Located in northern Spain, the region of Navarre boasts diverse agroclimatic zones vital to local food production and cultural heritage. However, shifting weather patterns and accelerated climate change are driving biodiversity loss and degrading regional ecosystems, placing severe pressure on local agriculture with threats that include:
- Long-term threats to agricultural viability, as rising temperatures and unpredictable precipitation undermine traditional farming methods and commercial crop yields.
- Loss of traditional crop biodiversity, as heirloom species cultivated over generations are replaced by commercial varieties less resilient to extreme regional weather.
- Gaps in technical knowledge transfer, making it difficult for farmers, advisers, and local growers to select plant varieties best suited to evolving climate conditions.
Public-Private Collaboration & Agro-Tech Platforms
To safeguard the region’s agricultural future, the LIFE-IP NAdapta-CC initiative brought together the public company Institute of Agri-food Technologies and Infrastructures of Navarre (INTIA), regional authorities, and local citizens.
Working in close collaboration with the community, the project team collected and identified native seed species across multiple areas of Navarre. INTIA classified, multiplied, and preserved these seeds in the regional plant material bank while developing digital decision-support tools to connect agricultural advisers and growers with climate-adapted crop solutions.
Practical Action, Crop Conservation, and Community Knowledge
The initiative equips farmers and the wider public with practical tools and native plant materials to build long-term agroecological resilience:
- Recovery of Local Vegetable Varieties: Preserving and recovering nearly 100 local vegetable seed varieties naturally adapted to Navarre’s specific agroclimatic conditions over generations.
- The GEXPER Digital Platform: Developing a specialized digital platform with a public “ADAPTATION” module that helps agricultural advisers and farmers select the best-adapted plant materials for specific geographic locations.
- Free Public Guides and Resources: Translating research insights into a free public guide on vegetable varieties, helping farmers transition to climate-resilient crops.
- Community Seed Access and Urban Gardens: Supporting grassroots initiatives like the “Libraries and Seeds” project, making native seeds freely accessible to urban and rural gardeners to promote widespread cultivation.