AGROBIOFILM · Development of enhanced biodegradable films for agricultural activities

The consortium behind AGROBIOFILM project – a group of European SME suppliers and users of agricultural plastics – wishes to address a major market opportunity through the development and performance demonstration of mulch films that would be able to fulfill the three main following requirements: to be more environmentally friendly (i.e; biodegradable in soil without containing a high content in fossil carbon); to be compliant with common farming methods; and to match or improve crops performance as expected in the case of conventional plastic films and other biodegradable mulch films available in the market. Specifically, the consortium wants to enhance mulch films based on biodegradable raw materials, which will be customized to specific crops and regions, with a possible positive effect on crop yield and quality, pests and/or disease control, soil preparation and fertilization.The goal of this project is to use a very recent Mater-Bi® formulation characterized by a higher content in renewable feedstocks as compared to the other biodegradable mulch films currently used, the Novamont’s Mater-Bi® CF04P grade (which is not widely widespread), in order to produce, through a be-spoke optimization of processing conditions, customized and enhanced biodegradable mulch films (BMF) that should be more competitive and more sustainable, at both the technical and the economic point-of-view.These new mulches will be tested on four selected crops (muskmelon, bell-pepper, grapevine, strawberry open field and strawberry in greenhouse) known to require different specific expectations in terms of mulching lifetime.A full life cycle analysis is therefore fundamental in order to measure the economic viability of this new productAGROBIOFILM will significantly promote the uptake of highly productive and environmentally friendly farming practices among end-users, who are currently facing a number of competitive challenges threatening the economic stability of the sector. The project will also increase the competitiveness of the participating SME manufacturers by providing them with a state-of-the-art platform to develop competitive biodegradable mulch films, and therefore widening the applicability of their biodegradable products to new markets.Agrobiofilm project runs from 01 April 2010 to 28 March 2013, but the effective duration of the project is 30 months.