ECO-INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES FOR IMPROVED NUTRITION, SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION AND MARKETING OF AGROECOLOGICAL FOOD PRODUCTS IN AFRICA

INNOECOFOOD aims to establish innovative production/ business ECOHUBS and improve local aquaculture farms using AI and IoT in six African countries.

To support EU-AU markets and trade, INNOECOFOOD will train rural farmers, youth and women to innovatively produce and process nutritious aquaculture catfish and tilapia, blue-green cyanobacteria spirulina, and insect value chains that will be processed into certified marketable human food products and feed.

This farm to fork approach, reaching TRL7, will be achieved by using climate smart sustainable local resources, innovative chilling and drying processes using renewable energy, reduced water consumption and circular systems within the ECOHUB by an experienced multi-actor consortium comprising 20 partners in Europe and Africa and rural communities.

The specific objectives are to:- Conduct scoping of aquaculture practices (living labs) and establish four sustainable and innovative agribusiness rural ECOHUBS using renewable solar/wind energy for the production, processing and marketing of aquaculture value chains (fish and Spirulina) and insects in diverse African countries (WP2), to address AU and EU green deal and trade. - Optimize the production of eco-farmed fish, spirulina and insects, sustainable feeds and post-harvest processing technologies using sensors, AI and IoT technology in aquaculture ECOHUBS and living labs sites (WPs3-5). - Scope suitable plant products; up cycle fish waste nutrients and make novel products from fish and co-products, spirulina and insects by solar powered drying and extrusion processing, using AI sensors and IoT (WP6).- Validate nutritional and sensory quality, microbiological and chemical safety, consumer acceptance, life cycle analysis impact, and implement certification schemes for fish, spirulina and insect processing and products, for consumption, marketing and trade (WP7).- Create a database and train locally 120 youth and 120 women in the ECOHUBSand 5000 rural workers (WP8).