Project data
Funding Entity: Programma PRIMA (Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area)
Call: PRIMA 2024
Coordinator: Fundació Centre de Recerca en Agrotecnologia – Agrotecnio (Spain)
UNISI Principal Investigator: Prof. Claudia Perini
Department: Department of Life Sciences (DSV)
Start date: 1 June 2025
End date: 1 June 2028
Description
The COSMOS project promotes innovative agroforestry practices to tackle climate change, land degradation, and rural depopulation. By combining crops with high-value species like truffles, aromatic and medicinal plants, and honey-producing flora, COSMOS enhances biodiversity, soil health, water efficiency, and rural livelihoods. Twelve demonstration sites across Spain, Italy, France, Croatia, Slovenia, and Turkey showcase sustainable solutions. Living Labs engage local stakeholders—especially women—in co-creating resilient farming models. Aligned with EU policies, COSMOS paves the way for sustainable food systems, diversified incomes, and eco-tourism opportunities.
Objective
The overall objective of the project is to identify and optimise innovative agroforestry strategies combining truffles, medicinal and aromatic plants, fruit bearing trees, vineyards and plant species suitable for pollen and honey production, and to overcome the current barriers to adopting and scaling-up these strategies in the Mediterranean region.
The specific objectives of the project
- Identify and develop innovative practices, models, and strategies to revitalise agroforestry systems, focusing on truffles, vineyards, medicinal and aromatic plants, fruit bearing trees and species that support pollen and honey production, ensuring sustainability, resilience, and productivity. This will include promoting ecosystem services and assessing the environmental, social and economic impacts of different agroforestry practices (WP1 & WP2).
- Investigate market access and value chains for a wide range of agroforestry products. This will include the development of certification schemes, branding initiatives, and business models, while also integrating emerging activities such as mycological/truffle and gastronomic tourism (WP3).
- Undertake a comprehensive analysis of the regulatory and institutional framework governing agroforestry practices in the Mediterranean region. This analysis will identify the technical, political, and socio-economic barriers that hinder the adoption of sustainable agroforestry practices and provide policy recommendations to address these challenges (WP4).
- Raise awareness and improve the understanding and knowledge of the manyfold benefits and advantages offered by agroforestry systems among different stakeholders through comprehensive and gender-sensitive training programmes, outreach initiatives, and educational materials tailored specifically to the needs of women farmers (WP5).
Project website: https://cosmosprima.eu/
Disclaimer: This project has been funded under Grant agreement ID: PRIMA24_00109, Prima Programme.