Regional Policy Dialogue Meeting “SMEs in a Green Economy”, 09 March 2018, Paris Session 4, "Waste To Taste To 21st Century Food", Ivanka Milenkovic, GENERAL MANAGER - EKOFUNGI

1. “ SMEs in a Green
Economy”
Waste To Taste To 21st Century Food
The Small Business Act (SBA) Regional
Policy Dialogue Meeting March, 2018

2. Mushroom Production
• Currently the only viable, socially-acceptable, and
wide-spread biotechnology to convert waste into
high-quality food
• Fungi are nature’s decomposers
• Mushrooms are functional food
Food Safety Malnutrition
Ecological Footprints Feed the World
Waste Management GHG Emissions

3. Background:
Science & Zero Emission Research Initiative
Science &
Knowledge
Own field exp.work
Ruminant feed
England
2002
Own
exp.work
US SantaFe
2004-6
El Hiero
Spain
2010
EKOFUNGI
2013

4. Our way of doing business
Intensive Production and
Its Philosophy
Ekofungi Production and
Its Philosophy
Good yields, Good but unstable Profits,
? Quality
Premium quality, Stable profit
Heavy reliance on energy, high
pollution
Save energy, reduction CO2
emission
Inflexible inputs Waste to Taste
Transportation, logistic Use local waste streams
Heavy reliance on the main streams Knowledge-based practical
solutions
Persistently growing and brutal
competing growth
Placing cooperation and quality
above competition

5. Organic Wastes
Patented EkoComposting
Compost
Oyster
Mushrooms
Champignons
Spent Mushroom
Compost /substrata
Plant ProductionGeothermal Pumps
Cultivation Tunnels
Energy
Silaging
Vermicomposting
Ruminant
Feed
Soil
Amendment
Carbon Dioxide
20°C Air
Enzymes
Medicinal
Compounds Dehydrated
Classical Composting
Dehydrated veg.

6. EkoSystem Ekofungi
ProductionR & D
Optimization and development
through innovation
Grounded in practice,
Direct feedback
Grounding in the reality of a
Serbian agrobusiness
Connections with NGOs,
Government
Public Relation
Promotion
Innovation,
Technology
Transfer,
Education
Business Diversification,
Supplier Contacts
Market Trend
Information,
Marketing,
Buyer Contacts

7. Ekofungischool – Indicator of the state of
regional entrepreneurship
From 2012 – 2017 - app. 200 participants
6 from the region, 1 from Serbia
Improving is possible, by, at least:
• Serious and honest work on changing business atmosphere
in favor of SMEs in all aspects
• Support “out of the box” thinking
• Open Public Administration up to entrepreneurial thinking
• Create legislation in close cooperation with experts

8. i