A new research project titled “Coordinated Optimization for Sustainable Mediterranean Agroforestry with Truffles and High-Value Species” (COSMOS) has started in Siena. It will focus on revitalizing agroforestry practices for sustainable land use and climate resilience in the Mediterranean Region.
The proposal was submitted to the PRIMA call 2024 under the topic “Revitalizing agroforestry practices for sustainable land use and climate resilience in the Mediterranean Region” of the thematic Area “Farming systems in the Nexus”.
Thirty partecipants from 6 circum-mediterraean countries came to University of Siena in June to discuss the research and innovation actions and their contribution to a good success of the project.
The kick-off meeting was hosted by the mycological team of the Department of Life Sciences (partner 6 of COSMOS). After the welcome of prof. Lucia Morbidelli, director of the Department, José Antonio Bonet of Fundació Centre de Recerca en Agrotecnologia – Agrotecnio (Spain), the coordinator of the Cosmos project, underlined the overall objective: “to identify and optimise innovative agroforestry strategies combining truffles, medicinal and aromatic plants, vineyards and plant species suitable for pollen and honey production, and to overcome current barriers to the adoption and scaling-up of these strategies in the Mediterranean region.”
COSMOS by means of different workpackages and tasks, will strengthen Mediterranean rural economies. Demostration sites will be established in six Mediterranean countries (Spain, Croatia, Slovenia, Turkey, Italy, France) to rigorously test agroforestry cultural practices and promote more efficient, and sustainable agroforestry models and rural livelihoods. A multi-actor approach, supported by the establishment of Living Labs in each participating country, will be used to bridge knowledge gaps and involve a wide range of stakeholders, including researchers, farmers, public and private sector representatives, and civil society groups such as women’s associations and cooperatives.
The 9 partners Daniel Oliach (Forest Science and Technology Centre of Catalonia – CTFC, Spain), Armin Mešić, (Ruđer Bošković Institute – RBI, Croatia), Jasnica Medak (Croatian Forest Research Institute – CFRI, Croatia), Hatıra Taşkın (Çukurova University – Ç.Ü, Turkey), Emir Demirsoy (Demirsoy Agriculture Company – Demirsoy Tarim, Turkey), Sylvie Guillerme (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique -CNRS, France), Jaime Olaizola Biología Forestal Aplicada – ID Forest, Spain), Anže Japelj (Slovenian Forestry Institute – SFI, Slovenia) and Claudia Perini (University of Siena – UNISI, Italy) exposed
their contribution, suggestions and proposals. A constructive discussion of all partecipants followed and finally the COSMOS logo was agreed and the webpage will be ready in few weeks.
