Science Espresso: meeting with specialists around bioeconomy topics
The outreach activities of the Polish hub started in June. They are designed to meet the expectations of our target groups, which are among others: Women, farmers and a group of “Young-Aware”. The first outreach activity took place from 24th to 28th June and was a
“Science Espresso: Bioeconomy Week”, for a mixed public. The aim of the Science Espresso format was to provide the space for casual meetings with specialists around the topic of tracing the process of production and food processing from the farmer‘s field to the use of the biological fraction of sewage, in a context of bioeconomy. The subjects of the meetings concerned:
The problem of decay of biodiversity and the impact of conventional agriculture on this process, in a context in which one can also perceive threats resulting from the development of the bioeconomy.
Functional food, using the specific properties of food products, but often being a food engineering product, based on obtaining the desired ingredients from biomass bio-refining.
Problems related to ecological, organic, natural food concepts: What conditions must be met to deal with organic food? Why do we need organic biomass?
The food waste problem: In Poland, a lot of food is wasted, on average 250 kg per capita. This is a moral problem, but also an economic one, both in the context of the lost value of food and the fact that the potential of this food biomass is not fully used.
Development of wastewater biofraction: The possibilities of developing brown biomass are limited for institutional reasons, but also for prejudice from the public. The main direction of using this biomass in Poland is incineration. The same applies to the main part of biomass coming from households – a small part goes to biogas plants or composters, the majority is still incinerated, which is the least desirable way to use it.
The meetings were highly rated by the participants who appreciated the subjects and the opportunity to talk with specialists.
Malgorzata Pink, University of Agriculture in Krakow
