About us
NOVATERRA is an EU-funded H2020 project focused on ensuring food security and healthy food access for the increasing population. Through a series of case studies in Mediterranean olive groves and vineyards, the project aims to understand whether it is possible to maintain current yields and quality in Europe and in other regions while eliminating or significantly reducing the use of contentious plant protection products (also known as pesticides).
Since the Green Revolution in the 1950s and 60s, crop production in Europe and around the world has largely relied on plant protection products also known as PPPs (chemical fertilisers and pesticides), irrigation and mechanisation methods. As the population increases, one of the largest challenges facing humanity is ensuring food security and healthy food access while also maintaining a sustainable environment, including no further land increase for agricultural usage.
Over the next 4 years, NOVATERRA aims to create a more holistic approach to future farming. Using precision farming, new natural protection products and soil management strategies the project aims to reduce environmental pollution and reduce damage to non-target organisms as well as better economic sustainability for Mediterranean farmers. This practical and integrative approach is based on a series of multivariate case studies which will explore the use of biopesticides adjuvants and formulations, smart farming techniques, robotics, alongside novel soil management and functional biodiversity.
At the same time, the project aims to gather the insights from a wide range of stakeholders and to leverage them to maximise the adoption of successful solutions obtained from the case studies.
In the next 4 years (2020-2024), we aim to...
Review, update and compile
information factors conditioning the use of PPPs from a technical, legal, social and ethical point of view.
Develop
novel combinations of alternative non-synthetic products and biological control techniques for plant protection.
Optimise
the application and dosage of PPPs through the use of smart farming technologies.
Mitigate
the incidence of pests and diseases thanks to new soil management strategies.
Test and validate
a combination of integrated solutions in order to improve Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies.
Maximise
the adoption of successful solutions by engaging with direct and indirect stakeholders.
