CropExplore for Farmers

Why this project?

Suppose you want to bet as a grower on crop diversification by adding a new crop to your rotation. But how do you decide which crop this will be? And what is the most suitable variety to start with? There is also a clear need from the processing industry due to the current crises to work with more sustainable raw materials, to opt for zero-waste production and to reduce dependence on foreign countries. But which raw materials then have the greatest potential?

Until today, it was not easy to answer these questions. Knowledge about new crops that have potential within the Flemish bioeconomy is highly fragmented and nowhere to be seen at a glance. This made it very difficult for growers to compare two potential crops and make the right choice, but also for the food industry and other sectors to find the right opportunities.

Research approach and results

The CropExplore for Farmers LA-project explored how new and lesser known arable crops can contribute to the Flemish bioeconomy. The project combined knowledge building, field trials and knowledge exchange to support farmers and companies in crop diversification.

First, fragmented information on more than 200 crops was collected and structured, focusing on agronomic characteristics, yields, composition and market opportunities. This knowledge was made accessible through the CropExplore for Farmers tool, an online platform that allows users to compare crops and explore new opportunities.

In addition, deder, yacon and hemp were developed as demonstration cases. Field trials addressed cultivation practices, mechanisation, storage and processing, and were complemented by value chain analyses to identify opportunities and bottlenecks. Results were shared through demonstrations, Knowledge Exchange Sessions, fairs and articles.

The project delivered practice oriented insights, cultivation guidelines, value chain knowledge and a publicly accessible tool. The results highlight the potential of alternative crops, while emphasising the need for further scaling and collaboration across the value chain. Selected outputs are publicly available via the project partners’ channels.

Access to the project results

The CropExplore for Farmers project ran from 1 January 2023 until 31 December 2025. Part of the results is publicly available, including the CropExplore for Farmers online tool and a selection of articles and publications via the partners’ websites and newsletters.

> Naar tool

More detailed results, such as full reports and value chain analyses, are not openly accessible and can be obtained through the project partners. Flanders’ FOOD is not the owner of the project results; ownership lies with the respective partners in accordance with the collaboration agreement. The results were not published in scientific journals and primarily focus on practical application.

Target group

Farmers were the primary target group of the CropExplore for Farmers project. More specifically, this refers to arable farms active in conventional or organic cultivation.

This project was also relevant for the processing industry and this from different sectors within the bioeconomy. By stimulating the cultivation of new raw materials, the processing industry can focus more on product innovations with locally grown raw materials. Hence, companies within the Flemish food and beverage industry and the chemicals and plastics sector also belonged to the target group of this project.

Projectpartners

Flanders’ FOOD was responsible for the coordination and management of the project and played an active role in knowledge dissemination, stakeholder engagement and valorisation of the project results.

The project was carried out in collaboration with ILVO, Boerenbond, Inagro, Viaverda, HOGENT, KU Leuven, VIVES and Praktijkpunt Landbouw Vlaams Brabant, each contributing expertise in crop cultivation, processing, value chain analysis, applied research and knowledge transfer.

CropExplore for Farmers were recognized as a cluster project within the Flemish Bioeconomy Policy Plan.

Follow-up actions

The results of CropExplore for Farmers provide a solid basis for further valorisation and follow up initiatives. The knowledge and insights generated during the project continue to be actively used by the project partners in advisory services, research activities and collaborations with farmers and companies.

The CropExplore for Farmers tool remains available and is further used as a reference when addressing questions related to crop diversification and bioeconomy feedstocks. In addition, the practical experience, cultivation guidelines and value chain insights developed in the project serve as input for new research and innovation projects, focusing on further optimisation, upscaling and strengthening of value chains.

The project results are also implemented and translated to the needs of farmers and companies through individual guidance, demonstration activities, training sessions and knowledge exchange within existing networks. This allows stakeholders to apply the insights within their own context, taking into account their specific needs and constraints.

In this way, CropExplore for Farmers acts as a springboard for follow up projects, continued collaboration across the value chain and the long term embedding of new bio economy crops in Flanders.