Research projects

Carbon 4 Bioeconomy is a European project funded under the Interreg Central Europe programme, aimed at connecting carbon farming and the bioeconomy and promoting the use of low-carbon agricultural practices in the development of new bio-based products and value chains.

Agriculture plays an important role in mitigating climate change, as appropriate farming practices can contribute to increasing soil carbon stocks and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, agricultural raw materials can provide an important resource for the development of the bioeconomy. However, carbon farming and the bioeconomy often remain insufficiently connected in practice, while differences in regulations, market conditions and supply chains limit wider cooperation.

Carbon 4 Bioeconomy brings together, builds on and transfers into practice the results of four previous European projects:

• Carbon Farming CE (Interreg Central Europe), which developed and tested carbon farming techniques, business models and approaches to monitoring soil carbon sequestration.
• BIOECO-UP (Interreg Central Europe), which promoted the development of the circular bioeconomy, new bio-based value chains and supporting policies.
• SOIL4NATURE (Interreg Hungary–Slovakia), which focused on integrated soil management practices.
• RESISOL (Interreg Austria–Czechia), which focused on improving soil resilience to climate change.

By combining the results of all four projects, Carbon 4 Bioeconomy aims to demonstrate how farming practices that contribute to soil carbon sequestration can also provide raw materials for the development of new bioeconomy products.

By bringing together farmers, agricultural advisors, research institutions, businesses and policymakers, the project seeks to create more favourable conditions for developing sustainable agricultural and business models and accelerating the transition towards a low-carbon and circular bioeconomy in central Europe.

Main Activities and Results

The project builds on the transfer and further development of existing results and their testing in new settings. Particular emphasis is placed on connecting agricultural production with the needs of businesses developing bio-based products.

The main activities include:

• Transferring, combining and adapting knowledge, methodologies and tools developed through Carbon Farming CE, BIOECO-UP, SOIL4NATURE and RESISOL for further application in carbon farming and the bioeconomy.
• Implementing two pilot actions to test the links between low-carbon agricultural practices and the development of bioeconomy products.
• Exploring opportunities to use agricultural raw materials produced through farming practices with a lower carbon footprint in new bioeconomy value chains.
• Strengthening cooperation between farmers, agricultural advisors, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and other stakeholders.
• Identifying market, organisational and regulatory barriers that limit the wider uptake of the developed solutions.
• Preparing joint recommendations and an action plan to support the further development of carbon farming and the bioeconomy and the integration of these approaches into future agricultural policies.
• Transferring project results into practice through knowledge exchange, stakeholder engagement and communication activities.

The project will contribute to more effective use of existing solutions, create new opportunities for cooperation between agriculture and the bioeconomy, and support the long-term adoption of sustainable practices across central Europe.

Partnership

The project is led by the Agricultural Institute of Slovenia (KIS). The international consortium brings together seven partners from six central European countries.

Lead Partner:

• Agricultural Institute of Slovenia (KIS), Slovenia

Project Partners:

• Bio Forschung Austria, Austria
• Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation – State Research Institute (IUNG-PIB), Poland
• Bioeconomy Cluster, Slovakia
• Institute for Sustainable Development (TRS), Slovenia
• Institute for Circular Economy (I.C.E.), Croatia
• Ministry for the Living Environment (Élő Környezetért Felelős Minisztérium), Hungary