MONALISA Project Kicks Off to Tackle LDD in Mediterranean Drylands
Sassari, Sardinia – The MONALISA project (MONitoring and Assessing prevention and restoration soLutIons to combat desertification), an EU-funded Innovation Action under the Horizon Europe program, topic HORIZON-MISS-2023-SOIL-01-04, has officially started its journey to combat land degradation and desertification (LDD) in Mediterranean drylands. The Kick-off Meeting (KoM) was held on October 1-3, 2024, and hosted by Coordinator organisation, the Università degli Studi di Sassari (UNISS).
The three-day event brought together a diverse consortium of 20 partners, 2 associated partners and one affiliated entity from nine countries, including leading research institutions, SMEs, NGOs, and public authorities, all united in their mission to create sustainable solutions for LDD.
Day 1: Setting the Stage for Innovation
The first day began with a warm welcome by UNISS representatives, Giovano Mariotti, Rector, Ignazio Floris, Director of the Department of Agricultural Sciences, Quirico Micheli, Director of the Desertification Research Centre, followed by insightful addresses from project Policy Officer, including Benjamin Van Doorslaer from DG AGRI, Project Officer, Maria Josè Amaral from the European Research Executive Agency (REA), and Panos Panagos from the Joint Research Centre (JRC) Officer. Afterward, MONALISA Scientific Coordinator Giovanna Seddaiu outlined MONALISA’s core objectives, which focus on innovative practices such as adaptive grazing, conservation agriculture, microbial-based solutions, and the reuse of treated wastewater in agriculture that will be implemented and examined in the 6 MONALISA Case Studies in 5 Mediterranean countries Spain, Tunisia, Italy, Greece, and Palestine.
The day’s agenda featured presentations from the work package leaders, offering insights into the project’s approach to addressing all the aspects and plans to implement the project through multidisciplinary research and field implementations, stakeholder engagement and broad collaboration with other research associations, projects and campaigns.
Day 2: Delving Deeper into Collaboration
The second day of the KoM saw further discussions among work package leaders and consortium partners on the specifics of their tasks, timelines, and deliverables.
Notably, the collaboration between MONALISA and other EU initiatives such as TERRASAFE and SALAM-MED was highlighted, opening avenues for knowledge exchange and leveraging synergies across projects focused on sustainable land management and ecological restoration. Both TERASAFE AND SLAM-MED projects were briefly presented by the scientific coordinators, Jacob Keizer and Pier Paolo Roggero, respectively, followed by Steering Committee Meetings.
Day 3: A Hands-on Visit to the Berchidda Case Study
On the final day, the consortium visited the first case study site, Berchidda-Monti, in northern Sardinia. Despite rainy weather, enthusiasm remained high as partners explored innovative grazing systems that will be implemented at the site, including GPS-enabled collars for sheep and adaptive rotational grazing techniques.
This experience allowed partners to see how MONALISA’s research will be applied in real-world settings, providing valuable insights into agroforestry practices and sustainable land management.
The visit featured a cultural highlight as local agroforestry system owners extended a warm traditional Italian welcome to the consortium members, adding a personal element to the technical discussions and previous days.
Looking Ahead
Over the next 48 months, the MONALISA project will not only develop innovative solutions for preventing and reversing land degradation but also promote market acceptance and new business opportunities. By integrating scientific expertise with local knowledge and stakeholder engagement, MONALISA is poised to make a significant impact on environmental sustainability across Mediterranean drylands.
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