25-09-2024
The project "ValorCannBio - Valorization of medicinal cannabis by-products as biopesticides for olive groves" is one of the winners of the 6th edition of the "Promove" Program by the ”la Caixa” Foundation, in collaboration with BPI and the Foundation for Science and Technology, in the category of innovative pilot projects.
The project will receive funding of 150,000 euros to explore by-products from medicinal cannabis production as sustainable and effective biopesticides to control the main diseases affecting olive groves. ValorCannBio is led by InnovPlantProtect (InPP), in partnership with the Associated Laboratory for Green Chemistry (LAQV) of NOVA FCT, and companies GreenBePharma (GBP) - medicinal cannabis production, and AGR Global - olive cultivation and production.
ValorCannBio aims to control two of the most important olive grove diseases, a crop of immense economic and social importance in Portugal: Gafa (olive knot) and olive tuberculosis. Gafa is considered a priority as it can cause production losses of up to 100%, costing over 50 million euros, lowering olive oil quality, and threatening the genetic heritage of traditional olive varieties like galega, which is highly susceptible to the disease. Tuberculosis is another disease affecting almost all olive groves, reducing the quality of the olive oil.
To help manage these two olive diseases, the project's research team will develop a biopesticide derived from cannabis leaves, which are considered surplus in the medicinal cannabis production process in Portugal and must legally be destroyed. This process will not only meet the needs of olive growers but also open a new value chain associated with using a by-product from the medicinal cannabis industry.
“Current market solutions for combating Gafa and tuberculosis are ineffective, relying on synthetic chemical pesticides with negative environmental impacts, which are being phased out. Therefore, finding alternatives is urgent. On the other hand, cannabis companies may be able to repurpose surplus biomass for a future biopesticide industry, avoiding high destruction costs and embracing a circular economy. This project integrates sustainable agriculture concepts, combined with green chemistry, to develop more environmentally friendly products,” explains Ana Rita Duarte, researcher at LAQV, NOVA FCT.
Deep eutectic solvents (DES) are mixtures of two solid species that, at a specific molar ratio, form a new compound with different properties. In the ValorCannBio project, the research team aims to use these solvents as green alternatives to conventional organic solvents, which are typically highly toxic, to extract bioactive compounds.
Cristina Azevedo, Director of the New Biopesticides Department at InnovPlantProtect (InPP), based in Elvas, adds: “By developing bio-based biopesticides from by-products of a rapidly expanding industry, particularly in the Alentejo region, ValorCannBio will contribute to the European Commission's goals set out in the Farm to Fork and Biodiversity Strategies, including reducing the use of synthetic chemical pesticides by 50% by 2050.”
The director further assures that “all the impacts of ValorCannBio will initially be felt in the municipality of Elvas, where the project is based. However, it is expected that these will expand to all olive-growing regions, from Trás-os-Montes to the Algarve, where production losses due to Gafa and tuberculosis are on the rise.”
The "Promove" program encourages entities to use the grants to move from theory to practice: to assess the viability of developing scientific concepts, explore business opportunities, or prepare patent applications. In this particular case, the team aims to evaluate the commercial potential of this new solution in the market
Press
Consórcio premiado pela NOVA FCT vai desenvolver biopesticidas sustentáveis provenientes de extratos de canábis, Executive Digest
Consórcio vai desenvolver biopesticidas sustentáveis provenientes de extratos de canábis, Green Savers
Elvas: InnovPlantProtect lidera consórcio de projeto de biopesticida para Olival com base em Canábis, Rádio Campanário
Consórcio vai desenvolver biopesticidas sustentáveis provenientes de extratos de canábis, Voz do Campo
Elvas: InPP desenvolve biopesticidas sustentáveis provenientes de extratos de canábis, Norte Alentejo
InPP lidera consórcio para desenvolver biopesticidas,sustentáveis provenientes de extratos de canábis, Agrotec
InPP lidera consórcio para desenvolver biopesticidas sustentáveis a partir de canábis medicinal, O Digital
InPP lidera consórcio para desenvolver biopesticidas sustentáveis provenientes de extratos de canábis, Agroportal
InPP lidera consórcio para desenvolver biopesticidas com extractos de canábis para o olival, Agricultura e mar
