Food safety, fertilisers and innovation on World Food Safety Day

World Food Safety Day falls on June 7 each year and the 2025 theme, Food Safety: Science in Action, highlights the role of science and innovation in keeping food systems safe. Fertilisers sit at the intersection of food safety, environmental health and agricultural productivity. Overuse and conventional production of nitrogen and phosphate fertilisers contribute to water pollution, greenhouse gas emissions and depletion of finite phosphate reserves. Two European Innovation Council funded projects present contrasting technological responses to these problems by attempting to convert waste streams and air-borne gases into useful agricultural inputs.

Two EIC projects tackling fertiliser risks

Toopi Regen, France: upcycling urine into microbial biostimulants

Toopi Organics, a French biotech company founded in 2019, coordinates the Toopi Regen project supported by the EIC Accelerator Blended Finance scheme. The company collects human urine from events and partner sites, sanitises it via filtration and a patented fermentation process, and uses it as a growth medium to produce microbial biostimulants sold under brands such as Lactopi Start. The stated aim is to partially replace phosphate-based fertilisers and lower agriculture carbon footprints by turning a locally available resource into products that improve nutrient absorption in soils.

Toopi Organics reports product launches in France and Belgium and plans agronomic trials across six EU member states. The company has set an ambitious distribution target of more than 5 million litres of urine-based biostimulants in Europe by 2029. In early 2025 Toopi won the Prix d Albertas and obtained B Corp certification, recognitions the company highlights to underline its environmental credentials.

CONFETI, Spain: air capture to produce urea via photoelectrochemical pathways

CONFETI is coordinated by the Autonomous University of Barcelona and funded under the EIC Pathfinder programme. The project aims to capture carbon dioxide and nitrogen directly from air and convert them into urea, which is the market fertiliser with the highest nitrogen content. CONFETI describes a multi-element approach that combines photoelectrochemical conversion, photocatalysis and a soil fuel cell which is intended to generate renewable energy using plant root associated micro-organisms.

CONFETI positions itself as a self-powered and zero chemical waste alternative to conventional fertiliser manufacture which typically relies on the energy intensive Haber Bosch process for ammonia production and on mined phosphates. The consortium plans scale up activities and farmer collaborations to trial sustainable fertilisation approaches.

Funding, partnerships and portfolio context

Toopi Regen benefits from EIC Accelerator Blended Finance support. CONFETI is funded under the EIC Pathfinder scheme and is part of a curated EIC portfolio addressing carbon dioxide and nitrogen management and valorisation. The CONFETI consortium has partnered with a set of related projects including Mi Hy, HYDROCOW, ICONIC, ECOMO, SUPERVAL, DAM4CO2 and MINICOR to integrate efforts across the portfolio.

Practical and regulatory challenges

Both approaches respond to pressing environmental problems but face different practical hurdles. Toopi must scale collection logistics, assure human health safety, provide consistent product quality and secure regulatory acceptance for biostimulants made from human waste. Regulators in the EU already regulate recycled nutrient inputs under the Fertilising Products Regulation but company claims will need to be supported by peer reviewed agronomic trials and monitoring for contaminants including pharmaceuticals.

CONFETI tackles the technically ambitious task of converting dilute atmospheric CO2 and N2 into dense, reduced nitrogen products. Key unknowns include the overall energy efficiency of the conversion chain, lifetime and cost of catalysts and electrodes, and whether the soil fuel cell concept can supply meaningful power for continuous operation. Moving from laboratory prototypes to field scale will require substantial engineering, cost reduction and demonstration in real agricultural settings.

Why these projects matter and what to watch for

Innovations that reduce dependence on mined phosphates and fossil fuel derived ammonia align with the European Green Deal and circular economy objectives. Toopi and CONFETI illustrate two distinct routes: near term substitution with decentralised recycled inputs and longer term reimagining of fertiliser production through direct air conversion. Both routes deserve support but must be judged on independent environmental life cycle assessments, demonstrated agronomic performance, cost competitiveness and regulatory compliance.

Observers should look for published trial results, independent safety assessments, energy and carbon balance studies, and credible scale up plans. For policymakers the priority is to create predictable regulatory pathways that protect public health and the environment while allowing experimentation and demonstration of promising circular technologies.

Next steps and where to find more information

Toopi Organics publishes updates on product launches, collection campaigns and certifications such as B Corp. CONFETI provides project details through the consortium and indicates funding under Horizon Europe grant agreement number 101115182. Both projects are listed in Horizon Europe and EIC public records where interested stakeholders can track funding, partners and milestones. The EIC CO2 and Nitrogen portfolio page gives a broader view of coordinated projects targeting gas valorisation.

This account is intended to clarify the technical approaches and policy context for two EIC-backed initiatives. Their success will depend on evidence from field trials, transparent assessment of safety and environmental impacts, and realistic plans to move from prototypes to markets at scale.

Contacts and further reading

For project level information consult the Horizon Europe project database and the official project websites. Toopi Organics and CONFETI both maintain online presences with updates on trials, partnerships and publications. The European Innovation Council and the EIC CO2 and Nitrogen portfolio provide programme level descriptions and lists of related projects.