonomikos forume 2024“ su šios šalies asociacija „Cell Agriculture Europe“ pasirašė Inovacijų agentūra.
Sektoriui reikia plačiaregės kartos atstovų, šiems – palaikančių mentorių
Bioekonomikos jaunimo ambasadorė Europos Komisijoje, Mokslo ir inovacijų patarėja Lietuvos žemės ūkio ministerijoje Ugnė Dirdaitė jaunimo įgalinimą atliepiančioje panelinėje diskusijoje išskyrė savo kartos atstovų savybę mąstyti globaliai, bet veikti lokaliai: „Mums vienodai rūpi ir vietinių, ir visuotinių problemų priežastys, kurias įžvelgę nebijome ieškoti sprendimų. Bioekonomikos sektoriuje tai labai svarbu“, – sakė ji.
Bioekonomikos industrijų konsorciumo direktorius Nelo Emerencia antrino sakydamas, kad šiuolaikinėje kartoje pastebi didelę drąsą rizikuoti ir nesėkmes laikyti pamokomis bei stipresnę nei anksčiau verslumo mąstyseną: „Jaunieji talentai suvokia, kad reikia ne tik fermentacijos technologijų gausos, bet ir priemonių, kaip jas pritaikyti, o tuomet padidinti ir išlaikyti jų paklausą“, – pateikė pavyzdį ekspertas.
Tuo tarpu „Lietuvos Junior Achievement“ direktorė Andželika Rusteikienė pasidalijo įžvalga apie augantį jaunų žmonių lūkestį ugdymo specialistams būti ne įprastais mokytojais, o mentoriais ar instruktoriais: teikiančiais praktiškus patarimus bei visokeriopą paramą vietoj tradicinių žinių ir mokymų metodų: „Tokia besikeičianti švietimo aplinka sufleruoja poreikį vadovautis labiau bendradarbiavimu ir pagalba grindžiamu požiūriu, kuris įkvėptų ateities kartas išlaisvinti visą savo potencialą“, – kalbėjo diskusijos dalyvė.
