At the beginning of December 2025, the Università di Bologna (UNIBO) organised a training course for Master’s students within the framework of the CARINA project. The activity formed part of the project’s training and dissemination efforts, aiming to strengthen links between research and higher education.
The approximately five-hour session included an overview of the CARINA project, detailed presentations on the field trials being carried out, and a discussion of the main results obtained so far. The training provided students with insights into sustainable farming practices, crop diversification and bio-based value chains developed within the project.
Around 20 students enrolled in the Master’s degree programme in Agricultural Sciences and Technologies attended the course. The initiative contributed to building knowledge and awareness among future agricultural professionals, while supporting CARINA’s objective of disseminating project results to academic and training audiences.

Registration is now open for an international online workshop dedicated to the role of degraded and marginal lands in biofuel production. The event, organised by DBFZ within the Innofuels project, will take place on 15 April 2026 at 14:00 CET.
The workshop will bring together international experts to discuss whether degraded and marginal lands can contribute to diversifying biomass resources for biofuels and reducing dependence on imports. It will provide an overview of current research, including recent studies, data, and methodologies used to assess the availability and potential of such lands.
Key topics will include scientific perspectives and assessment approaches, estimates of land availability, and the varying definitions of marginal and degraded land across disciplines. The discussion will also address policy implications and explore broader connections with future biomass demand in the bioeconomy, including alternative feedstocks such as agroforestry systems.
The event offers an opportunity for researchers and stakeholders to exchange knowledge and contribute to ongoing discussions on sustainable biomass production.
Registration at: https://plattform.innofuels.de/events/event_action/view,B5DFAE5A6E164A1CAC1FE4D6177FF2A2?i18n_language=EN_GB

CARINA project partner FAECA (Cooperativas Agro-alimentarias de Andalucía) took part in the First Andalusian Social Economy Congress, organised on 27 November 2025 in Seville by the Regional Ministry of Employment, Business and Self-Employment of the Regional Government of Andalusia.

The congress brought together representatives from public administrations, cooperative enterprises, social economy organisations, social partners and experts to reflect on the current challenges and opportunities facing the social economy sector at a time of strategic growth in the region.
FAECA presented CARINA at an information stand, sharing brochures and materials on the project as well as other European projects, including Watermelon, highlighting ongoing efforts to promote innovation, sustainability and cooperation within agriculture and the bioeconomy.

Participation in events such as this congress supports CARINA’s dissemination objectives by increasing the project’s visibility, strengthening links with the social economy ecosystem and reinforcing the role of cooperatives as key actors in the transition towards more sustainable and resilient agricultural systems.