Ποια ήταν η πρόκληση/ πρόβλημα που αντιμετωπίστηκε?

Ancient wheat varieties are more robust against pests and diseases, tolerate poor soil and a damp, cold climate. Because they require a long dough process, they are not suitable for industrial production and offer artisan bakeries an opportunity to differentiate from standardized, mass-produced goods. Due to the anthocyanins it contains, red wheat varieties in particular can reduce the risk of cancer. The expansion of regular cereal cultivation to include additional varieties promotes biodiversity on agricultural land. Old varieties generally require fewer soil nutrients, which means that the use of synthetic fertilizers can be reduced. Επιπλέον, the higher resistance to plant diseases makes the use of fungicides less necessary. The expansion of regular cereal cultivation to include additional varieties promotes biodiversity on agricultural land. Old varieties generally require fewer soil nutrients, which means that the use of synthetic fertilizers can be reduced. This allows farmers to reduce their production costs and lowers the risk of groundwater contamination with nitrogen.

Πώς λύσατε το πρόβλημα?

Initially, certified organic farmers in Luxembourg were asked whether they would be interested in taking part in the project. The next step was to find suppliers of suitable seeds. The search proved to be extremely time-consuming, as there are no regular seed dealers for old grain varieties. Once a suitable dealer was found, small quantities (2 kg) Ετικέτα 4 different varieties of wheat and one variety of spelt were ordered. These were sown for variety testing on the IBLA trial plots to test the cultivation of these varieties in Luxembourg. Την ίδια στιγμή, seed for 12.5 hectares of the “Späths Albrubin” variety was ordered and sown. In a next step, bakeries in Luxembourg were contacted and asked to participate in the project. As there is no certified organic mill in Luxembourg, mills in Germany, Belgium and France were researched that could be considered for processing. At the current stage of the project, processing in particular is proving to be a problem because the mills are very far away and there is hardly any interest from bakeries.

Ποιοι είναι οι παράγοντες επιτυχίας στην επίλυση του προβλήματος?

Close involvement of participating farmers and continuous provision of information on the current project status. Clearly communicate undesirable developments and emerging problems. Networking with foreign organizations running similar projects to maintain contacts and exchange experiences.

Απροσδόκητες αποτυχίες, εάν υπάρχει

The provision of suitable seed by a project partner was not possible.
Flooding of the trial areas in the winter of 2023, which destroyed the entire seed reproduction of old cereal varieties.
Promised purchase of the crop was withdrawn at short notice.

Διδάγματα

External factors such as the Ukraine conflict and inflation are having a massive impact on projects involving the creation and marketing of new products. Falling sales and increased production costs have forced some project partners to reduce their involvement in the project or withdraw completely. The calculated project budget was also unable to cover all the costs incurred due to the unexpected price increases. Επιπλέον, weather events such as heavy rainfall in late summer and flooding in winter can damage the overall progress of the project. Ωστόσο, the cultivation of red spelt turned out to be very successful. Although no further field cultivation or fertilization was carried out after sowing, the variety was able to show an average yield of 2.5 to/ha, while other spelt varieties had massive yield losses in 2023. In principle, there is also great interest in processing old grain varieties, but processing companies are only willing to take the risk to a limited extent at the moment due to the poor economic situation.

Τι ρόλο παίζει ο σύμβουλος ή η συμβουλευτική υπηρεσία στην πρακτική περίπτωση?

In our case, the advisor is responsible for the entire project management, starting with the acquisition of farmers, to ordering seeding material, cultivation advice and research for potential processing companies.

Μπορεί η προσέγγισή σας να μεταφερθεί ή/και να προσαρμοστεί για άλλες προκλήσεις και περιοχές καινοτομίας?

Ναί.

Εκτιμώμενη δυνατότητα μεταφοράς σε κλίμακα από 1 ΜΕΤΑ ΜΕΣΗΜΒΡΙΑΣ 5
(όπου 1 είναι εύκολο και 5 πολύ δύσκολο)

2

Για την ανταλλαγή εμπειριών σχετικά με την καλή πρακτική, please contact Philip Barth (barth@ibla.lu)

www.ibla.lu/alter-weizen
https://www.facebook.com/iblaasbl
https://www.linkedin.com/company/86301032
https://www.instagram.com/ibla_letzebuerg/