📋 Tender Overview
Reference: LIFE23-CCA-ES-LIFE-ACCLIMATE/101157315
Acronym: LIFE23-CCA-ES-LIFE ACCLIMATE
Start Date: 01/09/2024
End Date: 31/07/2028
Total Eligible Budget: 4,468,538 €
EU Contribution: 2,681,123 €
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
The Mediterranean region is projected to experience more frequent and more severe heatwaves, which will lead to a decline in crop yields, particularly for heat-sensitive crops such as vegetables. Under future climate scenarios, yields could decrease by up to 50% for certain crops, including vegetables.
According to the United Nations (UN), the world population is projected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050, which will require a 70% increase in global food production. The agricultural sector faces a rising demand for food as the impacts of climate change reduce crop yields in many regions and increase the risk of pest and disease outbreaks, leading to food insecurity and a loss of income for farmers. To address these challenges, it is crucial to develop sustainable agriculture practices that are resilient enough to withstand some of the worst effects of climate change.
The European Union (EU) supports this approach through policies and regulations such as the Farm to Fork Strategy, which promotes sustainable agriculture and the use of greenhouses for climate change adaptation. Greenhouses have been identified as a potential solution to the threats posed by climate change and population growth, as they provide controlled environments that protect crops from extreme weather conditions and enable cultivation in areas unsuitable for traditional farming, such as arid or urban regions. Despite their potential, greenhouses are heavily dependent on high volumes of energy – contributing to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions – and resource-intensive practices that require large amounts of water, fertilisers and pesticides, leading to negative environmental impacts. Therefore, while greenhouses are considered key elements for the future sustainability of the agricultural sector, addressing these challenges is critical to their sustainable functioning.
OBJECTIVES
The main objective of the LIFE-ACCLIMATE project is to implement and demonstrate a sustainable and resource-efficient greenhouse horticulture model as a climate change adaptation strategy, leveraging the use of advanced technologies such as ground and aerial robots, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Decision Support Systems (DSS).
The specific project objectives are as follows:
Increase Crop Yields: implement advanced monitoring systems, such as remote sensing technologies, to optimise crop yields in greenhouse agriculture
Improve Water Efficiency: develop and implement precision irrigation systems and fertigation strategies, utilising data from ground and aerial robots and monitoring platforms
Enhance Energy Efficiency: integrate smart energy management systems, such as AI-based algorithms and automated controls
Cut Pesticide Usage: explore and deploy
