Acronym

•  AVALON

Finance program

• PORTUGAL 2030, Cofinanciado pela UE

Project number

• COMPETE2030-FEDER-02288900

Porject type

• SIID - I&D Empresarial - Operações em Copromoção - Outros Territórios

Co-Promoters

• Terraprima – Serviços Ambientais, Sociedade Unipessoal Lda. (líder)
• VirtuaCrop

Partners

• Instituto Superior Técinico (IST-ID)
• Faculdade de Medicina Veternária (FMV) 

Start

• 01/07/2025

End

• 30/06/2028

Financing

• Custo total: 1 789 789,33 €
• Custo elegível: 1 789 789,33 €
• Incentivo não reembolsável: 1 297 809,12 €

Contacts

• Tiago Domingos (tiago.domingos@terraprima.pt)
• Nuno Rodrigues (nuno.rodrigues@terraprima.pt)

The AVALON solution takes an integrated approach, comprising sustainability assessment (AVAL1-AVAL2), technical-economic-environmental optimisation of grazing ruminant systems (O1-O3) and the creation of remuneration mechanisms (N1-N2), developing innovative and disruptive solutions in each of these areas.

Assessment

AVAL1. Sustainability assessment of agricultural operations, through the successive framing of agricultural operations on broader spatial scales (regional, national, continental, global), using models appropriate to these different scales.

AVAL2. Assessment of the sustainability of agri-food products from a life cycle analysis perspective, developing the first global comparative, systematic and consistent assessment between products.

Optimisation

O1. Optimisation of pasture and fodder management, based on grazing management and the quantity and spatial distribution of fertilisation, using modelling tools, Industry 4.0 and sensorisation (remote, close, IoT), maximising the quantity and quality of food and carbon sequestration.

O2. Reduction of methane emissions in ruminants through improved animal management (including calving intervals, weaning age and slaughter age), improved pasture and forage quality, the use of feed additives and genetic selection.

O3. Integrated environmental and economic optimisation, finding the best combination of systems (natural vs. sown pasture, grazing vs. confined fattening) and management choices (level of supplementation, slaughter date).

Remuneration

N1. Setting up projects for remuneration of carbon sequestration and GHG emission reduction, with the development of innovative, rigorous and credible methods for issues of additionality, leakage, permanence and monitoring, in line with private and public regulations for carbon markets at national, European and global level, considering additional benefits for biodiversity (Carbon+).

N2. Definition of a sustainability certification system for beef cattle farming, based on a comprehensive view of the sustainability of ruminant production, applying the sustainability assessment and impact reduction tools developed in the project, creating the first absolute sustainability certification at a global level, considering:

1. the absence of competition for land use between animal feed and human food, carbon sequestration and nature conservation,
2. the use of by-products and the circulation of nutrients between animal and plant production,
3. use of legumes as a source of nitrogen,
4. leveraging the role of grazing in reducing fire risk, carbon sequestration in soil and forests, and biodiversity conservation.

The AVALON project has six cross-cutting areas of cutting-edge scientific approaches:

• Circularity, with circular economy in sustainable ruminant production systems;
• Scales, with compatibility between scales in sustainability assessment, through nested models from the global scale to the local school (from the farm);
• Digitisation, with massive use of remote (satellite) and close (IoT sensors and smartphone imaging) sensor data, big data/data analytics and machine learning;
• Hybrid Modelling, with integration between scientific modelling based on mechanistic processes and statistical/machine learning models based on data;
• Mechanistic Theories, using a mechanistic theory for ruminant metabolism;
• Economic Modelling, with systematic use of economic modelling tools.

The AVALON project will lead to the development of the following four types of services/products:

• SP1 – Technical Assistance in Sustainability in Agricultural Holdings
• (i) initial sustainability diagnosis;
• (ii) support for pasture management (natural and biodiverse sown) and fodder;
• (iii) support for animal management (handling, feeding, genetic selection);
• (iv) identification and support for inclusion in remuneration opportunities (projects for the voluntary carbon market; product certification; public support).
• [service aimed at Portuguese farms in general and with a dominant component of extensive animal production, provided in collaboration with local business and association partners]
• SP2 – Scope 3 Emissions Inventory for the Agri-Food Sector
• [service aimed at companies in the agri-food industry and retail]
• SP3 – Large-Scale Projects for the Voluntary Carbon Market
• carbon sequestration in biodiverse sown pastures;
• reduction of methane emissions in ruminants by improving feed (quality of pasture and preserved fodder), management (reduction of the interval between births);
• use of food additives and genetic selection.
• [product aimed at the national and European carbon credit market]
• SP4 – Beef Sustainability Certification
• [service aimed at companies in the agri-food industry and retail sector]

The implementation of the AVALON solution begins at Quinta da França, a lighthouse farm managed by Terraprima, followed by the transfer and testing of this approach across a wide network of farms in Portugal, including those integrated into the Terraprima network.

• Portuguese farmers and agricultural holdings in general, with a dominant component of extensive animal production;
• Collaboration with local business and association partners;
• Companies in the agri-food industry and retail sector;
• National and European carbon credit markets;
• Academia, students, teachers, and researchers.