Informations et ressources scientifiques
sur le développement des zones arides et semi-arides

Long-term Europe-Africa Research and Innovation Partnership for Food and Nutrition Security and Sustainable Agriculture

Titre : HaloFarMs : Development and optimization of halophyte-based farming systems in salt-affected Mediterranean soils

Pays/Région : Italy ; Tunisia ; Egypt ; Spain

Date : Start date 2020-10-01 // End date 2023-09-30

Identifiant : 288-HALOFARMS
Type de projet : Development and innovation oriented (research) project

Contexte
The loss of agro-biodiversity, climate changes and food insecurity remain significant challenges in the Mediterranean countries. Approximately 18 million ha, corresponding to 25% of total irrigated land in the Mediterranean area, are salt affected. This situation is aggravated by intensive cropping and the excessive use of expensive inputs. The population in the Mediterranean area is expected to reach 529 million by 2025, which boosts the need to promote a sustainable agriculture with improved yields and productivity, while reducing negative ecological impacts, and use of new areas currently unsuitable for economic cultivation. The sustainability of farming systems in the Mediterranean region, aiming to cope with soil and water salinity, can be effectively achieved by the use of Nature-Based Solutions (NBS), resorting to halophytes. These underutilized plant species, common in the Mediterranean region, are well adapted to survive in natural saline environments. Halophytes can be used for soil desalination, but in addition, they have a high commercial potential on the food, pharmaceutical, veterinarian, and cosmetic markets.

Objectif
The overall objective of HaloFarMs is to develop and optimise sustainable and environmentally friendly new farming practices and producing systems based on the cultivation of halophytes, able to cope with soil and water salinization and to restore biodiversity.

HaloFarMs will optimize : * desalination of saline soils by halophytes prior to crop cultivation, * intercropping halophytes on salt-affected soils, with important commercial cultivated crops, and * in vitro cultivation of halophytes.

The produced halophytes will be biochemically characterized for nutritional profile and functional properties ; since these high added-value products can be used in the cosmetic, food and veterinary industries.

Coordinateur : Center of Biotechnology of Borj Cédria (CBBC)
Partenaires : Water Researches and Technologies Center (CERTE) Desert Research Center CSIC - Spanish National Research Council Université de Bretagne Occidentale (UBO) French National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRA) University of Pisa Centre of Marine Sciences (CCMAR)

Financement principal : Directorate-General for Research and Innovation (DG RTD) (H2020)
Budget : 847 872 EUR

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