Green Legacy receives a grant of € 900,000 from EIT Food to further develop the innovative, biodegradable water storage technology PolYSORB+ for European potato cultivation. EIT Food is Europe’s largest innovation network in the agricultural and food sector and part of the European Institute of Innovation & Technology (EIT). The aim is to network stakeholders from research, business and agriculture in order to promote sustainable, climate-resilient food systems in Europe.
The funding will go towards the European project SPRINT (Sustainable Polymer-based solutions for Resource efficiency and Innovation in Nutrient and Water Management for high-value Target crops). The focus is on the development of a water- and nutrient-storing soil additive granulate that stores water specifically in the root area, releases it again in a controlled manner, significantly reduces the need for irrigation and thus stabilizes yields even under increasing climate stress. Over a
SPRINT: Focus on European potato cultivation. With the €900,000 funding from EIT Food, Polysorb+ is being optimized specifically for potato cultivation. There is a great need for action, because according to a Eurostat study, European potato production fell by 36.7% between 2000 and 2023 – this corresponds to a loss of 27.9 million tons, mainly due to drought, climate change and soil degradation.
Enrique Nacif, explains: “This grant is a significant milestone for Green Legacy. It will not only allow us to optimize Polysorb+ for potato cultivation, but also to conduct our first full life cycle assessment (LCA) in a real agricultural system. We will assess the environmental footprint of Polysorb+ per kilogram of potatoes produced across the entire value chain – including benefits such as reduced irrigation needs, higher nutrient efficiency and more stable yields.”
