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Coordinated Optimization for Sustainable Mediterranean Agroforestry with Truffles and High-Value Species

COSMOS: Shaping the Future of Sustainable Agroforestry

The COSMOS project promotes innovative agroforestry practices to address climate change, land degradation, and rural depopulation. By combining truffle cultivation with high-value companion species such as aromatic and medicinal plants or honey-producing flora, COSMOS enhances biodiversity, soil health, water efficiency, and rural livelihoods. Twelve demonstration sites across Spain, Italy, France, Croatia, Slovenia, and Türkiye showcase advanced cultivation techniques, while Living Labs at regional scale engage local stakeholders, especially women, in co-creating resilient farming models. In alignment with EU policies, COSMOS paves the way for sustainable agroforestry systems, diversified rural incomes, and eco-tourism opportunities.

The following expected impacts highlight COSMOS’s contribution to environmental sustainability, socio-economic development, and scientific progress. Each point outlines tangible benefits and measurable long-term outcomes in line with European policy priorities:

  • Widespread adoption of sustainable agroforestry through guidelines, training, and a multiactor approach, boosting tree cover, resilience, and women’s participation.
  • Increased agricultural productivity and rural livelihoods by improving skills, market access, and innovative business models like agro-tourism and certification schemes.
  • Enhanced soil health, biodiversity, and ecosystem services through reduced chemical inputs, diverse farming systems, and alignment with EU Green Deal goals
  • Improved climate resilience through agroforestry systems that buffer extreme weather, enhance soil fertility, and reduce risks like forest fires.
  • Strengthened knowledge exchange and stakeholder engagement through Living Labs, workshops, and needs assessments, particularly addressing women’s challenges.
  • Long-term dissemination and policy integration to ensure lasting project impacts and support evidence-based decision-making for Mediterranean agroforestry development

This project is funded by the PRIMA programme and the following National funding Agencies:

  • Spain: Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI)- State Research Agency
  • Spain Center for Technological Development and Innovation (CDTI)
  • Croatia: Ministry of Science and Education of the Republic of Croatia (MSE)
  • Italy: Ministry of Universities and Research (MUR)
  • Türkiye: The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TÜBİTAK)
  • France: The French National Research Agency (ANR)
  • Slovenia: Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency – ARIS

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