AKTI Project and Research Centre and Athienou Municipality are developing the Athienou Resilience Hub under the European NURISH project, aiming to create a circular system for the management of pruning residues, livestock manure and other organic waste.
According to an announcement by AKTI, the Hub will promote a co-composting model, turning agricultural and municipal pruning residues and animal manure into low-cost, high-quality compost, in a bid to support sustainable agriculture, improve soil fertility and help address desertification.
The model provides for the participation of farmers as part of the system, by supplying organic residues and receiving ready compost in return, thereby reducing costs and the environmental footprint of agricultural activity.
The NURISH project is funded by Horizon Europe, has a duration of 54 months and is implemented by 28 partners from ten countries, under the coordination of the National Technical University of Athens.
As part of the project, AKTI and Athienou Municipality held a participatory workshop on May 25, bringing together farmers, livestock breeders, local authorities and scientific stakeholders to record local challenges and shape the next steps for the system.
Participants expressed interest in the development of an organised composting system, while also pointing to challenges such as compost quality, manure management, collection and processing costs, regulatory issues, financial incentives and producer training.
In the next stages, AKTI and its partners will map available organic waste streams in the area, examine legal and technical requirements and design a practical model for the collection and use of organic waste in Athienou.