Two student teams at the Ecotrophelia 2026 competition
June 22 2026Once again this year, AgroParisTech distinguished itself at the Ecotrophelia France competition, a leading event for student food innovation held in La Rochelle from June 16 to 18. Two teams of students took on the challenge: to design an innovative, eco-friendly food product committed to sustainability. Driven by their creativity, dedication, and the support of their instructors, the Sirgho and Calipsos projects made a lasting impression, walking away with no fewer than three trophies!
Sirgho, a sorghum syrup that has what it takes
The Sirgho team won the Entrepreneurship award as well as the “Nos étudiant.e.s ont du cran” award. Their product, a sorghum syrup made in France, revitalizes a French industry that has been neglected in the food sector. Sirgho is an innovative natural sweetener, designed as an alternative that is more environmentally friendly and healthier than traditional sweeteners. By focusing on a crop that is still underutilized in the French agri-food industry, the team convinced the jury of both the entrepreneurial dimension of its project and the boldness of its approach—two qualities at the heart of the competition’s spirit.
Calipsos, chocolate-coated balls enriched with calcium
The Calipsos team, for its part, received the Innovation Nutrition award. Their product is a chocolate-coated ball enriched with calcium. These balls are made from a marine byproduct that is still underutilized—fish bones—and are designed to meet the calcium needs of postmenopausal women. By leveraging a byproduct and targeting a population with specific nutritional needs, the project clearly illustrates the competition’s dual requirements: to innovate in the field of nutrition while adhering to an eco-design approach.
A personal and professional journey
Congratulations to both teams for their dedication and boldness! Throughout the year, a team of educators guided them as they developed their project, from the prototype to the final presentation before the technical and national juries. Each stage strengthened their team spirit and motivation: they successfully overcame technical challenges, refined their presentations to the juries, and passionately showcased their project. The Ecotrophelia 2026 competition has once again demonstrated the ability of AgroParisTech students to innovate, take initiative, and envision the future of food.
AgroParisTech will host the 2027 and 2028 editions
Organized from the outset by AgroParisTech Innovation, the Ecotrophelia France competition brings together a consortium of more than 25 partner universities and schools, and rotates its host region every two years. Following Avignon, then Nancy (2021–2022), Rennes (2023–2024), and Nouvelle-Aquitaine—with Bordeaux in 2025 and La Rochelle in 2026—AgroParisTech will now take over to organize the next two editions, in 2027 and 2028.