Introductory video

Protecting crops shouldn’t cost the earth.

Meet CROPSAFE: a Horizon Europe project turning natural materials – coffee grounds, wood, seaweed, fungi – into safe alternatives to chemical pesticides, developed and tested across Europe.

Coordinated by Universidad de Alicante, with partners in 7 countries.

Key points from this video:

1. Three of Europe’s staple crops are under serious pressure. Potatoes (Potato Cyst Nematode, particularly affecting Scottish seed potato production), tomatoes (Root Knot Nematode, causing significant losses in southern Europe), and bananas (Banana Weevil and fungal disease, threatening Canary Islands production) all face pest and disease pressures that current chemical treatments don’t fully address.
2. Nature holds the answer. CROPSAFE is developing crop protection compounds from natural waste materials – used coffee grounds, woodchip and bark, seaweed, and fungi – transforming what would otherwise be discarded into powerful, targeted bioactive ingredients.
3. A rigorous path from lab to field. Promising compounds are extracted, formulated into usable products, and tested through lab trials, greenhouse trials, and field trials across Europe – with data modelling guiding precise, effective application at every stage.
4. A truly European collaboration. Coordinated by the Universitat d’Alacant, CROPSAFE brings together universities, research institutions, companies, and farmer cooperatives across 7 countries, all working toward crop protection that’s safe for people and the planet.
5. The bigger goal. Beyond pest control, CROPSAFE aims to support higher crop yields, healthier soils, reduced climate impact, and safer food systems — protecting crops without costing the earth.