The ALTOS project aims to improve water management models for rainfed and irrigated agriculture, by considering the modulation of spatial structures and connectivities induced by hydro-agricultural infrastructures and practices (e.g., modulating regional land use to drive upstream / downstream water repartition). Four study sites are considered for integrated analysis in Morocco, Lebanon and Tunisia; and two study sites are considered for methodological developments in Spain and Italy. WP1 deals with monitoring and modelling tools for characterizing spatial structures. It includes the use of innovative sensors for structure observations, and of innovative methods for data processing. WP2 addresses innovative monitoring tools for characterizing processes induced by spatial structures (.e.g, water flows). It includes several protocols relying on complementary measurements. WP3 addresses innovative modelling for simulating individual (e.g., evapotranspiration) and combined (e.g., hydrological cycle) processes. It includes multi-objectives / multi-criteria calibration procedures relying on distributed / nested measurements. WP4 simulates matter fluxes and storages for possible structure modulations, to next conduct an integrated analysis with end-users on the basis of participative seminars. It also cross-analyses irrigated and rainfed agrosystems, by addressing vulnerabilities and adaptation margins. WP5 deals with (1) the sharing of data and methods within the ALTOS consortium, and (2) the results dissemination and exploitation. For this latter item, we rely on long-term collaborations with several stakeholders (farmer associations, resource managers, engineering offices). Expected outcomes are related to SDG #2 (sustainable agriculture), #6 (water supply services), and #12 (responsible consumption and production). ALTOS contributes to PRIMA outcome indicators, including (1) newly modelling routines, (2) new irrigation technologies, and (3) innovative farming system.

Our project will work toward the design of sustainable, efficient and resilient biodiversity-based cereal-legume cropping systems adapted to the future challenges and constraints of Mediterranean areas with added values. This will promote the ecological intensification of production systems through the management of the functional roles of biodiversity. Using the contrasting Vicia species faba bean and common vetch as study cases, DiVicia project aims to exploit key agro-ecological functions of legumes to restore agro-biodiversity and improve sustainability and resilience of Mediterranean cereal cropping systems. The identification of a wide range of promising landraces and new productive drought-adapted genotypes of a range of Vicia species will help to implement best practices of rotations, intercropping and mix-cropping. The project consortium will make use of its multidisciplinary expertise together with stakeholders, integrating tacit and scientific knowledge to propose innovative agronomic practices, new local and drought-adapted germplasms, and tools to support farmers in such transition. This will help to define strategies to better adapt the systems to the changing context. Sustainability assessments and soil diagnoses will be performed on farm with a participatory approach. New designs and germplasms will be tested in field experiments to identify key generic rules on the functioning of biodiversity-based systems. Selection and breeding of productive drought-adapted crops will increase genetic diversity and advance the contribution of Vicia sp. to multiple ecosystem services. Tools will also be built up for prediction of soil quality and fertility, and bioeconomic analyze at farm scale. In conclusion, this program aims to develop biodiversity-based cropping systems able to cope with limited resources and environmental constrains while improving soil quality, enhancing food quality and production stability over time, and increase farmers’ income.

The overall objective of SafeAgroBee is to contribute to adaptation and mitigation of the effects of climate change and other drivers negatively influencing the sustainability and the resilience of the agricultural system in the Mediterranean basin, ensuring the income of farmers and food security. In SafeAgroBee we focus on beekeeping and pollination provided by both wild and managed bees as important drivers in ruling food security and human existence. To this aim, SafeAgroBee will specifically address the following: 1) examine the resilience of bee pollinators (Apis and non Apis bees) on a changing environment towards pollination services and productivity by a) documenting wild and domesticated bee contribution to the pollination of key crops; b) determining the carrying capacity of several crops as a novel approach for bee productivity and c) by projecting historical climatic data and bee related data in today's conditions; 2) investigate the adaptability of local bee populations and the application of optimal practices under climate change in order to ensure sustainable beekeeping by monitoring the development and the performance of local populations and their resistance to diseases for long periods; 3) support the development of mitigation strategies ensuring the health of the bees and provide advice for the beekeepers by comparing the health and productivity of the honey bee colonies between different agricultural ecosystems and by performing alternative and new strategies to control bee diseases; 4) develop innovative monitoring tools and precision apiculture systems for advanced data acquisition by building on sounds, bee movements and heat detection, also enhancing business potential; 5) test and validate novel models for predicting the health of the bees, as for example the Health Status Index, as well as their productivity in terms of honey and pollination services based on two strong conditions, i) on previous experience, developments and knowledge and ii) on the large data sets with very accurate data and from diverse climatological conditions; 6) adopt a Citizen Science approach to interact and collaborate with all stakeholders and the citizens, thus performing a multi-actor approach at all levels; furthermore by forming an active Advisory Board we ensure extra scientific support and input in re-designing farming strategies to stakeholders' needs. Our main and specific objectives fall exactly under the scope of this particular call, as we are going to address specifically the challenges which have been identified in the call. We recognize that preserving the ecosystem, the resilience of pollinators and bees and sustainable beekeeping practices are among the major challenges of our time. We are going to address and tackle all these topics through the monitoring of different management practices of bees both in terms of their own health and productivity, but also in their pollination services. Droughts and pest invasions, losses of bees’ and other pollinators’ biodiversity due to use of agrochemicals, and possible changes in the plant -pollinator interactions, urges for sustainable solutions in the agroecosystem models, and our proposal aims to tackle exactly those drivers and to seek for alternatives using precision apiculture systems and smart digital technologies as well as different modeling tools for scenario analysis and the planning of strategic management. Here we will also test different mitigation strategies in order to ensure sustainability in a continuously changing environment, also with in areas experiencing harsh conditions exist (e.g. the dry areas). Building resilient ‘farming systems’ is our aim, and we are going to tackle this in two directions, from the beekeepers and the farmers perspective.