CARINA is built on a multi-actor consortium and participative decision-making process through mutual learning, transparent communication, and inclusive multi-perspectives and transdisciplinary engagement. From the proposal clearly emerges the importance of social innovation as the nerve center for the evolution of the whole project. Nine Lighthouses, 5 Living Labs, and 9 Policy Innovation Labs will be established across Europe playing a leading role in the co-creation of CARINA innovation actions. CARINA focuses on new sustainable and diversified farming systems including 2 new oilseed crops, carinata and camelina, able to provide multiple low iLUC feedstocks for the bio-based economy. We firmly believe that a participatory approach is necessary for successfully scaling-up innovative farming systems. Engaging farmers and other stakeholders in jointly developing solutions under specific environmental, technical, and social conditions has been highly considered in CARINA. We estimate about 3M farmers being potentially reached by CARINA thanks to the direct cooperation with its partners. To find a broad consensus by primary producers, a new crop should enable to promote and harness biodiversity, be easy-to-grow, and technically feasible within current cropping systems. Carinata and camelina fully meet these requirements, able to successfully grow almost everywhere in Europe and in northern Africa. Carinata and camelina provide high quality oils that will be transformed into innovative bio-based products (bioherbicides, bioplastics). The co-product from oil extraction is a protein-rich cake, which will be valorized as animal feed, and in a multitude of high added-value products, exploiting the mucilage and glucosinolates contained within. CARINA capitalizes on a highly experienced team of 20 partners, +6 affiliated entities, from 13 EU and Associated Countries (Italy, France, Spain, Germany, Greece, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Poland, UK, Serbia, Tunisia, Morocco, Switzerland).

Abstract Context and objectives of the solution Bird damage to crops, particularly at emergence, has to date no solution and little research has been done on this subject, at least in the European context. The distress of producers has been growing for the past fifteen years and may lead to the abandonment of crops considered too risky (sunflower, pulses, maize). As a result, bird damage has an impact on crop diversity and indirectly on several aspects of the sustainability of cropping systems, including treatment practices. Field scale methods are insufficient, and the underlying ecological processes justify a hierarchical, multi-scale approach. The project aims to develop and test a concerted management approach on a territorial scale. The work will be carried out in close collaboration with stakeholders in 3 pilot territories: Beauce/Gâtinais (with 3 cooperatives and an association); Yonne (with the farmers involved in the ANR R2D2 project); Drôme (with the seed production sector). Approaches and methodology The project will be based on a diagnostic - planning - evaluation approach carried out in 3 territories in conjunction with local advisors and farmers. The strategy will consist in locally adapting and combining several technical elements resulting from studies and feedback from international experience (synchronisation of sowing, choice of suitable sowing dates and sowing of alternative resources). Substantial resources will be devoted to collecting, sharing, and processing spatialised information, which will make possible the monitoring of actions. End user The results will be a better knowledge of the processes at the origin of damage, a collective prevention approach documented and evaluated, and a toolbox for collecting and sharing territorial information. The users will be farmers, advisory structures and companies (cooperatives and seed production establishments). Indirectly, the project will contribute to calming the debate on bird destruction by reformulating it around agronomic integrated management practices. Relevance and sustainability of the solution The solution corresponds to a scientific consensus: there is no "silver bullet" to solve the problem of bird damage and the way forward lies in the combination of partial-effect solutions. Moreover, the territorial dimension is essential to compensate for the inadequacies of field-based control methods, particularly the risks of damage relocation and bird habituation. Finally, the participation of local farmers and advisers will ensure adaptation to local constraints. Overall, by securing the sowing of at-risk spring crops, the project will help to remove a barrier to the diversification of rotations and thus the sustainability of cropping systems. Presentation of the consortium Terres Inovia is the technical institute for the vegetable oil and protein and hemp sectors. It will coordinate the project. The INRAE Agronomy Unit will be involved in the co-design and evaluation of the proposed solutions. ANAMSO, which represents oilseed multiplication farmers, is a stakeholder in the Drôme region. Other stakeholders in the project will be involved as service providers: the association Hommes et Territoires and the cooperatives of Boisseaux, Puiseaux and AgroPithiviers.

BIOARC connects the agricultural and construction sector by developing high-performance bio-based building materials from agricultural by-products. Bacteria are included as co-creators through a biomineralization process, to develop lightweight, fire-resistant products – such as insulation boards, construction panels, acoustic panels, and partition walls. To ensure global scalability, the project will leverage regionally available resources like rice, wheat, sunflower, and hops, which are widely accessible not only in the EU but also in other parts of the world. By standardizing production processes and rigorously assessing the structural, thermal, acoustic, health-related, and durability properties of the materials, the project ensures consistent quality, performance and validating them in real-world construction environments. The project takes a bioregional approach, collaborating closely with local communities, farmers, craftsmen, and industries to develop local value chains that reduce carbon emissions and promote circular economy principles. By connecting stakeholders across four European bioregions, the project integrates a participatory design process, ensuring that the developed materials are not only environmentally sustainable but also culturally embedded and economically viable. The project engages with the NEB hub for results and impacts, as well as contributing to regenerative design principles in the construction sector. BIOARC aims to provide scalable, cost-effective, and high-performance materials, while supporting local economies and promoting resilience against environmental and economic changes.

The aim of BELIS is (i) to increase the competitiveness of the EU and Associated Countries legume breeding industry by improving the methodologies and the governance structures of the breeding sector; (ii) to design conditions that allow an efficient delivery of the achieved genetic progress to the breeders and seed industry, and to the other actors (registration offices, extension services, feed and food industry, farmers). The project will focus on seven forage crops and seven grain crop that are currently grown to produce feed (for ruminants – cattle, sheep, goat and monogastric animals – pig, poultry), food (as is or after processing) or to deliver ecosystem services. BELIS has three main objectives: (1) To develop tools and methodologies for cost-effective breeding programmes and deliver proofs of concept, with and for breeders, (2) To facilitate the economic and regulatory environment: variety registration, variety recommendation and business models, (3) To implement an efficient, ambitious and durable transfer of innovation through the BELIS platform that includes a network of breeders and actors from scientific research, extension services and seed, food and feed industries, as well as a training portfolio. By enabling the creation of improved varieties in many species, adapted to different areas and uses in Europe, this project is relevant for the destinations towards “Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services”, mainly contributing to “Access to a wider range of crops and breeds with a broadened genetic base is improved in line with global biodiversity commitments”. It also supports the “Practices in agriculture and forestry support biodiversity and the provision of other ecosystems services”. In addition, BELIS will have a positive input on natural biodiversity, reduction of air and water pollutions and farming system sustainability.