Over 40 participants learned about advances in natural biopesticides, circular economy and funding opportunities during an online session led by the Spanish-Belgian foundation
Brussels, 25 June 2025 — As part of EU Green Week, the Finnova Foundation organised the official event of the LIFE NextFUMIGREEN project, recognised by the European Commission as a Partner Event. Under the title “Circular solutions for sustainable agriculture,” the event took place online on Monday, 23 June, with simultaneous interpretation in four languages. It gathered more than 40 participants from various European countries, including institutional representatives, technical organisations and innovative companies in the agri-food sector.
Moderated by Yolanda Durán, communication lead for the project and member of the Finnova team, the event explored the progress of LIFE NextFUMIGREEN and highlighted the potential for scaling up this type of solution through European programmes such as LIFE, Interreg and Erasmus+, which were presented by the foundation during the final part of the session.
Juanma Revuelta, CEO of Finnova, emphasised the strategic role of these programmes in replicating and scaling up sustainable solutions. He presented three emblematic projects managed by the foundation — LIFE COSTAdapta, LIFE ECODIGESTION 2.0 and LIFE RESSKILL — and introduced an initiative currently in development: LIFE Next AL-INVEST Verde, aimed at post-harvest treatment during maritime transport of agricultural products as an alternative to conventional pesticides.
In the field of training, Revuelta also underscored the opportunities of the Erasmus+ 2025 programme, especially for promoting green and digital skills, boosting entrepreneurship in rural areas and encouraging public-private partnerships in vocational education and training (VET).
Andalusia as a bioeconomy policy leader
The event featured the institutional participation of the Junta de Andalucía, represented by Antonio Martín Pérez, Deputy Director of Production Resources at the Regional Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development. Martín presented the new Circular Bioeconomy Action Plan 2025–2030, aligned with the European Green Deal objectives, and highlighted the creation of the Andalusian Circular Bioeconomy Cluster as a mechanism for transfer and upscaling of initiatives like LIFE NextFUMIGREEN. He stated that “innovation must go hand in hand with sustainability to ensure a competitive and viable agriculture within today’s European context.”
Progress on natural biopesticides and sustainable regulation
From a technical perspective, the event showcased the first results of the natural biopesticide under development. Carlos Ramos, COO of FumiHogar — lead partner of the project — explained that the new fumigant treatment offers low toxicity, inert residues, and an 80% reduction in labour compared to conventional methods.
José Luis Bustos, CEO of BrioAgro, demonstrated how the use of sensors and artificial intelligence improves environmental control and reduces water and fertiliser consumption in greenhouse crops. Blanca Sabarit, technician at Fundación Tecnova, presented synergies with the RUSTICA and DEMOEXTRACT projects, focused on agricultural waste valorisation and circular economy.
The regulatory dimension was addressed by Marta Bachs of B&B Asesores, who explained the evolution of European legislation on phytosanitary products. Meanwhile, Abel Zaragoza from Comercial Química Massó called for more realistic regulation that ensures both sustainability and food security: “If we don’t have tools to produce food, there’s no real sustainability.”
European cooperation for a digital and entrepreneurial agriculture
The session concluded with José Manuel Requena, project manager at Finnova, who explained how Interreg funds cross-border cooperation initiatives focused on agricultural digitalisation, citing Interreg HIBA+, coordinated by Finnova, as an example. Nuria Oller, volunteer with the Interreg Volunteer Youth (IVY) programme, shared her experience within the HIBA+ ecosystem, which fosters entrepreneurship, innovation, and professionalisation of the agri-food sector in cross-border regions between Spain and Portugal.
Watch the full event on Finnova’s official YouTube channel: LIFE NextFUMIGREEN Circular solutions for sustainable agriculture
More information about LIFE NextFUMIGREEN: lifefumigreen.finnova.eu