Latvian Fund for Nature project “LIFE UpcyclingGrass” enters the Innovation Radar of the European Commission

The project LIFE UpcyclingGrass, implemented by the Latvian Fund for Nature, has become one of the innovators included in the European Commission’s Innovation Radar. The Innovation Radar is a Commission initiative that brings together, in a single database, European Union innovation projects with high potential in order to enhance their visibility and recognition, paving the way for new collaborations and better opportunities for development.

Together with SIA Bioefekts, the Latvian Fund for Nature is developing new products within the LIFE UpcyclingGrass project based on biomass from natural grasslands—the biomass is processed into pellets that are enriched with microorganisms. The Innovation Radar highlights three of the products planned in the project: a plant-growing substrate, a soil improver, and a feed additive. These products are made from grass harvested in natural meadows, processed into pellets that result in sustainable products with a lower climate impact and a positive effect on biodiversity.

“Being included in the European Commission’s Innovation Radar gives the LIFE UpcyclingGrass project and its products additional visibility, helping us reach our target market—farmers aiming for sustainable agriculture—and strengthens our position in the international research and innovation landscape. Being listed among other EU innovation products is a recognition of the Latvian Fund for Nature and SIA Bioefekts’s contribution to the development of innovative, environmentally friendly solutions,”
said Laura Zvingule, project manager of LIFE UpcyclingGrass.

Experts who analyzed the planned LIFE UpcyclingGrass products have indicated that the market is generally ready for such products and have positively assessed their market development potential.

At present, the production of natural grassland biomass pellets has started within the LIFE UpcyclingGrass project, and SIA Bioefekts is working on the first product prototypes, which are expected to reach the market in about three years. The project is being implemented by the Latvian Fund for Nature together with its partners – SIA Sita Nature Park, SIA Bioefekts, the Baltijas Krasti association, and the Silava institute.