Agriculture can become a key tool in the fight against climate change when supported by technology and data. The European project INNO4CFIs explores how to promote carbon farming models capable of capturing CO₂ while improving biodiversity, soil health and water availability.
In this context, researchers from AIR Institute have deployed a monitoring system in one of the living hubs of the INNO4CFIs project in Follonica, in the Italian region of Tuscany, with the aim of evaluating new desalination solutions and their impact on agroforestry systems.
The installation will enable the collection of data on water quality, the energy consumption of the desalination units installed by Planet Nature Inspired Technology, and the soil conditions in experimental crops, both located at the Azienda Santa Paolina experimental farm belonging to the National Research Council of Italy.
This information will be key to understanding how these technologies perform under real conditions and to assessing their potential to improve water management in Mediterranean agricultural environments.
With a budget of €9.3 million and the participation of 21 European partners, the project is co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through the I3 initiative. Its goal is to develop and demonstrate innovative technologies and nature-based business models that make carbon farming initiatives viable across different European regions.
Innovation to capture carbon and restore ecosystems
INNO4CFIs combines several emerging technologies with nature-based solutions. Among the project’s key initiatives are:
- Five technological demonstrators or living hubs in different European regions.
- The planting of at least 6,000 trees in agroforestry systems.
- The use of desalination technologies, mycelium, sensors, satellite and space technologies.
- A business acceleration programme designed to support startups and SMEs working in the field of carbon farming.
The project pursues two main objectives:
- To integrate technologies that increase CO₂ absorption while improving ecosystem health.
- To accelerate technologies with a minimum maturity level of TRL6, facilitating their entry into the European market.
Living hubs to test solutions in real conditions
The project’s innovations are validated in several living hubs (technological demonstrators), experimental environments where technologies are tested directly in real agricultural settings.
One of these hubs is located in Follonica, in the well-known region of Tuscany, Italy. This hub is led by the National Research Council of Italy. The area is a coastal xeromediterranean zone with chestnut trees and forest systems.
Here, the Mangrove Technological Platform developed by Planet is being demonstrated. This platform integrates desalination systems and planting nests to enable irrigation using infiltrated seawater.
AIR Institute deploys a monitoring system in Follonica
On March 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th, researchers Albano Carrera, Isaac Froes and Raúl García, from AIR Institute, travelled to Follonica to deploy an advanced monitoring system in the living hub located at the facilities of the Institute of BioEconomy of the National Research Council.
The goal is to analyse the performance of two innovative desalination units designed to produce fresh water from well water with high salt concentration.
The monitoring system developed by AIR Institute collects key data such as:
- Water quality: pH, electrical conductivity and temperature.
- Water flows: incoming water, fresh water produced and saline waste.
- Environmental variables inside and outside the equipment.
- Energy consumption of the desalination units.
In addition, an experimental agroforestry field with cypress trees, olive trees and a herbaceous legume crop is also being monitored. Soil parameters measured include:
- moisture
- temperature
- electrical conductivity
These data will be monitored and analysed by AIR Institute and will allow researchers to evaluate both the performance of the desalination units and the condition of the soil and agroforestry system, providing key information to validate this technology under real-world conditions.
Technology and nature for more resilient agriculture
The INNO4CFIs project shows that the transition towards climate-smart agriculture requires combining technological innovation with nature-based solutions.
Monitoring and data analysis play a crucial role in understanding how these technologies can improve water management, regenerate soils and increase carbon capture, contributing to more resilient and sustainable agricultural systems across Europe.
About the project
INNO4CFIs is a project that promotes innovative solutions for regenerative carbon farming, in line with the ambitions of the Interregional Innovation Investments (I3) Instrument of the European Commission, which funds 70% of the project.
The consortium works on:
- The Carbon Farming Technological Platform, integrating different innovations within a shared experimental framework.
- The creation of blockchain-based carbon certificates to ensure traceability and scalability of environmental impacts.
- The development of Living Hubs in Spain, Greece, Italy and Belgium, where solutions combining technological innovation and regenerative agricultural practices are implemented.
Through this model, INNO4CFIs aims to generate effective and scalable impacts in carbon farming, reforestation and agroforestry systems, while creating new opportunities for SMEs and startups in the green technology sector.