The NUSTALGIC project – Neglected and Underutilized Species for waTer hArvesting and buiLdinG clImate Change resilience – was officially launched with its Kick-Off Meeting, held on July 7 and 8, 2025, at the Portuguese Catholic University – Regional Centre of Porto.
The meeting gathered in-person representatives from the 11 partner institutions (5 research centres, 3 universities, 2 NGOs and 1 civil society organisation) from eight Mediterranean countries (Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece, Morocco, Lebanon, Tunisia, and Jordan), with several additional members joining online. Over two days, partners aligned strategies, goals, and approaches to begin implementing a project that combines science, tradition, and social innovation to tackle agricultural challenges in the Mediterranean region.
Coordinated by Professor Marta Vasconcelos, researcher at the Centre for Biotechnology and Fine Chemistry of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa, NUSTALGIC is funded by the PRIMA Programme – Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area, supported by the European Union., NUSTALGIC is funded by the PRIMA Programme – Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area, supported by the European Union.
The project aims to valorise neglected and underutilized species (NUS) across the Mediterranean not only for their role in agrobiodiversity and nutrition but also for their tolerance to climate change and potential to create new socio-economic opportunities. Furthermore, the project seeks to revive and modernise ancestral hydro-technologies, promoting sustainable and circular solutions rooted in traditional knowledge and technological innovation. It also strives to foster fair and transformative employment, with special attention to women, youth, and communities affected by mechanisation, particularly in some Mediterranean countries, and to encourage interest in sustainable agricultural practices and NUS-derived products.
A key component of the project involves the implementation of integrated multi-actor platforms called DRIPS – NUSTALGIC DRy farming system multi-actor Innovation PlatformS.
These platforms are collaborative spaces bringing together researchers, farmers, businesses, policymakers, consumers, and community members to co-create and apply innovative solutions tailored to local contexts. Four main DRIPS will be established – in Morocco, Lebanon, Tunisia, and Jordan – working in collaboration with the other partner countries. These platforms will include demonstration and inspiration sites, leveraging existing infrastructures such as living labs to engage stakeholders and encourage the adoption of best practices. By ensuring active and ongoing participation from diverse actors, DRIPS will help guarantee that the solutions developed are relevant, effective, and sustainable in the long term.
Running over three years, NUSTALGIC aims to leave a lasting legacy: more equitable, resilient, productive, and sustainable agricultural systems, deeply rooted in Mediterranean communities and capable of addressing the challenges of climate change, water scarcity, and food system transformation.
