Ferti-ByPro BIO: Pioneering Organic Fertilizer from Local Water-Rich Plant By-Products

Project Name: Innovation of a totally renewable organic fertilizer production using recycling local water-rich plant by-product resource from aqueous extraction and development of metabolomic analytical method to follow its efficacy and environmental behaviour
Acronym: Ferti-ByPro BIO
Participating Companies: GROUPE ETHICAE (Lead SME), AkiNaO (Partner SME), MAJUSTI IBERICA (Partner SME)
Funding Program: CESAM Cascade Funding – Open Innovation Projects & Challenges

The Ferti-ByPro BIO project sets out to revolutionize organic fertilizer production by integrating local water-rich by-products—from aqueous extraction processes—without energy-intensive drying steps. This innovation supports circularity by transforming previously underused biomass into high-quality, granulated organic fertilizers tailored for Mediterranean crops. The project combines GROUPE ETHICAE’s expertise in organic inputs, AkiNaO’s cutting-edge analytics, and Majusti Iberica’s commercial momentum to bring the solution to market.

Project Goals:

• Reuse fresh, water-rich agricultural by-products locally sourced near the biostimulant production site.

• Combine them with dry organic materials to create balanced fertilizer blends.

• Test and optimize several formulations for granulation and field application.

• Ensure efficacy through a metabolomic monitoring approach.

• Develop a new product line aligned with sustainable agriculture standards.

Interregional Collaboration & Impact:

With its roots in local and regional sourcing, the fertilizer is specially developed for Mediterranean agriculture—including grapevine, olive, and arable crop systems—and adapted to calcareous soils. The project spans Occitanie (France) and Catalonia (Spain), leveraging cross-border innovation: Groupe Ethicae leads development, AkiNaO contributes plant health analysis via a tailor-made metabolomic method, and Majusti Iberica drives regional deployment and market expansion.

Circularity at the Core:

Groupe Ethicae has long been committed to circular practices, converting agricultural co-products into organic solutions. With Ferti-ByPro BIO, the company takes a bold new step by valorizing moist by-products that were previously unsuitable for fertilizer production. The result is a territorialized, low-impact agricultural input that reduces waste, minimizes energy use, and boosts local resilience—perfectly aligned with Europe’s green and circular economy goals.