Cellock

CARBONICA Concept

Cellock, as the technical partner explains the concept of the project.

Problem/Need:

The emission of greenhouse gases (GHG) has disrupted the carbon cycle, which has become one of the primary causes of climate change. The atmospheric CO2 levels have increased from 280 ppm to 379 ppm since the preindustrial era until 2005 due to the insufficient binding of CO2 emitted by vegetation. Anthropogenic activities, with agriculture playing a significant role, have further accelerated the negative impact on the carbon cycle, which is expected to worsen as the world population is projected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050. Agriculture covers approximately 35% of the Earth’s land area and contributes to almost 13.5% of the total global anthropogenic GHG emissions, with CO2 accounting for 25%, CH4 for 50%, and N2O for 70%. The carbon footprint from agriculture (CFA) is the total amount of GHGs in terms of carbon equivalent (C-eq) emitted by the agricultural sector. The European Union (EU) has committed to reducing CFA through the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), the European Green Deal, and its flagship strategies, the Farm to Fork (F2F) and the Biodiversity strategies. The success of these CFA strategies is contingent upon the synergy among all stakeholders (policy, industry, academia, civil society) in the quadruple helix (QH) within the place-based innovation ecosystems (PBIES). According to the European Environmental Agency, the EU’s CFA emissions have remained almost constant between 2005 and 2019, and member states’ projections suggest a modest decline of ~2% by 2030. The Balkan-Mediterranean region, including Cyprus (CY), Greece (GR), and North Macedonia (NMK), which are part of the widening countries (WC), is heavily impacted by climate change, with temperature increases estimated at 1.2-3.4°C by the end of this century. NMK, GR, and CY have ratified the Kyoto Protocol and Paris Agreement, aiming to reduce CFA by 34%, 58%, and 27%, respectively, by 2050 compared to 1990. An inter- and transdisciplinary approach is required to integrate the expertise and knowledge of all relevant stakeholders and a place-based perspective and design needs-based carbon farming solutions (practices and technologies) as well as strict policies to foster shifts towards a Climate-resilient Agriculture (CA) to achieve these targets.

The CARBONICA Excellence Hub (CEH) aims to establish a connection between the innovation ecosystems (IES) of three WC (CY, GR, and NMK) through cutting-edge technologies such as Earth Observation (EO), in situ data, and digital agriculture to promote carbon farming. The objective is to provide access to excellence to all relevant stakeholders in the QH of the WC and strengthen regional innovation capacity through a long-term joint R&I strategy in the carbon farming field.

  • 14 project partners from Greece, North Macedonia, and Cyprus.
  • Multi-actor approach.
  • 3 ecosystems mapped & enhanced.
  • Involvement of policy, industry, academia, and civil society.
  • 1 Excellence Hub established in the widening region.
  • More than 1000 stakeholders participating in the training modules and workshops.
  • 20 experts participating in brain gain activities.
  • More than 30 start-ups and SMEs participating in the support services for business development.

The objectives of CARBONICA are to enhance place-based innovation and excellence in carbon farming in Cyprus, Greece, and North Macedonia, with the aim of achieving a greater collective understanding and wider adoption of this practice. Additionally, the project seeks to promote long-term cross-border collaboration and establish strong, viable linkages between the actors of the quadruple helix in the involved Innovation Ecosystems, in order to facilitate knowledge transfer, enhance entrepreneurial skills, and expand collective capacity in carbon farming. Furthermore, CARBONICA aims to create business opportunities in carbon farming by bridging the gap between science and industry, establishing poles of attraction for innovators and investors, and improving uptake.

CARBONICA Outcomes

  1. Establish three multi-actor platforms in Cyprus, North Macedonia, and Greece to bring together professionals, researchers, citizens, and ecologists involved in making agriculture more carbon efficient.
  2. Training workshops organisation that will teach carbon farming techniques to those actively engaged in agriculture.
  3. Bring together researchers and innovators to develop a common strategy across borders.
  4. Recommend policies to facilitate the adoption of carbon farming techniques in traditional agriculture.

Website: https://carbonica-hub.eu

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