Freshwater represents barely 3% of the total water on our planet, most of which is stored in the form of ice at the poles. As a result, there is very little freshwater available for consumption, and this seemingly inexhaustible commodity is rare and precious. The problems associated with managing water resources are similar in France and Italy. Companies are encountering difficulties in terms of efficiency, cost management and the proper use of a resource that is becoming increasingly scarce and limited. CEREGE will be particularly involved in Work Packages 3 and 4 of this project, where a diagnosis will first be carried out, together with an inventory of the technological or digital solutions to be implemented, so that pilot sites can be set up and monitored, together with laboratory experiments.
The Goutte à Goutte project
To meet all these needs, the project aims to provide solutions and organise support for businesses through :
> the project partnership, which brings together private and institutional cross-border companies and expert partners
> the desire to roll out pilot projects and common tools
> the creation of a pilot group of GAG-labelled companies with a real motivation to pursue joint actions to improve the environmental situation. They will be at the heart of the project's actions and deliverables.
> the roll-out of pilot projects in both areas, with common targets, issues and solutions.
> capitalising on the cross-border impact through actions carried out on the ground
European environmental objectives
The project contributes to the objectives defined by European Union policies
1. Plan to safeguard Europe's water resources Water: affirming that water is a common good and a finite resource that must be protected and used in a sustainable manner, in terms of both quality and quantity, the European Commission is defining a long-term strategy aimed at guaranteeing an adequate supply of water in a wide range of sectors, such as agriculture, tourism, transport and energy, in particular by supporting targets for water efficiency and reuse.
2. EU Water Framework Directivewhich aims to prevent and reduce water pollution, promote sustainable water use and mitigate the effects of floods and droughts.
3. Treaty of the Quirinal Article 6 is devoted to social, sustainable and inclusive development, and provides for the protection of biodiversity, the protection of natural and rural ecosystems, and the rehabilitation and protection of water and soil, among other commitments made by the signatories. (Mipaaf's Italian national strategy for saving water and combating hydrogeological instability, which also stresses the importance of IT tools to support the planning of investments in resource management and saving water with a view to environmental sustainability).
A project for whom?
The project is aimed at VSEs and SMEs in the food sector, such as bakers, confectioners, ice-cream manufacturers, the food flavouring industry, tinned food manufacturers, drinks manufacturers, brewers and oil manufacturers located in the Alpes-Maritimes, Piedmont (Province of Cuneo) and Liguria (Province of Imperia).
Project objectives
The general aim of the project is to identify the administrative and technological obstacles that currently prevent companies in the agri-food sector from reducing their water consumption in their respective activities. We aim to improve the efficiency of production practices and systems by using technological innovation and digital solutions to promote the sustainable use of water resources.
The project aims to identify and support companies that consume large quantities of water without compromising the economic sustainability of their production activities.
1. Creation of a strategy to reduce water consumption in production processes
Through this objective and the resulting project actions, we will analyse the needs and expectations of companies in terms of water consumption. These needs will be analysed for each business sector and will focus on certain types of production, in order to reduce their impact and costs in the short and long term. Stakeholders will then be asked to commit to setting up a consortium of volunteer VSEs and testing innovative solutions to reduce their consumption and impact on the climate.
The expected results are:
> the delivery of an observatory that will include an analysis of the craft and commercial sectors that consume water resources, and a map of the quantity of water used in these businesses via the creation of a diagnostic.
> networking these companies with technical and specific water operators, as well as monitoring and promoting innovative water solutions that can be tested in companies, which will complete the project's second objective.
2. Putting in place a process for testing and researching tools Innovative ways for companies to manage water resources
In the second phase of the project, we will put into practice a phase of testing innovative solutions with companies, with a view to understanding and analysing data before, during and after the use of innovative devices to reduce water use.
These system test phases will be coupled with training and support phases for companies as part of an overall system for understanding the day-to-day challenges and the impact of all these systems over the long term.
The expected results are :
> supporting and monitoring the companies taking part in the
project, as well as the introduction of technical tools for water management and/or reduction.
> highlighting the results of the systems tested and the
capitalising on innovative solutions that have worked and could be duplicated.
