© MA
In an effort to foster innovation in Luxembourg's agriculture, the Ministry of Agriculture has introduced a dedicated team designed to help farmers, winemakers, and other industry professionals explore new paths.
The Ministry of Agriculture, under Minister Martine Hansen, is focused on helping Luxembourg's farmers, winemakers, and gardeners explore new opportunities and innovative paths. To achieve this goal, the ministry has established a dedicated team, which was officially introduced on Wednesday in northern Luxembourg.
The unveiling took place in Kalborn, near Clervaux, at Norbert farm. Where Jempi Eilenbecker, alongside winemaker Corinne Kox, have been exploring the potential of grape seed oil. Kox, who is looking for ways to utilise by-products from wine production, shared her insights on the opportunities this by-product presents.
According to Kox, grape seed oil has several potential uses. It can be sold as edible oil, or if there is insufficient market demand, it could serve as the basis for other products. The possibilities, she notes, are vast, and a second phase of the project will focus on further exploring these options.
Similarly, the "waste of the waste" – the milled seeds left over after oil extraction – also has potential. Kox explained that the simplest solution is to compost these small seeds directly in the vineyard. She also mentioned a project investigating their use as building material. "There are certainly many other possibilities we haven't explored yet, but we will continue to look at what more can be done with this product," Kox said.
These projects align with the ministry's goal of fostering innovation in agriculture by facilitating connections and providing information on potential subsidies. Minister Martine Hansen emphasised that supporting such initiatives is crucial for the continued development of Luxembourg's agricultural sector.
Hansen highlighted several key objectives for Luxembourg's agricultural sector, including broadening its foundation, enhancing resilience, securing farmer income, and adapting to evolving market and consumer demands.
However, for Kox and Eilenbecker, one of the first challenges is finding an effective way to extract seeds from grape skins. This process is more complicated with white grapes, as the fruit's sugar content makes it sticky, and fermentation does not help in separating the seeds. To make the process more efficient and profitable, they would need a specialised machine, which does not exist yet.
So far, in Kalborn, the team has managed to produce 1 litre of oil from about 13 kg of grape seeds, but they are working to improve efficiency. As with many innovative projects, it is often a lengthy journey from concept to marketable product.
The Ministry of Agriculture's new contact point, Agri-Innovatioun, has been created to support such projects and help farmers navigate the complexities of turning innovative ideas into viable, sellable products.
