RootLinks se to integrate primary producers to value chains

In Belgium, in the riverbed of the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE-JU), RootLinks is creating the conditions for primary producers in agriculture, forestry and aquaculture and fisheries to be more integrated in the value chains. This aim is to generate new sources of income and creating value in rural areas.

Primary producers are pivotal in advancing the European Union’s Green Deal objectives by adopting sustainable practices that enhance environmental health, economic viability and social equity. However, they face multiple challenges in adopting circular bio-based innovations, including limited awareness, low value chain integration, inadequate funding, high technological risks, complex regulations and global threats.

This mission is operationalised through the establishment of the primary producers Working Group of the CBE-JU, coordinated by RootLinks through a series of horizontal and sector specific actions, including cross-sector meetings, exchange formats, co-creation activities, business-model transfer and peer-to-peer exchanges.

The RootLinks consortium brings together key players and sectoral networks from around Europe, under the coordination of Fachagentur Nachwachsende Rohstoffe e.V. (FNR) and including Fundacion CIRCE (CIRCE), sPro Sustainable-projects GmbH (sPro), Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), Fondazione ICONS (ICONS), Universitaet Fuer Bodenkultur Wien (BOKU), BIOEAST HUB CR, Z. U., AquaBioTech Limited (ABT) and Bioeconomy Cluster (BEC).