The CROPEO project is in the strict group of twelve finalists of the 7th Prize of Entrepreneurship and Innovation 2020 (Crédito Agrícola), which distinguishes innovative projects on the sectors of agriculture, agroindustry and forestry. This project aims at improving protection against pests and diseases in stored cereals, with special focus on corn grains. In the project´s framework, it was developed a device for encapsulation of essential oils with activity against insects and fungal diseases, allowing a slow and controlled release of their volatile compounds, thus representing a sustainable solution which ensures food safety in developing countries with limited access to resources for protection of stored cereals.

The CROPEO project was developed within a Portuguese consortium, including the participation of ISA of the University of Lisbon (R&D unit – LEAF), Faculty of Engineering of University of Porto (FEUP; R&D unit – LEPABE) and INIAV, and counted with the collaboration from GreenUPorto (Laboratory of Crop Protection).