Future-proofing the Mediterranean agri-food chain through integrated and circular management of contaminant-safe water, nutrients and bioresources
This project is part of the PRIMA Programme supported by the European Union.
- MedInCircle
- MedInCircle
- MedInCircle
- MedInCircle
- MedInCircle
- MedInCircle
CHALLENGES
Due to the asynchronicity existing between maximum water availability and maximum solar irradiance, the Mediterranean climate requires large volumes of irrigation water. As a matter of fact, water usage in agriculture already accounts for about 85% of the total water withdrawals in most of the Mediterranean countries. Moreover, through the production of drainage water, agriculture represents the world’s largest source of wastewater, causing the contamination of underground aquifers and surface water bodies by means of nutrients, potentially toxic metals, pathogens, salts, pesticides and other emerging organic micropollutants.
CHALLENGE 1: Water scarcity💧
Due to the asynchronicity existing between maximum water availability and maximum solar irradiance, the Mediterranean climate requires large volumes of irrigation water. As a matter of fact, water usage in agriculture already accounts for about 85% of the total water withdrawals in most of the Mediterranean countries. Moreover, through the production of drainage water, agriculture represents the world’s largest source of wastewater, causing the contamination of underground aquifers and surface water bodies by means of nutrients, potentially toxic metals, pathogens, salts, pesticides and other emerging organic micropollutants.
CHALLENGE 2: Social and climate dynamics 🌍
Water scarcity issues are set to exacerbate further as population keeps growing and diets keep shifting towards more resource-intensive aliments. It has been forecasted that food production will need to increase by 60% and agricultural water use by 40% to nourish a global population of 10 billion people by 2050. Moreover, due to climate change, the per capita water availability in about two thirds of the Mediterranean economies will likely be less than 200 m3 per year by 2040-2050. This figure is astonishing if compared with the annual European average of 3500 m3, and with the fact that values below 500 m3 indicate severe water scarcity conditions
CHALLENGE 3: Nitrogen and phosphorus cycles 🌱
Together with water, nutrient supply is the other main factor affecting agricultural production. The establishment of more sustainable fertilizing practices mainly aims at avoiding that the high losses of reactive nitrogen (N) species, occurring due to the low N use efficiency of crops (less than 50%), impact the surrounding ecosystem through the so-called N-cascade. In the Mediterranean context, the nitrate (NO3-) leaching into the soil and the consequent contamination and eutrophication of water bodies are of particularly high concern due to the intensive irrigation and over-fertilization practices, often implemented to sustain high crop yields. Similarly, excess application of phosphorus (P) for animal feed and crop production is altering the global P cycle, leading to P accumulation in many soils around the world.
CHALLENGE 4: Enable drainage water reuse in agriculture 🔄
Among the options to improve the water and nutrient management of agriculture, the reuse of drainage water stands out as a promising alternative, as it avoids the depletion of water resources and the use of chemical fertilizers, as well as the contamination of the surrounding hydrosphere. The reuse of agricultural drainage water, which is collected at the low end of furrows or in dedicated networks of canals, can in fact save up to 50% of the water used in surface irrigation systems. Nevertheless, this practice is hindered by the high content of salt, nutrients, pesticides, and other organic contaminants in the drainage water, while the implementation of innovative water treatment technologies to make the reuse feasible is hampered by the lack of vision and the need to pursue short-term profit by most of the agricultural stakeholders.
CHALLENGE 5: Unlock circular agri-food practices ♻️
In addition to the possibilities offered by the direct reuse of drainage water, a plethora of yet unexplored opportunities exist in the context of the Mediterranean agri-food industry. The large flows of wastewater and agri-food residues generated, if appropriately treated, managed, and reused, could substantially improve the environmental performances of the whole agricultural compartment by providing a source of locally-produced and renewable water and nutrients.
