Over the past few months, the Carbonica Excellence Hub has made significant progress in promoting and advocating for the importance and role of carbon farming solutions across Europe. Our partners participated in numerous prestigious events and conferences, and here is a recap of their recent activities.
1st European Carbon Farming Summit
Foodscale Hub (FSH), Διαβαλκανικό Κέντρο Περιβάλλοντος (i-BEC), and the Ερευνητικό Κέντρο Αριστείας Ερατοσθένης (ECoE) participated in the 1st European Carbon Farming Summit, held in Valencia, Spain, from March 5 to March 7, 2024.
Grigoris Chatzikostas, the coordinator of Carbonica, highlighted the critical role of carbon farming in achieving sustainability. He emphasized the need for increased research and innovation investments, the establishment of an EU-wide certification framework, and the development of site-specific protocols and tools for monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV).
Georgios Galanis, the research coordinator from i-BEC, during a breakout session on proximal sensing and digitalization in carbon farming, presented the Field Diagnostic Toolbox, an innovative tool part of the MRV methodology for carbon removal certification programs. ECoE participated in the summit with a poster presentation titled “A Digital Toolbox Approach to Carbon Farming Solutions”.
Agrotica Expo 2024
Agrotica is the largest sectoral exhibition in Greece’s agroeconomic sector and one of the most important exhibition events in the primary sector in Europe. During the Agrotica Expo 2024, i-BEC and the Region of Central Macedonia co-organized and hosted the “Accredited Certifications in Carbon Agriculture: Challenges and Opportunities” event. George Zalidis, Professor at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH) and Scientific Coordinator of Carbonica EU, shed light on the potential of carbon farming. Additionally, Grigoris Chatzikostas, in the framework of the event “Opportunities of the Agricultural Sector from the Carbon Economy,” delivered an enlightening speech on Carbonica’s visions and goals, European initiatives on carbon farming, and presented the funding opportunities for climate-resilient agriculture within the Horizon Europe Work Programme 2024-2025 and the Strategic Plan 2025-2027
Ιnaugural Commonwealth Ocean Ministers Meeting & Conference Sciences
Professor Diofantos Hadjimitsis from the Cyprus University of Technology has been instrumental in promoting Carbonica EU project. At the Ιnaugural Commonwealth Ocean Ministers Meeting in Cyprus on April 19, 2024, he discussed the project’s progress with the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development, and the Environment. Additionally, he delivered an invited talk at the 11th Conference on ‘Sciences’ in Paphos, elaborating on the benefits of carbon farming to the local economy and engaging with over 300 participants from various schools in Cyprus.
RSCy2024 Conference & "Excellence Hubs: MED Regions and Southeastern Europe"
The ERATOSTHENES Centre of Excellence has actively promoted carbon farming and sustainable agriculture. During the RSCy2024 workshop on April 9, 2024, Dr. Papoutsa, alongside co-chairs Dr. Varvaris and Dr. Eliades, organized a session on the opportunities and challenges in carbon farming. This event, in collaboration with the EXCELSIOR H2020 Teaming and Carbonica EU projects, featured speakers from prominent institutions, including the European Commission and the Joint Research Centre.
Moreover, the ERATOSTHENES Centre, represented by Dr. Marios Tzouvaras and i-BEC’s scientific coordinator George Zalidis, presented the Carbonica EU Excellence Hub during the “Excellence Hubs: MED Regions and Southeastern Europe” online workshop. This event promoted collaboration among EU-funded Excellence Hubs and attracted over 180 participants.
Beyond Expo 2024
At the Beyond Expo 2024 held in Thessaloniki, Greece, from April 25 to 27, 2024, Foodscale Hub showcased the project, and garnered significant interest from participants and exhibitors. CARBONICA’s presentation underscored the essential role of carbon farming in ensuring a sustainable future for farmers and ecosystems, leading to productive discussions and exchanges.
Digiagrifood Forum 2024
Daphne Kitsou presented in behalf of i-BEC the “CARBONICA EXCELLENCE HUB, Scientific and Service Plan”. The audience of approximately 100 participants, included academia, national policymakers, regional authorities, businesses, consultants, agronomists, and farmers. The presentation covered carbon credit schemes, the CARBONICA Field Diagnostic Toolbox, and the IPCC and ISO standards supporting CARBONICAs methodology, providing valuable insights and tools to policy makers, academia, regional authorities, and landowners
Carbon Farming and Job Opportunities
I-BEC took part in a circular economy event attended by the general public, schools, businesses, academia, and national and regional authorities. Eva Sarigiannidou, on behalf of i-BEC, presented CARBONICA to a live audience, with many joining via live streaming. An interactive workshop was also conducted, called “Carbon Detectives,” attended by 115 participants, aimed at educating children about the importance of carbon farming and the broader concept of circularity. This workshop not only raised awareness but also inspired a new generation to take an active interest in sustainability and environmental conservation. Through these efforts, I-BEC effectively communicated the significance of integrating carbon farming practices into the economy and highlighted the transformative impact these practices can have on both the environment and job creation.
Conclusion
The Carbonica Excellence Hub continues to advance carbon farming innovation, thanks to the dedicated efforts of our partners. Their participation in high-profile events and conferences has effectively communicated the critical importance and vast benefits of carbon farming.
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