Horizon Europe: VALERECO is the new project of the Institute of Plant Sciences, Sant'Anna School, to disseminate the benefits of legume crops and promote the sustainability of agroecosystems
The importance of highlighting to farmers and agricultural advisors the often-neglected benefits of pulses and encouraging their integration into cropping systems, promoting environmental sustainability in agricultural productivity, is now recognized at the European level. Indeed, incorporating legumes into cropping systems offers significant benefits, including improved soil health, increased biodiversity and reduced need for synthetic fertilizers. However, many farmers underestimate these advantages.
The project “Valorization Legumes Related Ecosystem Services VALERECO” funded by the European Union with 4,9 million euros under the Horizon Europe-RIA Action, which will be developed over the next 4 years and will unite the expertise of 14 partners from 11 countries, brought together in a consortium, under the coordination of the Agricultural University of Athens, was born with this aim.
The project, which will have for Sant'Anna School the scientific coordination of Anna Camilla Moonen, associate professor of Agronomy and Field Crops at the Institute of Plant Sciences, has as its primary objective the dissemination of knowledge and improvement of the capacity of farmers and agricultural advisors to include different legume crops in their cropping programs, while increasing awareness of the positive ecological and economic impact. The project will promote cropping systems for three legumes (soybean, pea, chickpea), five fodder crops (vetch, clover, white clover, red clover, alfalfa), one minor fodder crop (sulla coronaria) and three minor grain legumes (lupin, fava bean, lentil), grown alone or in combination with other crops.
The project aims to engage farmers, agricultural advisors, researchers, industry stakeholders, policy makers, and consumers in activities and demonstration events to promote the potential of diversified legume-based farming systems, and to raise awareness of national and international networks and organizations to ensure that this promotion reaches the widest possible audience.
