University of Reading: VALUE4FARM Sustainable, renewable, energy value chains

The University of Reading is a partner in an EU funded project, VALUE4FARM, which aims to increase on-farm production of renewable energy while preserving food production, soil health and biodiversity at the same time as reducing water and fertiliser use. VALUE4FARM will demonstrate the effectiveness of coupling sustainable food production and renewable energy production through a range of activities and measures:

Developing sustainable agricultural protocols which are compatible with renewable energy production and sustainable food production

Propose a wide range of renewable energy production and storage technologies, meeting farmers’ residue management, electricity, heat and mechanisation needs

Through demonstration, validate the sustainability and circular nature of three renewable-based local value chains

Ensure the renewable-based value chains are replicable and applicable within Europe

Within Value4Farm, the University of Reading is focusing on establishing the baseline framework and requirements essential for guiding project developments. This will involve exploring and addressing farmers’ needs, collecting information for the effective demonstration of value chains, creating the regulatory framework, and shaping the structure of a comprehensive decision support tool for farmers.

The decision support tool will bring together an educational online course on integrated food and energy production, an audit tool to enable farmers to assess and reflect on on-farm potential for energy production and a transition tool to support farmers adopting or moving towards integrated food and energy production on farm.

More information about VALUE4FARM is available from the project website or please contact Julian Park j.r.park@reading.ac.uk