The CARINA Project is reshaping European and Mediterranean agriculture by pioneering sustainable, diversified farming systems through its Lighthouse Model. These Lighthouses serve as regional innovation hubs where science meets practice – connecting farmers, researchers, and local stakeholders to co-develop, test, and validate innovative cropping systems centered around two promising oilseed crops: camelina and carinata.

At each Lighthouse site, real-life experimentation is underway to optimize sustainable farming practices that improve soil health, boost biodiversity, and build climate resilience. These sites are more than demonstration fields – they are collaborative centers of knowledge exchange, where best practices are documented and shared across the CARINA community and beyond.

The Lighthouses play a key role in ensuring CARINA’s solutions are practical, replicable, and scalable. By placing farmers at the center of innovation, the model strengthens both local economies and the bioeconomy value chains across Europe and the Mediterranean.

As the project evolves, the Lighthouse network will continue to expand its impact – supporting the transition toward a climate-smart and resource-efficient agriculture.