Project Context

The Mediterranean region is the area in Europe most significantly affected by climate change in agriculture, characterised by increasing extreme heat events, droughts, biodiversity loss, and heightened water demand. Perennial fruit crops such as grapevines, olives, avocados, cherries, and citrus occupy a substantial portion of this region and are currently facing the challenges posed by climate change. Farmers adjust their practices accordingly; however, some adaptations do not transcend territorial borders or remain confined to a specific agricultural sector. The EU-funded CLIMED-FRUIT project aims to disseminate this new expertise from various operational groups across Europe to enhance climate change adaptation and mitigation efforts.

Overall objectives

• Scaling local climate change solutions to an EU-level
• Expanding knowledge of ready-to-use practices for adapting to climate change
• Enhancing understanding of climate change risks and the available solutions to mitigate them.
• Assisting Europe in achieving climate neutrality by 2050.

CLIMED-FRUIT is primely focused on 5 sub-topics representative of farmer group needs and providing existing solutions, ready to put into practice:

1. Soil conservation and carbon storage
2. Improving resilience of crops facing climatic hazards
3. Innovative practices for water stress management and dry farming
4. Adaptation of food chain processes to climate change and diversification
5. Preserving biodiversity in Mediterranean crops for better resilience to climate change issues