Phytowelt is excited to participate in the Horizon Europe project EDAPHOS, which aims to develop a framework for land rehabilitation and ecological restoration of contaminated areas in the EU. The project will focus on nature-based solutions (NBS) technologies to accelerate the recovery of contaminated lands to a good ecosystem status. It will be financed by the EU Horizon Europe Program. The activities of the consortium with 13 partners and 7 experimental sites in France, Greece, Italy and Spain will be coordinated by Prof. Michel Chalot, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté and Samy Strola, LGI Sustainable Innovation.
Phytowelt will provide its expertise in the development of poplar varieties that are capable of phytoremediation. Phytowelt’s registered varieties will be used in several of the project’s case studies to demonstrate their effectiveness in reducing soil contamination in different conditions.
EDAPHOS will implement agroforestry and co-cropping practices to improve the C balance of ecosystems. Target crops will be selected based on their suitability for abating contamination. A panel of soil health indicators will be measured to illustrate the effectiveness of restoration measures.
Best practice guidance for practitioners will be developed to facilitate upscaling by making the experiences gained from the case studies available to landowners and land users. This guidance will be disseminated through the new Living Lab Experimental Site (LLES) created as part of the project.
Phytowelt looks forward to contributing to the project’s success and sharing the knowledge gained with the wider community. In addition to its contribution to the EDAPHOS project through its poplar varieties, Phytowelt will also provide its expertise in the field of biomass production. The project aims to develop nature-based solutions that are cost-effective and scalable to be implemented in a biorefinery concept and Phytowelt’s knowledge in this area will be invaluable.
Overall, Phytowelt is proud to be a part of this important project and is committed to contributing its knowledge and expertise to achieve the project’s goals.