A dedicated workshop contributing to the wider programme of ECOMONDO, Europe’s leading trade fair for the green and circular economy, was organised in Rimini on 6 November 2025 by Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna in cooperation with the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials and Spanish Co-ops.

The event formed part of CARINA’s activities supporting the ex-ante assessment of policy interventions relevant to the future development of bio-based value chains in Europe. The workshop combined an in-person session in Rimini with online participation and was part of a broader CARINA workshop series dedicated to policy analysis and stakeholder engagement.

To support the objectives of CARINA project, CARINA organised a series of participatory workshops designed to bring together stakeholders from different countries and professional backgrounds. The goal was to identify policy gaps and opportunities related to the adoption of camelina and carinata. Two workshops were held: one in April 2025 in Hammamet, Tunisia, and a second in November 2025 during ECOMONDO. Both workshops applied systemic and future-oriented thinking tools to explore long-term scenarios and co-create evidence-based visions, using structured community-based learning approaches to support collective reflection and decision-making.

Objectives and structure of the ECOMONDO workshop

The workshop titled “Co-creation of Policy Interventions for the Development of Bio-based Value Chains in Europe – Scenarios Exploration and Transition Pathways”, aimed to collaboratively develop and analyse plausible policy intervention scenarios for bio-based value chains in Europe. Participants explored potential policy pathways by examining first-order effects, value-chain impacts, trade-offs, co-benefits and compensatory measures, as well as the roles of different stakeholders in supporting transitions towards sustainable bio-based products.

The workshop followed a hybrid format, with participants divided into three working groups: one in-person group and two online groups. Individual reflections and collective outputs were captured and later synthesised. In the first phase, participants assessed the expected performance of selected indicators for CARINA value chains by 2035, drawing on projected trends for oil crops based on EU and FAO data. In the second phase, guided discussions focused on four alternative policy scenarios, analysed from multiple perspectives, including hotspots, key performance indicators across different time horizons, and stakeholder involvement.

Overview of the explored scenarios

Four scenarios describing alternative future pathways for camelina and carinata value chains by 2035 were examined:

Scenario 1: Financial Incentives and CAP Reform described a future where targeted CAP reforms provide regionally differentiated, performance-based payments for cultivating camelina and carinata. While adoption increases due to financial attractiveness and the emergence of specialised cooperatives, uptake is driven mainly by subsidies rather than ecological or knowledge-based motivations.
Scenario 2: R&D and Innovation envisaged extensive public investment in research leading to improved varieties, tailored machinery and crop protection tools. Innovation hubs and pilot farms support early adoption, but limited regulatory alignment and public awareness constrain expansion beyond innovation-driven regions.
Scenario 3: Regulatory and Market Access Facilitation focused on streamlined regulation, easier licensing and inclusion of camelina and carinata in RED Annex IX Part A. Reduced administrative barriers enable supply chains to develop, particularly in regions previously constrained by regulatory complexity, despite moderate market demand and R&D investment.
Scenario 4: Knowledge Sharing and Public Engagement described widespread awareness driven by NGOs, media and eco-labelling, leading to adoption motivated by reputational benefits and market narratives. Cultural acceptance plays a key role, though uptake remains limited without strong economic incentives, certification and technical support.
Key findings and synthesis

Discussions on production and market projections indicated a moderately positive outlook for camelina and carinata over the next decade, supported by gradual scaling, technological learning and favourable policy frameworks. Participants expected stable seed prices, moderate yield improvements and slight expansion of cultivated areas, production and crushing volumes. Market development was seen as strongly dependent on RED III sustainability certification. Food and feed uses were expected to remain stable, while views on future demand for bioplastics were mixed.

In contrast, rapeseed was assessed more cautiously. Prices and yields were expected to remain stable or decline slightly, with high volatility linked to policy instruments, subsidies and imports. While processing capacity and policy-driven demand could support marginal growth, rapeseed was viewed as more exposed to regulatory, market and environmental risks.

