As part of its ongoing networking efforts with other LIFE projects that support the agricultural sector in adapting to climate change, the LIFE-AgrOassis team recently met with the LIFE Desert-Adapt.

 

The project was completed in September 2023 and was awarded the LIFE Action Award at the LIFE Awards 2025, recognised as the best project in its category.

 

LIFE DESERT-ADAPT was implemented in Italy, Spain and Portugal, and coordinated by the Università degli studi della Campania Luigi Vanvitelli (Naples, Italy). The project brought together farmers, local communities, and landowners to restore degraded land through the promotion and application of sustainable practices including agroforestry, permaculture, and regenerative agriculture.

 

As part of the project, the Desert Adaptation Model (DAM) was developed and applied on 9 pilot farms. The results were impressive, and the model is now being extended to 100 additional farms, covering a total area of 10.000 hectares.

 

Some of the key take ways form the meeting included:

– Things rarely go as planned.

– Climate conditions will always be more extreme than expected.

– True co-creation is the most important part of any project and must be based on realistic expectations.