Climate Farm Demo: (ID: 101060212) A European-wide Network of Pilot Farmers Implementing and Demonstrating Climate Smart Solutions for a Carbon Neutral Europe
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Supporting farmers in growing resilience and tackling climate change
Climate-smart farming (CSF) is an approach to agriculture that helps farmers grow resilience to the impacts of climate change, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve carbon sequestration. CSF also promotes overall agricultural productivity and food security. With this in mind, the EU-funded Climate Farm Demo project will promote CSF practices in 28 European countries. It will take a multi-actor approach by connecting 1 500 farmers (known as pilot demo farmers) and their climate farm advisors to implement adaptation and mitigation action plans with the aim of increasing knowledge exchange and cross-fertilisation. Technical and social innovations will be demonstrated to the wider farming community through six annual demo campaigns, and new CSF solutions will be cocreated in 10 Living Labs across Europe.
GeneBEcon: (ID: 101061015) Capturing the Potential of Gene Editing for a Sustainable BioEconomy
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Exploring NGTs’ technical and socio-economic potential for a sustainable bioeconomy
New genomic techniques (NGTs) represent a powerful toolbox to address current pressing global challenges, including pollution and climate change. The EU-funded GeneBEcon project focuses on: 1) NGTs R[&]I in potatoes and microalgae for promoting energy-efficient, zero-pollution agricultural production and clean industrial processing by eliminating chemically treated starch and novel compounds; 2) studying social, economic and regulatory dimensions of the NGT potential for the European Green Deal, the 2030 Climate Target Plan and the Circular Economy Action Plan, and contributing to EU policy; 3) investigating potential benefits and concerns to ensure that NGT innovations are developed in a responsible, inclusive and transparent way.
EUROPE-LAND: (ID: 101081307) Towards Sustainable Land-use Strategies in the Context of Climate Change and Biodiversity Challenges in Europe
Toolset for environmentally healthy land use decisions
Today, significant changes in policies and stakeholder decisions are needed in order to effectively address the threats posed by climate change and related challenges for biodiversity conservation. It is crucial to foster sustainable land use and land management practices and decisions to enable the efficient management of upcoming crises. The EU-funded EUROPE-LAND project aims to enhance decision-making on land use and land management across Europe to mitigate the impact on climate and biodiversity. To achieve this objective, the project will integrate natural and social sciences to develop a set of tools that will assist stakeholders in making informed decisions and increase awareness about land use. Furthermore, the project will implement cutting-edge monitoring techniques to study land use behaviour throughout Europe.
DaWetRest: (ID: 101113015) Danube Wetlands and flood plains Restoration through systemic, community engaged and sustainable innovative actions (SUA as an associated partner)
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Creating a transformation in the Danube ecosystem
The Danube River, one of Europe’s natural treasures, has been facing critical challenges in its inland and coastal wetlands ecosystems. With this in mind, the EU-funded DaWetRest Lighthouse project aims to develop and pilot innovative solutions that will transform the Danube basin. It will focus on biodiversity, water quality, climate resilience, and socio-economic benefits for local communities. These solutions will be rigorously validated by local communities and regional stakeholders. The project also seeks to lay the groundwork for the replication and scaling up of these solutions. To achieve this, DaWetRest will build on prior knowledge, integrating results from interventions at various scales, merging data and digital tools, and involving local authorities and actors from the outset.
Tools4CAP: (ID: 101086311) Innovative Toolbox empowering effective CAP governance towards EU ambitions
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Innovative tools to support CAP Strategic Plans
The New Delivery Model established by Regulation EU 2115/2021 will bring significant changes to the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) governance. Specifically, it will introduce Strategic Plans and new monitoring, review and evaluation requirements. The EU-funded Tools4CAP project will support the implementation of National Strategic Plans 2023-2027 and lay the foundations for a sound preparation of Post-2027 Strategic Plans. Establishing a flexible and participatory Coordination and Support Action the project will promote learning, exchange processes and adoption of innovative solutions and good practices for the design, monitoring, and evaluation of CAP Strategic Plans. Tools4CAP will deliver a comprehensive inventory of tools, methodological guidelines on innovative solutions and a handbook of good practices.