Across the scenarios, participants considered Scenarios 1 and 3 the most relevant overall, while emphasising that long-term development of camelina and carinata value chains cannot rely on single policy levers alone. Scenario 1 was viewed as realistic but structurally fragile if based primarily on subsidies. Scenario 2 highlighted the importance of innovation but underlined the need for parallel market and certification development. Scenario 3 was seen as a strong accelerator, provided regulatory clarity is accompanied by agronomic support, credible certification and fraud-resistant systems. Scenario 4 demonstrated the supporting role of awareness, but only when combined with economic viability and practical knowledge transfer.

Overall, participants agreed that camelina and carinata value chains can only develop through the consistent and combined evolution of agronomy, markets, policies and certification frameworks, rather than through isolated interventions.

On 18 November 2025, Cooperativas Agro-alimentarias de España organised the CARINA Living Lab “New Crops for the Bioeconomy in Spain” at the MAAVI Innovation Center (biorefinery), hosted by KIMITEC. The event was implemented within the framework of CARINA Task 5.1 (Living Labs) and directly connected to Task 5.5 through the visit to the biorefinery facilities, linking on-farm crop diversification with downstream bio-based processing and value chain development. The event brought together cooperatives, researchers, industry representatives and other key stakeholders to explore opportunities for crop diversification and the development of sustainable bio-based value chains based on camelina and carinata.
The living lab opened with introductory remarks from KIMITEC, followed by a presentation of the CARINA project by Cooperativas Agro-alimentarias de España. The project was introduced as a collaborative initiative involving 19 partners from 13 countries, structured around agronomic trials, bio-based product development, sustainability assessment, policy recommendations and stakeholder engagement. Its overarching objective is to improve the economic and environmental stability of farmers by supporting diversification towards emerging oilseed crops and higher value-added bio-based applications.
Throughout the morning, researchers and technical experts presented agronomic results on camelina and carinata cultivation across different Spanish regions. Camelina Company shared data from camelina trials under double cropping systems and on marginal land, highlighting the crop’s compatibility with crop rotation schemes and its potential to contribute to emission reductions. Nufarm presented experiences with carinata cultivation, underlining favourable performance in warmer areas as well as challenges linked to sustainability certification.
Representatives from cooperatives in Castilla y León, Andalucía, Aragón, Castilla-La Mancha and Catalonia shared practical field experiences, covering a wide range of conditions from irrigated systems to cold dryland environments. These contributions provided valuable insight into farmers’ perceptions of crop management, profitability and integration within CAP eco-schemes, helping to inform future diversification strategies at cooperative level.
A central session focused on the development of new bioproducts derived from camelina and carinata. KIMITEC presented progress on bio-based biostimulants, bioherbicides and biopesticides developed within the CARINA project, based on compounds such as glucosinolates and plant proteins. The results demonstrated promising potential for pest control and yield improvement in horticultural crops, highlighting how alternative oilseeds can support circular bioeconomy pathways beyond primary production.
Regulatory and certification aspects were addressed by the presentation on Sustainable Biomaterials, with an overview of the Renewable Energy Directive (RED III), requirements for intermediate crops and perspectives on carbon certification. An interactive survey session led by Cooperativas Agro-alimentarias de España highlighted administrative complexity and market uncertainty as key barriers, while also identifying sustainability benefits and new income opportunities as major drivers for adoption.
The workshop concluded with a discussion session and a guided visit to KIMITEC’s biorefinery facilities, including its production plant, R&D areas and LINNA innovation hub. This visit provided participants with a concrete view of how alternative crops can be transformed into bio-based products of interest for the agri-food industry.
The presentations delivered during the workshop are available as a recorded video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Gnqb7dOgZc4?si=Amp5JW7-iewtKUxL
Through this event, Cooperativas Agro-alimentarias de España and the CARINA consortium reinforced their commitment to promoting innovation, bioeconomy development and agricultural diversification, while strengthening the role of cooperatives as key actors in Europe’s transition towards more sustainable and resilient farming systems.

Rural development is a central pillar of the EU’s agricultural strategy. Under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), rural development programmes aim to strengthen the social, environmental and economic sustainability of rural areas through innovation, diversification and modernisation.

