The CARINA consortium held its 4th General Assembly in Marrakech, Morocco in November 2025, hosted by ICARDA. The multi‑day meeting at Hotel Mogador Aqua Fun brought together project partners to review progress and coordinate activities for the project’s final year.
The General Assembly opened with welcome remarks from ICARDA, followed by an introduction by the project coordinator, University of Bologna (UNIBO). The first day focused on project coordination and management, including an update on the Data Management Plan, as well as parallel sessions covering multiple work packages. Dedicated presentations addressed key findings and objectives for the final project year in areas such as sustainable farming systems, dissemination and exploitation activities, and social innovation for scaling up CARINA solutions.
The second day centred on biomass valorisation and sustainability, featuring a session on full biomass valorisation using a circular economy approach, followed by an industry panel discussion. Representatives from Nufarm, Camelina Company, Novamont, Saipol, KIMITEC, and FLANAT Research shared perspectives on CARINA’s relevance for bio-based value chains. The agenda also included sessions on co-creation of policy interventions, integrated sustainability assessment, and a dedicated contribution on research and innovation policy from the European Commission. Interactive workshops addressed life-cycle sustainability assessment refinement and opportunities to enhance the visibility of CARINA results.
The General Assembly concluded on the third day with field visits to trial sites near Agadir Tassout, where participants observed traditional Moroccan irrigation systems such as Khettara and Seguia, followed by a visit to a local cooperative in the Ourika Valley. These visits provided an opportunity to connect CARINA’s research activities with local agricultural practices and real-world farming contexts.
The 4th General Assembly marked an important milestone as the project enters its final phase, reinforcing coordination across work packages and supporting the joint effort to deliver robust scientific, policy and practical outcomes for more sustainable and resilient bio-based agricultural systems.
SUBSCRIBE TO A NEWSLETTER
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Research Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
