From 12 to 13 October 2026, partners of the COSMOS Project met in Fethiye, Türkiye, to review progress, exchange experiences, and discuss the next steps in the implementation of the project. The meeting was hosted by Hatira Taskin and the team from Çukurova University, bringing together representatives from all partner organizations.
The first day focused on assessing the overall progress of the COSMOS project and reviewing activities across all work packages. The project coordinator, José Antonio Bonet, presented the current status of the project, highlighting key achievements and upcoming milestones. Partners shared progress, ongoing activities, and future plans related to agricultural diversification, demonstrative sites, market and value chain analysis, policy and governance, communication and dissemination, capacity building, and project management. A dedicated session was also devoted to presenting and discussing the outcomes of the first Living Lab activities carried out across the Mediterranean region, fostering knowledge exchange and collaboration among partners.
An important highlight of the meeting was the presentation of the project’s demonstrative sites, where partners exchanged knowledge on past, current, and future research activities. The meeting concluded with feedback from the Advisory Board and a discussion on the next project milestones.
On the second day, participants visited the truffle plantations of Demirsoy Tarim, one of the COSMOS demonstrative sites in Türkiye. The field visit provided an opportunity to observe innovative agroforestry practices, discuss truffle cultivation techniques, and explore their potential contribution to sustainable rural development and agricultural diversification in Mediterranean areas.
The meeting reinforced collaboration among partners and helped align future activities as COSMOS continues working towards resilient, innovative, and sustainable Mediterranean agroforestry systems.
Project acronym: COSMOS – Co-producing innovative and sustainable Mediterranean agroforestry systems.