Farming is no longer solely about production volume, it’s increasingly about value, resilience and sustainability. Innovative practices in agriculture help rural areas by:

Creating new income streams for farmers, moving beyond traditional mono-cropping and enabling use of new crops or technologies
Supporting new jobs in farming, processing, logistics, research and support services for agriculture
Making rural areas more attractive for younger generations and promoting generational renewal through dynamic farming models

Within the CARINA project, crops such as camelina and carinata are employed not only as agricultural outputs but as platform crops that support rural value chains. These crops enable:

Farm-level diversification into oilseed production and associated co-products
Local processing or adaptation of value chains which retain more added value in the rural area
Alignment with circular farming models, enhancing sustainability while giving rural businesses a stronger foothold

Research and innovation programmes under the EU explicitly link agriculture, forestry and rural areas to economic and social development of rural territories. Financial instruments via the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) channel investments into rural projects focusing on innovation, resource efficiency and sustainable growth.

For rural regions in Europe, the path forward includes embracing innovative farming practices, crop diversification and integration into wider bio-based value chains. Through programmes like CARINA, rural communities can build stronger, future-facing agricultural models that deliver economic benefit, environmental sustainability and social vitality.

Read more: https://agriculture.ec.europa.eu/common-agricultural-policy/rural-development_en

The concept of the bioeconomy is central to Europe’s transition to a more sustainable, circular and competitive economy. According to the European Commission, the bioeconomy covers all sectors and systems that rely on biological resources, their functions and principles.

The EU’s Bioeconomy Strategy is designed to deliver:

Food and nutrition security through more efficient and sustainable use of biological resources
Sustainable management of natural resources and reduced dependence on non-renewable inputs
Adaptation to climate change and support for circular, low-carbon value chains
Enhanced competitiveness of bio-based industries and job creation in rural and industrial regions

Agriculture is a foundational part of the bioeconomy: it supplies biomass, supports rural livelihoods and connects to downstream bio-industries. The updated Strategy highlights the importance of stakeholder mobilisation, unlocking investments and bridging the research-to-market gap.

For the CARINA project, resilient oilseed crops such as camelina and carinata exemplify how agriculture and industry can converge:

Oilseeds become feedstock for biofuels, bioplastics, biochemicals
Co-products and residues are valorised in animal feed, biomaterials or soil amendments
Farming systems become part of a circular value chain, not just raw-material suppliers

To realise this vision, the Strategy emphasises actions such as scaling up biorefineries, improving regulatory frameworks, and promoting regional bioeconomy strategies.

As EU policies converge around the Green Deal, the circular economy and the Clean Industrial Deal, agriculture is no longer only about food production, it is a source of renewable materials and innovation. Projects like CARINA illustrate the opportunities of this shift: farming not just for yield, but for value across the bio-based economy. Optimising crops, technologies and value chains now will help Europe secure competitive advantage, resilient rural economies and a sustainable future.

Read more: https://knowledge4policy.ec.europa.eu/bioeconomy/bioeconomy-strategy_en

Circular farming systems turn agriculture into a climate and resource innovation engine. Rather than treating crops as single-purpose commodities, circular models aim to extract maximum value from each harvested crop, reducing waste, lowering inputs and enhancing ecosystem services.

The European Union is advancing its Bioeconomy Strategy to ensure “circular and sustainable production and consumption of biological resources for materials and services.” By integrating circular practices into farming, Europe can reduce fossil-resource dependency, generate new value chains in rural areas and support the Green Deal’s climate neutrality goals.

Crops such as Camelina sativa and Brassica carinata demonstrate how circularity can be achieved in practice. For example:

The oil fraction can be processed into bio-fuels or bioplastics
The leftover meal and residues serve as animal feed, soil amendments or biochemicals
Integrating these crops into rotations means improved soil health, lower input costs and enhanced resilience

Such cascaded use of biomass aligns with circular bioeconomy principles and helps farming systems contribute to emission reductions and rural economic diversification.

