On 14 May 2026, the MONALISA project was presented at the Salone Internazionale del Libro di Torino through a public café talk titled “Deserti che avanzano. MONALISA e le scienze sociali per la difesa del suolo”.

The event was organised by CNR within its stand at the Turin International Book Fair, as part of the Comics & Science editions. Held in Italian, the talk aimed to bring the topic of land degradation and desertification closer to the general public, highlighting the role of social sciences in understanding and addressing these complex environmental challenges.

During the session, speakers introduced the MONALISA project and presented the Alta Murgia case study, one of the project’s Mediterranean areas where innovative approaches to preventing and reversing land degradation and desertification are being explored.

The discussion focused on how desertification is not only an environmental issue, but also a social, cultural and territorial challenge. By engaging citizens, researchers and local stakeholders, MONALISA seeks to promote a better understanding of the links between soil health, land use, climate pressures and community resilience.

The activity was carried out in the framework of WP2, Task 2.1, and contributed to MONALISA’s efforts to raise awareness among wider audiences about sustainable soil management and land restoration.

The café talk was delivered by representatives from CNR, including Lisa Sella, Anna Perin, Francesca S. Rota, Rocco Labadessa and Cristina Tarantino, and gathered around 30 participants from the general public.

By participating in one of Italy’s most prominent cultural events, MONALISA strengthened the dialogue between science and society, showing how research on soil protection and desertification can be communicated beyond academic and technical communities.