New opportunity for circular innovators: Circular Voices - turning circular agriculture into real opportunities

AgriVentures, together with Alberizas, brought Circular Voices: From the Balkans to Andalusia to IEAMED in Málaga. What emerged from this workshop is direct and unambiguous: European innovation has no value if it remains locked in reports. Its value is realized only when it reaches farmers and producers in a form they can apply, adapt and benefit from economically.

This workshop was designed precisely with that objective. To translate circular economy principles into practical, field-tested approaches that improve resilience, reduce costs and create new revenue streams across the agri-food value chain.

What stood out clearly is that sustainability is not a data problem.

It is a people problem. Adoption depends on trust, clarity and relevance to real farm operations.

The discussions brought together a strong mix of academia, practitioners and ecosystem builders. Contributions from Ana María Castillo-Clavero and Ingrid Mateo Manrique grounded the conversation in strategic and environmental frameworks, while initiatives like Vegaverde, Asociación Moscatel and Finca Kurandana demonstrated how circularity is already being implemented on the ground. These are not pilot ideas, they are working models.

Equally important was the cultural and territorial dimension. Speakers such as Diego Rivas, Felicitas Flörchinger and the Exploramás team emphasized that circular agriculture is not only a technical transition. It is also about reconnecting farming with identity, local knowledge and purpose. This layer is often underestimated, yet it is critical for long-term adoption.

The role of ecosystem enablers was also evident. BIOAZUL, IEAMED, Málaga TechPark and APTE are not just supporting actors. They are infrastructure for innovation diffusion. Without them, scaling circular practices across regions would remain fragmented.

From workshop to platform: Circular Voices goes digital

The Málaga workshop is part of a broader initiative that is now fully accessible through the new Circular Voices platform. The platform is structured around one core principle: make circular farming visible, understandable and actionable.

Instead of theory-heavy content, the platform focuses on real cases from Spain and Bulgaria. Farmers demonstrate how they close loops in practice, whether through biomass reuse, digestate application, precision farming or by-product valorization. The emphasis is always on outcomes: reduced input costs, improved soil health and new income streams.

A key component is VerAgro, a free self-assessment tool. In approximately 20 minutes, farmers and processors can evaluate their current practices across land use, operations and business resilience. The output is not generic scoring, it provides actionable insights that can guide immediate improvements.

The platform also addresses one of the biggest structural gaps in European agriculture: fragmentation. By connecting stories, tools and stakeholders in one place, it creates a shared reference point for circular practices that are often isolated geographically.

Opportunities you should not ignore

Circular Voices is not only a communication initiative. It is also a gateway to concrete opportunities.

First, participation. Farmers, startups and organizations can join the network to share practices, collaborate or replicate methodologies in their own regions. This is particularly relevant for actors in Southeast Europe where access to structured knowledge remains limited.

Second, visibility. Through the AgriVentures Awards 2026, innovators working on circular solutions can position themselves in front of investors, policymakers and ecosystem partners. The deadline is 30 April 2026, with the awards taking place during the Green Transition Forum in Sofia.

Third, funding. The platform aggregates active opportunities in circular economy and agri-food innovation. These range from early-stage support such as the EIT Food Accelerator Network to large-scale Horizon Europe calls reaching up to €6 million. There are also targeted instruments like EPIC-X for women-led deep tech startups and WFF funding for women in agrifood systems.

For founders and operators, this is not just information. It is a pipeline.

What comes next

The key question raised during the workshop remains open and operational: how do we make circular practices more visible, understandable and applicable at scale.

Circular Voices provides a working answer. Not through policy abstraction, but through farmer-led storytelling, practical tools and cross-regional collaboration between Bulgaria and Spain.

This initiative is supported by the Circular Food Network, implemented by Alberizas & Agriventures.

For AgriVentures, this is aligned with a broader mission reflected on https://agriventures.co/. Bridging innovation and real agricultural practice, reducing information asymmetry and accelerating the adoption of solutions that already work.

If you are building, farming or investing in the agri-food sector, the implication is straightforward. Circularity is no longer conceptual. It is operational. The only question is whether you are connected to it.

The role of Agriventures in supporting agrifood innovation

As the agritech startup ecosystem grows across Europe, initiatives such as Agriventures are helping connect entrepreneurs, researchers, investors, and policymakers working in agriculture and food innovation.

Agriventures focuses on supporting agrifood startups, biotechnology innovation, and access to European funding for agriculture, while also helping entrepreneurs navigate the complex landscape of startup financing, venture capital, and research commercialization.

By strengthening connections between startups, research institutions, investors, and farmers, Agriventures contributes to building a stronger agricultural innovation ecosystem that can accelerate the transition toward sustainable agriculture and resilient food systems.

Through knowledge sharing, events, and ecosystem building, Agriventures helps ensure that promising agritech innovations can scale and reach farmers, food producers, and global markets.