|
Project Topic
|
Agricultural productivity must increase by 50% to meet the rising demand for nutritious food by 2050. However, climate change poses significant challenges to the sector. Neglected and underutilized species (NUS) are crucial for addressing this due to their sustainability and their ability to thrive in drought conditions and enhance soil quality. By placing a significant emphasis on
diversifying agricultural practices and recognizing their pivotal role in raising awareness and preparedness of communities against climate change and water scarcity, the NUSTALGIC project will contribute at different levels towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030 Agenda. Unifying transdisciplinary expertise in Portugal, Tunisia, Morocco, Italy,
Greece, Jordan, Lebanon, and Spain, NUSTALGIC aims to transform Mediterranean dry farming systems through the revival of ancestral water harvesting techniques and the incorporation of resilient NUS— barley, legume, and cacti. Combining these hydro-technologies with drought-tolerant crops and their integrated management at demonstration sites, the project seeks to
improve water availability and efficiency by over 20%, increase yield by 15-20% and promote circular economy principles. Thus, NUSTALGIC aims to revive and create new NUS-products (food, feed, and non-food), NUS recipes, value chains, and job opportunities, especially for women and youth. NUSTALGIC will implement a multi-stakeholder engagement strategy that involves farmers, consumers, researchers, policymakers, civil society and local communities through a DRy-farming system multi-actor Innovation PlatformS (DRIPS) approach, facilitating knowledge production, farmer-to-farmer dissemination, national learning days and promoting gender equity in agricultural decision-making and care responsibilities. Ultimately, the project aims for over 20% adoption of the proposed technologies and 30% behavioral changes toward healthy diets and gender equity.
NUSTALGIC directly addresses the call’s priorities by using drought-tolerant and disease and pest-resistant NUS, implementing revived water management technologies, nature-positive solutions, improving soil health, and fostering economic sustainability for smallholder farmers through mechanization, new products, markets, and circular economy initiatives. Moreover, NUSTALGIC
strongly emphasizes empowering women and youth, ensuring their active participation and benefit from the project’s innovations. Therefore, NUSTALGIC aims to adapt Mediterranean farming systems to current and future climate challenges and create more inclusive and sustainable rural communities.
|
