The University of Valladolid (UVa), through the Institute of Sustainable Processes (ISP), is participating as a partner in the European project Waste2Green, an initiative funded by the EIT Food Impact Funding Framework 2023–2025. The project aims to transform agri-food wastewater into sustainable solutions using microalgae.
Running from July 2025 to December 2026, the project proposes a high-impact innovation: cultivating microalgae using wastewater from the food sector to produce new biostimulants and biopesticides capable of improving agricultural productivity and reducing the use of synthetic agrochemicals. This approach represents a significant step forward towards a more circular, regenerative, and environmentally low-impact food system.
UVa’s role: advanced research on microalgae and biological treatment
The UVa team is led by Professor Raúl Muñoz and researcher Masatoshi Kishi, both experts in Environmental Technologies and responsible for three of the project’s core scientific pillars:
- Selection of seasonally adapted microalgal strains optimised for cultivation in real wastewater.
- Biochemical characterisation and evaluation of the algal biomass as the basis for agricultural biostimulants and biopesticides.
- Optimisation of bioprocesses to ensure stable, high-yield production at both laboratory and pilot scale.
The ISP-UVa’s expertise in microalgae bioreactors, low-energy technologies, and wastewater valorisation strengthens UVa’s position as a key technical validation partner in the project.
Moving towards more sustainable agriculture
Waste2Green addresses European challenges related to water management, soil health, and the reduction of chemical inputs, directly contributing to the goals of the European Green Deal, Farm to Fork Strategy, and the Circular Economy agenda.
The biostimulants and biopesticides obtained through the project will help improve crop productivity and resilience, reduce the environmental impact of the agri-food sector, and add value to residual streams that currently require energy-intensive treatment processes.
An international consortium driving innovation
The project brings together seven European partners with complementary expertise: the Institute of Sustainable Processes – University of Valladolid (Spain), THODO / Microalgas Future (Spain), Algaloop (Spain), Bahçeşehir University – BAU (Turkey), Artech (Belgium), and IDavinci (project coordinator, Spain).
Waste2Green aims to become a European benchmark in microalgae-based technologies applied to regenerative agriculture, with ISP-UVa playing a decisive role in ensuring the scientific and technical soundness of the project.
