Cosmos

The project aims to enhance the value of the Mediterranean rural environment by developing new agroforestry models that combine truffle production with other crops, such as aromatic and medicinal plants, fruit trees, vines and honey-producing species, in order to promote honey production.

The initiative aims to diversify the economy of rural Mediterranean areas and help curb depopulation. At the same time, it seeks to test sustainable management practices that promote soil health, optimise water use and reduce dependence on plant protection products. All this with the aim of increasing the productivity of systems and promoting the production of high added-value food.

1. Demonstrate that rural environments can be much more resilient and productive if inoculated truffles are combined with various plant species compatible with this crop, such as aromatic, medicinal, edible or pollinating plants.
2. Test new agroforestry practices and establish efficient, sustainable and climate-resilient production models.
3. Use precision farming techniques, such as environmental variable detection, drones or remote sensing, to monitor crop, soil and water conditions.
4. Promote market access and value chains for these products (mainly truffles, wine, medicinal and aromatic plants, fruits and spices that favour pollen and honey production).
5. Develop certification, promotion and brand management systems and promote new business models, including emerging activities such as truffle tourism, gastronomic tourism or health tourism, in order to increase income generation in these regions and improve agricultural productivity.
6. Incorporate a gender perspective and promote the empowerment of women in the forestry sector.

Agrotecnio is the lead partner.

Eight research centres and two private companies from six European countries are participating: the Forest Science and Technology Centre of Catalonia (CTFC) and IDForest Applied Forest Biotechnology (IDForest) from Spain; the Ruder Boskovic Institute (RBI) and the Croatian Forest Research Institute (CFRI) from Croatia; Çukurova University (ÇU) and the agricultural company Demirsoy (Demirsoy Tarim) from Turkey; the University of Siena (UNISI) from Italy; the National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) from France; and the Slovenian Forestry Institute (SFI) from Slovenia.

Various actors are involved: researchers from the ten research centres and companies, farmers, representatives from the public and private sectors, and key stakeholders such as cooperatives and women’s associations.

Project funded by the PRIMA initiative (Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area) and by the Spanish Research Agency-Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities through the call for proposals ‘International Collaboration Projects’ of the State Programme for Transfer and Collaboration, part of the State Plan for Scientific and Technical Research and Innovation 2024-2027 (PCI2025-163242).