FP6 - 23168 SAFIR - Safe and High Quality Food Production using Poor Quality Waters and Improved Irrigation Systems and Management

Contacts




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Agriculture : Enviromental Aspects : Life Science and Food Quality

Type of Project	STREP
Contract No	FP6 - 23168
Total Cost	11,350 KEuro
EC Contribution	9,380 KEuro
Start Date	1-6-2004
Duration	48 Months

Note: While this is primarily a food project, some aspects are relevant to the need for increasing yields, by irrigation, for agricultural crops for use as feedstock for biofuel production.

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Abstract

This project addresses two fundamental problems that over the past decade increasingly have become concerns of the general public: the one problem being the jeopardizing of safety and quality of our food products, while the other being the increasing competition for clean fresh water.

The proposed project has a multi-disciplinary approach, which integrate the European as well as the global dimension of the EU-policy on food quality and safety. The main driving force behind the project idea is new research results that demonstrate irrigation pattern can increase the water use efficiency as well as the quality of vegetable crops. Furthermore, have recent innovations in the water treatment and irrigation industry shown potential for the use of low quality water resources, such as rivers and other surface water, for irrigation of vegetable crops without jeopardizing food safety or quality.

The proposal includes three components:

• The technological development of water saving irrigation systems and management for use of low quality water resources. Technological advances will be made in the field of cost effective tertiary water treatment technology for on-farm use. Irrigation equipment for sub-surface irrigation systems will be tested in the field and developed to facilitate a new water saving strategy, PRD-irrigation, which improves water use efficiency and the quality of the produce.
• Impact of the technology on product quality and safety, production system and the environment as well as a risk assessment from farm to fork.
• A component concerning the feasibility and application of the system.

The financial and economic aspects will be investigated and institutional and consumer barriers will be identified. Decision Support System will be developed for the on-farm management of water resources. A range of dissemination activities addressing national and EU authorities, commercial stakeholders from the food sector, and farmers' organizations is included.

Coordinator

Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Denmark

Partners

• Grundfos Management A/S,Denmark
• Stazione Sperimentale Industria Conserve Alimentari,Italy
• Netafim (A.C.S.) Ltd.,Israel
• Chinese Academy Of Agricultural Sciences,China
• China Agricultural University,China
• Polish Academy of Sciences The Franciszek Gorski Institute of Plant Physiology,Poland
• National Agricultural Research Foundation,Greece
• DHI Water And Environment,Denmark
• Food and Resource Economics Institute,Denmark
• London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine,United Kingdom
• Natural Environment Research Council, Nerc,United Kingdom
• The Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University,Denmark
• Consorzio Di Bonifica Di Secondo Grado Per Il Canale Emiliano Romagnolo,Italy
• Faculty Of Agriculture, University of Belgrade,Serbia and Montenegro
• Eidgenoessische Anstalt Fur Wasserversorgung Abwasserreinigung Und Gewaesserschutz,Switzerland
• Bureau De Recherches Geologiques Et Minieres,France

Contacts

Coordinator

• Finn Lars PLAUBORG / Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences Department of Agroecology / DENMARK