Policy frameworks like the upcoming EU Circular Bioeconomy Strategy and CAP modernisation provide incentives for circular farming practices. For farmers and stakeholders, the transition involves: adopting crops suited to dual-value chains; integrating biomass-use thinking into farm business models; and participating in value networks that close loops.

Circular farming is not simply about reducing waste, it’s about redesigning farm systems so that every component has value, thereby aligning agriculture with Europe’s climate and sustainability ambitions.

For more detail on the EU’s bioeconomy strategy: https://environment.ec.europa.eu/strategy/bioeconomy-strategy_en

Water scarcity and drought are no longer isolated risks for European agriculture, they are structural challenges. According to the EU, around 38 % of its territory was affected by water scarcity in 2019. With climate change intensifying pressure on freshwater resources, reducing water demand in agriculture is crucial.

Traditional high-input crops often depend on significant irrigation or favourable rainfall patterns. In contrast, crops like camelina and carinata are naturally adapted to lower-water and lower-input systems, making them attractive in regions with limited water availability or where irrigation infrastructure is costly or unsustainable. By choosing crops with inherent resilience, farming systems can reduce their vulnerability to drought, stabilise yields and protect farm income in changing climates.

The EU Water Resilience Strategy sets a target of at least 10 % improved water efficiency by 2030.  The farming sector accounts for a significant share of water usage (around 29 % of water abstraction in the EU).  Member States are encouraged to incorporate water-efficient practices into their Common Agricultural Policy Strategic Plans, including crop choices, precision irrigation and nature-based solutions.

Under the CARINA project framework, low-input oilseeds such as camelina and carinata are being trialled in diverse European cropping systems. Their adoption supports multiple objectives:

Reduced irrigation needs, freeing water for other uses or enabling cropping on marginal lands
Lower input costs, improving farm profitability under water-constrained conditions
Improved system resilience, offering stable alternatives when rainfall regimes shift or irrigation becomes less reliable

Water-focused agricultural strategies will increasingly favour crops and systems that align with water-efficient, climate-resilient practices. The combination of policy incentives, farming innovation and crop adaptation, exemplified by CARINA’s work, points the way toward sustainable agriculture in a drier future.

Read more: https://environment.ec.europa.eu/topics/water/water-scarcity-and-droughts_en

The growing demand for sustainable agriculture in Europe is driving innovation in crop protection. Traditional chemical pesticides have served agriculture for decades, but they come with significant risks: negative impacts on soil, water, biodiversity and human health.

This weakening of conventional pest-control tools, combined with climate pressures and the ambition of the European Union to reduce environmental burdens, opens the door for bio-based alternatives.

One of the key pivots is the development of biopesticides, products derived from natural substances (plants, microbes, minerals) or engineered to mimic their action. They are meant to complement, and in some cases replace, synthetic chemical pesticides as part of Integrated Pest Management (IPM).

For instance, resilient oilseed crops such as camelina and carinata are being explored in projects like CARINA for their potential to serve as sources for novel bioactive molecules for weed and pest control. By turning such crops into dual-purpose resource streams (feedstock + bio-input), farming systems become more circular and less dependent on petro-based chemical inputs.

The EU’s policy framework echoes this shift. The “Vision for Agriculture and Food” identifies the need to accelerate access to biopesticides as a strategic priority. Regulation (EC) 1107/2009 currently governs plant-protection product approvals, but industry voices many obstacles: long approval times, high regulatory costs, and classification issues.

In response, EU institutions, industry and research partners are working to modernise the regulatory pathway, refine definitions of “biological” pest-control agents and support innovation ecosystems for sustainable inputs.

Looking ahead, the integration of bio-based pest-control tools into European agriculture has several advantages:

Less reliance on synthetic chemical pesticides = lower ecological and health risk
Diversified farm-input strategies = higher resilience to pest resistance and regulatory change
Valorisation of crops like camelina and carinata into multiple value chains (oil, protein, bio-inputs) = improved farm economics and circularity

Challenges remain: scalable field-proofed solutions, cost competitiveness, regulatory clarity, and farmer adoption. But the momentum is clearly rising, combining policy ambition, agri-innovation and sustainable crop systems.

