The WATERMELLON PRIMA project successfully held its international event “Innovating Mediterranean Agriculture” in Seville, bringing together project partners, researchers, stakeholders, and agricultural representatives to exchange knowledge and discuss solutions for more sustainable and resilient farming systems across the Mediterranean region.
The event, co-organised by the WATERMELLON PRIMA consortium and coordinated by the Centre for Renewable Energy Sources and Saving (CRES), was supported by the Spanish partners Iniciativas Innovadoras and Cooperativas Agro-alimentarias de España, together with Cooperativas Agro-alimentarias de Andalucía, who hosted the meeting and contributed to creating a valuable space for collaboration and dialogue.
The gathering represented an important milestone in the project’s development, offering an opportunity to present progress achieved since the beginning of WATERMELLON PRIMA and to strengthen connections between scientific, agricultural, and institutional communities working towards improved water management in Mediterranean agriculture.
The programme combined project insights with broader European perspectives. The first session included contributions from key organisations and project partners, including the EU CAP Network, CAAND, CRES, Cooperativas Agro-alimentarias de España, and the Agricultural University of Athens (AUA), who shared experiences, challenges, and advances related to sustainable agricultural practices and climate adaptation.
Xurxo Loureiro Veira (EU CAP Network), Santiago García Montagut (Cooperativas Agro-alimentarias de Andalucía), Efthymia ALEXOPOULOU (Centre for Renewable Energy Sources and Saving (CRES), Juan Sagarna (Cooperativas Agro-alimentarias de España), Dr. Emmanouil Psomiadis (Agricultural University of Athens) VENUS project( Vassilis Aschonitis), NUSTALGIC (Marta Wilton Vasconcelos), pHYBi Project (Andrea Martos Domínguez), IASIS (Efthymia Alexopoulou) Ana Marjanović Jeromela (Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops), Juliana Navarro Rocha (CITA Aragón) and Ignacio Solís Martel (Agrovegetal) Hussein Hoteit (ICU) and Mohamed Rashad Professor of Soil Chemistry and Environmental Studies, Acting Director, City of Scientific Research and Technological Applications.
The second part of the event focused on synergies with other European initiatives, highlighting the importance of cooperation and knowledge exchange beyond individual projects. Representatives from related initiatives, including VENUS, NUSTALGIC, PHYBI, IASIS, and RUNFASTER4EU, presented their approaches and explored common pathways towards more sustainable agri-food systems.
A central moment of the event was the panel discussion “Farming with Less Water: Real Solutions for the Mediterranean”, moderated by Dr. Eleni G. Papazoglou (AUA). Experts from research organisations, cooperatives, and agricultural sectors discussed practical strategies to address water scarcity and improve the resilience of Mediterranean farming systems.
The discussion brought together perspectives from organisations including IFVC, Serbia, CITA Aragón, Spain, Cooperativas Agro-alimentarias, Agrovegetal, ICU, and Scientific Research and Technological Applications, reinforcing the need for collaboration between science and practice.
Throughout the event, participants highlighted the importance of innovative water-saving solutions, alternative cropping systems, and stronger links between research results and farmers’ needs.
By connecting knowledge, innovation, and real-world experiences, the WATERMELLON PRIMA international event demonstrated the commitment of the Mediterranean community to building a more sustainable future for agriculture.
💧 Every drop counts.