B2E CoLAB joins project to improve nutrition in Africa
INNOECOFOOD PLANS TO ESTABLISH SUSTAINABLE AND INNOVATIVE AGRO-INDUSTRIAL ECOHUBS IN THE VALUE CHAINS OF AQUACULTURE AND INSECTS
It’s called Innoecofood, and it is the latest project involving B2E –Blue Bioeconomy CoLAB. With a focus on sustainability, the project aims to create Ecohubs that will produce and market food products based on the aquaculture and insect sectors. Spanning three years, the B2E CoLAB is part of the Communication Committee and is engaged in creating educational content to train 120 local women, 120 young individuals, and five thousand rural workers.
The essence of the Innoecofood project lies in a holistic approach to food production, addressing crucial challenges such as hunger, poverty, and climate change. The goal is not only to feed communities but also to promote long-term sustainable solutions for the challenges faced in the six target countries: Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ghana, Namibia, and Egypt.
The Ecohubs will serve as a means for the economic and social development of rural communities. The project, focused on green trade agreements between the African Union and the European Union, initially aims to improve nutrition, production, and marketing of food products in Africa through aquaculture, utilizing living laboratories and optimizing the production of fish, Spirulina (microalgae), and insects. Additionally, it emphasizes ecological farming practices, sustainable feeds, and sensor technologies and artificial intelligence.
To ensure the practical implementation of Innoecofood, social commitment is strengthened through the local training of 120 young individuals and 120 women in the Ecohubs. It is precisely in the development of this project task that B2E CoLAB is involved, making efforts to empower local communities and lay the foundations for Ecohubs to become a sustainable ecosystem for the future.
The work to be carried out by B2E CoLAB, in collaboration with other consortium partners, involves producing educational content, making knowledge accessible and engaging for those working in the Ecohubs, so that the knowledge, methodologies, and best practices can later be replicated by five thousand local workers. B2E CoLAB is also involved in the Communication Committee, aiming for efficient dissemination and close collaboration with key stakeholders of the project.
Funded by the Horizon Europe program, the Innoecofood project includes 21 partners (17 research institutions and four companies) and spans 11 countries: Portugal, the United Kingdom, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Ghana, Namibia, Egypt, Turkey, Germany, and Belgium. In Portugal, besides B2E CoLAB, the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the University of Lisbon and CIIMAR – the Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research of the University of Porto, are part of the project, with CIIMAR leading the consortium.
About B2E CoLAB
B2E – Blue Bioeconomy CoLAB is a Portuguese non-profit private entity, aiming to add value to the economy and society. In the field of the blue bioeconomy – aquaculture, marine biotechnology, and living marine resources – B2E CoLAB operates in various areas, such as cooperation and collaboration with associates (research centers, universities, companies, and technological interfaces), national and international stakeholder engagement, advising producers and entrepreneurs in seeking and obtaining financial support, tailored HR training, strategy development, market analysis, knowledge protection and valorization, as well as promotion and communication.
