Turning by-products into opportunities: exploring the future of sustainable food
From 14 to 18 September 2026, students from across the ACE²-EU Alliance took part in the ABC course “GREEN BIOECONOMY: Sustainable Food Ingredients — Development of Innovative Food Products from By-products”, hosted by UPSantarém – School of Agriculture in Portugal.
Combining online learning with an intensive on-site programme, the initiative brought together students, academics and industry stakeholders to explore how agro-industrial by-products and underused biomass can be transformed into sustainable, safe and innovative food ingredients.
Throughout the programme, participants explored key areas including the green and blue bioeconomy, circularity, biorefinery, sustainable extraction techniques, ingredient functionality, analytical methods and food product development.
The on-site week put these concepts into practice. Working in multidisciplinary and international teams, students tackled real-world challenges, developed ingredients and food prototypes, carried out analytical and sensory evaluations, and considered the environmental and economic value of transforming biomass residues into high-value products.
The programme concluded with final team pitches, giving participants the opportunity to present their innovative solutions and product concepts to academics and industry stakeholders.
Initiatives such as this demonstrate the value of bringing education, research and industry together to address real sustainability challenges — while equipping students with the knowledge, practical experience and collaborative skills needed to contribute to a more circular and resource-efficient food system.
