Catalonia hosted the Living-Labs for Mitigating Climate Change in Agriculture Event on 24 and 25 April 2025. The event was co-organised by CONCAT Living Lab, EcoReady, PRIMED, REFOREST, and the Interreg Euro-MED Innovative Sustainable Economy (ISE) Mission, with the collaboration of the Generalitat de Catalunya and BETA Technological Centre, both partners of the ISE Mission. The event was also supported by Naked Innovations, IRTA, FCAC, Xarxa Agritech, Euro-Mediterranean Economists Association (EMEA) and BioHubCat.
Plenary session of the event at Espai Bital. Photo: Emin Yigit / REVOLVE
The event provided valuable insights into how the Living Lab methodology can effectively mobilise stakeholders facing similar challenges. Attendees explored tools to reflect on and structure complex transitions toward sustainable futures. The gathering also served as a meaningful networking opportunity, fostering stronger connections among participants.
Carlos Alberto Torres Guerrero (BETA Technological Centre) represented the Carbon Farming MED Project—an ISE Mission project—showcasing their solution. The project is developing a resilient Mediterranean agricultural system, helping farmers implement carbon farming as a new green business model to obtain additional revenues. It optimises regenerative agricultural and agroforestry practices and provides the necessary tools to facilitate the adoption of the carbon credits market.
Carlos Alberto Torres Guerrero presenting the Carbon Farming MED project at the event. Photo: Emin Yigit / REVOLVE
Living Labs to Tackle Climate Change Effects in Agriculture
Living Labs are crucial in providing the space and framework to co-develop, test, and scale climate-resilient solutions, bringing together stakeholders from diverse backgrounds. This two day event focused on strengthening collaboration for a network of transformative Living Labs in the EU and the Mediterranean. It brought together stakeholders from across the EU and Mediterranean region, including researchers, policymakers, entrepreneurs, and institutions focused on climate mitigation, resilience, and innovation in agriculture and food systems.
The agri-food system is facing several common, complex challenges. The objective of the event was to collectively address four key challenges and develop a shared agenda of actions to be implemented by the Living Labs network in order to achieve the desired visions of the future:
- The adoption and mainstreaming of advanced regenerative farming practices (e.g. carbon sequestration, climate-adaptive land management, regenerative agriculture) to restore soil health, enhance biodiversity, and improve climate resilience.
- The adoption and mainstreaming of sustainable water management solutions (e.g. river restoration, climate-smart irrigation, water retention, drought adaptation strategies, governance frameworks for equitable water use) to resolve water scarcity in the context of extreme weather conditions.
- The adoption and mainstreaming of nature-based solutions (e.g. biodiversity-driven land use, agroforestry, carbon farming, nature-based solutions for flood and coastal resilience) to drive climate adaptation and ecosystem restoration.
- The development of low-emission supply chains and the mainstreaming of circular bioeconomy approaches to contribute to the successful decarbonisation of the economy.
Over two days, participants engaged in four specialised working groups (WGs), each focusing on a critical dimension of climate resilience in agriculture and food systems. These groups followed a structured discussion format: identifying the current situation, analysing the problems to be addressed, and envisioning a desired future.
Maria Calderó Pascual (BETA Technological Centre), Project Coordinator of the Interreg Euro-MED Innovative Sustainable Economy Mission, actively participated in the event focused on the Living Labs approach: “For me, the highlights included inspiring pitches and exhibition stands on the second day, showcasing cutting-edge research in the field.”
Maria Calderó during a working group session. Photo: Emin Yigit / REVOLVE
On Day 1, each working group focused on understanding the current situation and analysing the main barriers and facilitators present in the system—those that either hinder or accelerate progress towards the desired vision—using a systemic analysis approach. Based on this analysis, the groups then identified and prioritised actions that could address the challenges and have a systemic impact.
On Day 2, technology centres, R&D projects, and Living Labs presented their innovative solutions through pitching sessions and interactive demonstrations. Check the showcase of technologies and solutions here.
Finally, the prioritised actions from Day 1 were further developed by participants to co-create a collective action plan comprising twelve transformative actions to tackle the four challenges. These actions focus on developing strategies for implementation and scaling innovative solutions.
The collaborative outcomes of the event are expected to guide future initiatives and partnerships across the region, maximise the contribution of the agri-food sector to climate mitigation, strengthen the role of Living Labs as catalysts for impactful change, and lay the foundation for a Mediterranean network of transformative Living Labs.