Retouch NEXUS: (ID: 101086522) REsilienT water gOvernance Under climate CHange within the WEFE NEXUS
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Smart water governance schemes for a resilient water future
Increased water scarcity caused by anthropocentric and natural causes demands an integrated approach in water governance to efficiently allocate water resources to various competing uses. The EU-funded RETOUCH Nexus project will introduce and promote the Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems (WEFE) Nexus as a multi-level and cross-sectoral approach that supports the EU water economy and relies on ecological and social considerations. The project will design and advance integrated, innovative and inclusive smart water governance schemes and institutional settings aiming at a secure water future in the EU that is resilient to climate change. Following an evidence-based approach, RETOUCH Nexus will propose, assess and optimise WEFE Nexus smart methods in six case studies reflecting various cross-sectoral, multi-level and multi-stakeholder water governance conditions.
NENUPHAR: (ID: 101082169) New Governance Models to Enhance Nutrient Pollution Handling and Nutrients Recycling
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New governance, incentives and technologies encourage nutrient recycling
The wide-ranging impact of nitrogen and phosphorus from fertilisers emphasises the urgent need for sustainable practices to reclaim these nutrients from waste streams. This will minimise environmental damage and safeguard ecosystems. Furthermore, with fertiliser prices skyrocketing, solutions must prioritise cleaner soil, air and water, ensuring competitive prices for new fertilisers. The EU-funded NENUPHAR project will addresse these challenges, targeting three common waste streams: manure, sewage sludges and dairy wastewater. It will introduce four key innovations: methodology for estimating nitrogen and phosphorus emissions, new governance models, innovative economic incentives and enabling technologies for nutrient recovery. NENUPHAR's approach will be piloted in various river basins and replicated in insular systems, potentially reclaiming significant nitrogen and phosphorus amounts.
PoliRuralPLUS: (ID: 101136910) Fostering Sustainable, Balanced, Equitable, Place-based and Inclusive Development of Rural-Urban Communities' Using Specific Spatial Enhanced Attractivenes Mapping ToolBox
Bridging Europe's urban-rural divide
The EU-funded PoliRuralPlus project extends and enriches the achievements of its predecessor, PoliRural, by delving deeper into the complexities of rural and urban interconnectivity. The project deploys a sophisticated suite of digital tools, including AI, geographic information systems, IoT and advanced data analytics. Its core mission is to tackle prevalent issues such as administrative fragmentation, inequality and inefficiencies in public service coordination, fostering an environment of enhanced cooperation and equal opportunities across rural and urban divides. Central to PoliRuralPlus are nine pilot projects that serve as proving grounds for an EU-wide integrated approach to territorial planning and action foresight. The project ambitiously expands its scope to include the urban dimension, thus embracing a broader perspective on development.
NextGenBioPest: (ID: 101136611) Next Generation Biopesticides for the control of the most “difficult-to-manage” pests and pathogens in fruits and vegetables
NextGenBioPest: Innovative Approaches Reducing Pesticide Use
Plant pests and pathogens damage crops and threaten food security. However, controlling them with synthetic insecticides harms the environment. Developing new pest and pathogen control methods is essential to meet the challenge of increasing crop yields. The EU-funded NextGenBioPest project aims to reduce the use of pesticides while delivering new and improved methods for controlling arthropod pests and pathogens. The project will provide a new toolkit for crop protection in crucial fruit and vegetable crops. This toolkit will include diagnostics, biological control agents, RNA-based pesticides, eco-friendly chemicals, and innovative agronomic and ecological practices. The project will integrate these innovations with existing approaches, assess their effectiveness and socioeconomic impact, and deliver extensive training.
CATALYSE: (ID: 101136754) Catalysing scientific innovation into food safety action
Innovative network for improved food safety through collaboration
Food safety is a critical issue across the food chain, negatively impacting food production and consumers. Collaboration among stakeholders, startups and authorities is essential in addressing and overcoming this challenge. The EU-funded CATALYSE project aims to establish a network for innovation in food safety to create an expandable, sustainable and equitable community connecting stakeholders from farm to fork. It will serve as a platform where actors in the food chain – regulators, academia, industries, non-governmental organisations – can converge, bridging the existing gap. The network will identify needs and opportunities, fostering tailor-made, co-created innovations. CATALYSE emphasises the importance of an interconnected system and high-quality, accessible information through data collection, education, training and support. Moreover, it will provide the link between food safety management and innovation.