Pushing the frontiers of climate-smart agriculture in the Mediterranean

F rontAg Nexus is a project co-funded by the EU program PRIMA. Starting in May 2023, it will focus on sustainable agri-food practices, and will address the pressing challenges of climate change, natural resource scarcity, and food insecurity in the Mediterranean region, particularly in Israel, Italy, Morocco, Tunisia, Turkey, and Jordan.
The Mediterranean region, a climate change hotspot, is facing numerous difficulties within its food systems. FrontAg Nexus aims to help shape the food production by incorporating climate-smart and water-saving technologies, such as hydroponics, aquaponics, recirculating aquaculture, vermiculture, and insect farming for feed and fertiliser.
The project’s expected impacts include increased resilience to climate change and improved socio-economic conditions for vulnerable populations. FrontAg Nexus will introduce renewable energy sources, promote climate neutrality, control harmful substances, and increase the availability of nutritious and safe foods. With the adoption of a water, energy, food, and ecosystem (WEFE) Nexus thinking and a participatory multi-actor and multi-contextual approach, the project will contribute to food and nutrition security through year-round production of fish protein, vegetables, and fruits.
By utilising hydroponics, aquaponics, insect farming and vermiculture, and fostering collaboration among all relevant stakeholders along the supply and value chain, including refugees, women and young adults, start-ups, and small and medium enterprises (SMEs), FrontAg Nexus strives to address the challenges within the European food systems.