InPP is the leader of a project that aims to develop sustainable and effective biopesticides to control two of the most important diseases of the olive grove, gafa and tuberculosis. This biopesticide, obtained from the plant biomass left over from the production of cannabis for medicinal purposes, will innovate and boost sustainability in this booming industry in Portugal. With an investment of 150,000 euros from the “la Caixa” Foundation, ValorCannBio promises to revolutionize the sector, positioning it as an important player in the circular economy and in reducing waste.
You have to travel to the heart of the Mediterranean, one of the regions most vulnerable to climate change, to get to the olive grove, an ancient crop and economic engine, and understand the uphill battle it faces. Gafa and tuberculosis, two of the most important olive diseases, threaten the production of olive oil, one of Portugal's most valuable export products, especially in the Alentejo, where 75% of national production is concentrated.
Gafa, caused by the fungus Colletotrichum sp., can decimate up to 80% of production, representing losses of more than 50 million euros and threatening traditional Portuguese varieties such as Galega. Tuberculosis, caused by the bacterium Pseudomonas savastanoi pv. savastanoi (Pss), compromises the quality of olive oil, and current copper-based control methods are ineffective and harmful to the environment.
Left photo: Olive grove, agricultural crop in focus of the ValorCannBio project; Center photo: Olive infected with the fungus Colletotrichum, The bacterium, which causes gafa, one of the most important diseases of the olive grove; Photo on the right: Olive tree infected with the bacterium Pseudomonas savastanoi, which causes tuberculosis, one of the most important diseases of the olive grove.
Cannabis: A New Hope for the Olive Grove
In a promising turnaround, the production of medical cannabis (with the scientific name Cannabis sativa) flourishes in Portugal, including in the Alentejo, with the country on its way to becoming one of the world's largest producers. However, the flower, rich in valuable compounds such as THC and CBD, is the only part of the plant that is used, while the remaining biomass legally has to be incinerated, a process with high economic and environmental costs.
What if this biomass, with its more than 500 chemical compounds, some of which have proven antibacterial and antifungal properties that are already known and others that have yet to be discovered, could be transformed into a solution to the challenges facing the olive grove? This is where the ValorCannBio: Valorization of medicinal cannabis by-products as a biopesticide for olive groves, a beacon of innovation and sustainability.
ValorCannBio: Science and Sustainability in Action
Led by InPP, in partnership with NOVA FCT's Associated Laboratory for Green Chemistry (LAQV requimte) and the companies GreenBePharma (GBP) and AGR Global, ValorCannBio is transforming surplus biomass from medical cannabis into effective and sustainable biopesticides against Gafa and Tuberculosis.
This is the first time that InPP has joined projects related to innovation and sustainability in the cannabis production industry and it wants to play a decisive role in the value chain. “Our team of researchers is developing sustainable biofungicides and biobactericides, using new extraction methods with environmentally friendly solvents. We are creating solutions that increase the efficiency and sustainability of this industry,” says Tatiana Gil, an InPP researcher involved in the project.
But the team of researchers isn't stopping there. “We are still unraveling the secrets of endophytic cannabis bacteria, microorganisms that live in symbiosis with the plant, as biological control agents,” he adds.
And how do you turn a cannabis leaf into a shield for the olive grove? Tatiana Gil explains the process step by step: “First, we test the effectiveness of the extracts in the laboratory, like detectives looking for clues. Then we formulate the biopesticide and assess its impact in a greenhouse, in a controlled environment. Finally, we take the solution to the field for the final test.”.
Tatiana Gil, InnovPlantProtect researcher, analyzes samples of cannabis leaf extracts as part of the ValorCannBio project.
An Impact that extends across the Territory
Cristina Azevedo, InPP researcher and project leader, anticipates the impact of ValorCannBio: “All of these impacts will be felt in the municipality of Elvas, where the project will take place, but it is expected that they will extend to the entire olive-growing region from Trás-os-Montes to the Algarve, where production losses due to gafa and tuberculosis are increasing, and eventually to Mediterranean countries where these diseases are equally prevalent.”.
ValorCannBio not only aims to offer a sustainable alternative to chemical pesticides, but also opens up a new way of valorizing the remaining biomass of the cannabis plant that is not used for medicinal purposes, transforming it from a waste product into a valuable resource.
“We want to create a parallel and complementary industry to the production of medicinal cannabis, involving the production of biopesticides,” reveals Cristina Azevedo, “which will pave the way for other innovations,” she adds.
A Sustainable Future for the Olive Grove
The ValorCannBio project is an example of how innovation and sustainability can go hand in hand, offering solutions to the challenges of modern agriculture. By harnessing the potential of medicinal cannabis, ValorCannBio is helping to build a greener, more prosperous future for olive groves and the planet.
With the support of the “la Caixa” Foundation, in partnership with Banco BPI and the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), ValorCannBio, which began in October 2024, promises to be a success story until November 2027.
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