For projects like CARINA, this means placing our research at the intersection of crop diversification, bio-based inputs and circular farming. The path to zero-pollution agriculture is long, but bio-pesticides are a vital step forward.

Read more: https://croplifeeurope.eu/resources/unlocking-the-potential-of-biopesticides/

On 15 January, the UNTWIST Project will hold its Final Event in a hybrid format, marking an important milestone in the project’s activities. The event will provide an opportunity to reflect on the UNTWIST project’s journey and to present its main outcomes to the wider research and stakeholder community.

📅 15 January 2026
⏰ 9:30–13:00 CET
📍 Vienna & Online

The programme will include research presentations addressing crop resilience to heat and drought, as well as a round-table discussion focusing on the future of minor crops under climate change conditions. These topics closely align with CARINA’s objectives and highlight shared challenges and opportunities across EU-funded research initiatives.

By promoting participation in events such as the UNTWIST Final Event, CARINA continues to strengthen collaboration and knowledge exchange among projects working towards more sustainable, resilient, and climate-adapted agricultural systems.

More information and registration details: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeFDKggSAKvLnVI9FXFYzLDJ1B9dVCLr_38vhQldzeYJD2RZA/viewform

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.

Agrobiodiversity, the rich diversity of crops, livestock, and ecosystems, forms the foundation of climate-resilient agriculture in Europe. The need to protect and enhance agrobiodiversity has never been more pressing, as Europe faces challenges such as climate change, pest outbreaks, and soil degradation. Agrobiodiversity offers a pathway to safeguard Europe’s food security while ensuring that agriculture remains sustainable and environmentally friendly.

The concept of agrobiodiversity goes beyond simply growing a variety of crops. It includes the diversity of species, genetic diversity, and ecosystem services that farming systems rely on to function effectively. Practices like crop rotation and intercropping provide multiple benefits to farmers, including:

Improved soil health through the restoration of nutrients
Reduction in pest and disease pressure by breaking pest cycles
Increased biodiversity, which enhances pollination, pest control, and nutrient cycling

Farming systems that incorporate these practices are less vulnerable to environmental stress, including climate variability and extreme weather events such as droughts and floods. These diverse systems also improve resilience by reducing the dependence on external inputs, such as synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, which are both costly and environmentally harmful.

The European Union recognizes the importance of agrobiodiversity as a means to foster sustainable agriculture and strengthen its food security. The EU’s Horizon Europe program funds research projects that promote agroecological practices, such as crop diversification and integrated pest management, that increase agricultural resilience to climate change.

In addition, the EU Green Deal and the Farm to Fork Strategy emphasize the need to reduce agriculture’s environmental footprint by adopting nature-based solutions that include agrobiodiversity-enhancing practices. The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) also provides financial incentives for farmers to implement sustainable practices that contribute to biodiversity conservation.

At CARINA, we are implementing agrobiodiversity in action. By integrating camelina and carinata into European farming systems, we’re demonstrating how diverse crops can enhance the resilience of both the environment and the economy. These low-input, climate-resilient crops offer sustainable alternatives to traditional farming systems, boosting soil health and improving biodiversity across the continent.

As Europe strives to meet its ambitious climate goals, agrobiodiversity will be key to achieving sustainable farming systems that are both productive and environmentally responsible. The integration of diverse crops, including oilseeds like camelina and carinata, into farming systems represents a significant step towards a greener, more sustainable agricultural future.

The EU’s policies and funding mechanisms continue to provide essential support for farmers adopting agroecological practices, and projects like CARINA are helping to lead the way. By continuing to enhance agrobiodiversity, we can ensure that European agriculture remains resilient in the face of climate change, while supporting a biodiverse, sustainable food system for generations to come.

Read more about the EU’s support for biodiversity-friendly agriculture: https://agriculture.ec.europa.eu/overview-vision-agriculture-food/research-innovation/biodiversity-friendly-agriculture_en