01 / 06 Project Radiant

RADIANT

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02 / 06 Who Are We

RADIANT is an European project that adopts a ‘Theory of Change’ approach. We aim at promoting crop diversification, environmental and agrobiodiversity preservation, and fair economic development through the valorization of Underutilized Crops. RADIANT is a multi-actor consortium composed of researchers, farmers, value chain actors and consumers.

Developing

solutions and tools that promote underutilized crops, agrobiodiversity, sustainable diets and dynamic value chains.

RADIANT Project in numbers

The European project “RADIANT – Realizing Dynamic Value Chains for Underutilized Crops”, coordinated by Universidade Católica Portuguesa in Porto (Portugal), involves 29 entities from 12 countries – Portugal, Slovenia, United Kingdom, Hungary , Spain, Greece, Italy, Germany, Ireland, Bulgaria, Netherlands, Cyprus – and also has the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations as a partner.

The European project RADIANT is intended to demonstrate successful transitions to inclusive agrobiodiversity systems; carry out improvement programs so that underdeveloped crops become more competitive; test the best agricultural practices that maximize their sustainable production; expand their environmental, social and nutritional recognition, through the characterization of its multiple benefits; offer solutions for their integration into profitable value chains, based on political, social and governance innovations; empower society to integrate these foods into their diets.

With a duration of 4 years and funding over 5.9 million euros through H2020, the project has 20 pilot farms, the so-called “AURORA farms”, which cover different agro-ecologies across Europe, and where good practices will be tested and demonstrated. Marta Vasconcelos also explains that “for the realization of the project, 45 participatory farmers will also be recruited to facilitate the integration of these underutilized crops, carrying out an adaptive management of agrobiodiversity using tools developed by the project itself.”

03 / 06 Mission

Mission

Release the full value of underutilised and
genetically diverse crops to make them more
competitive and to support EU strategies for
sustainable agrifood chains and to contribute to
foster synergies between agricultural production,
biodiversity and the delivery of ecosystem services
of local, regional and global relevance.

Release the full value of underutilised and genetically diverse crops to make them more competitive and to support EU strategies for sustainable agrifood chains and to contribute to foster synergies between agricultural production, biodiversity and the delivery of ecosystem services of local, regional and global relevance.

image_mission

Our goal

Promote agrobiodiversity, combating the agricultural paradigm of monoculture and industrialized agriculture.

04 / 06 News & Events

News

Events

What is an underutilized crop?

A neglected but valuable species, landrace,
variety or cultivar that has limited current use
in a given geographic, social, and economic
context and that holds great promise to
diversify agricultural systems, create resilient
agroecosystems, diversify diets, and create
economically viable dynamic value chains (for
feed, food, and non-food uses).
Adapted from FAO

A neglected but valuable species, landrace,
variety or cultivar that has limited current use in a given geographic, social, and economic context and that holds great promise to diversify agricultural systems, create resilient agroecosystems, diversify diets, and create economically viable dynamic value chains (for feed, food, and non-food uses). Adapted from FAO

  • Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea)
  • Foxtail millet (Setaria Italica)
  • Lentil (Lens culinaris)
  • Winged bean (Psophocarpus tetragonoblu)
  • Barley landraces (Hordeum vulgare)
  • Faba bean (Vicia faba)
  • Bean landraces (Phaseolus vulgaris)
  • Forages (Alfafa/clover)
  • White lupin (Lupinus albus)
  • Wheat landraces (Triticum monococcum)
  • Maize landraces (Zea mays)
  • Tomato landraces (Solanum lycopersicum)
  • Pea (Pisum sativum)
  • Leafy greens (several species)
  • Traditional fruit trees (cherry, apple, pear,
    fig, carob, tree, plum)
  • Bermuda Grass

What is a Dynamic Value Chain?

A value chain using underutilised crops
comprised of five harmonised and optimised key
elements: i. Producers; ii. Processors; iii.
Transportation; iv. Marketing, Sales and Value
creation; v. Consumers. A DVC is optimized by
sharing demand and production data across all
actors in the network to counter the
uncertainties of non-integrated supply chains.
Thus, DVCs are more resilient to disruption, and
may sustain economic development across scales.

A value chain using underutilised crops comprised of five harmonised and optimised key elements: i. Producers; ii. Processors; iii.
Transportation; iv. Marketing, Sales and Value creation; v. Consumers. A DVC is optimized by sharing demand and production data across all actors in the network to counter the uncertainties of non-integrated supply chains.
Thus, DVCs are more resilient to disruption, and may sustain economic development across scales.

01.

healthier diets across the EU

02.

shorter value chains
(affordable and better food,
less food waste)

03.

new, high added-value jobs related
to agriculture and food in general
(including tourism)

05 / 06 Social Media

Social Media

06 / 06 Partners

Partners

Aurora
Farms

Contact

Contacts

Rua de Diogo Botelho, 1327
4169-005 Porto
Portugal

Phone(+351) 226 196 200