The three year project is funded by the Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area (PRIMA) and the EU Horizon Europe Programme.

Funding period: July 2025 - June 2028

SCALARE aims at co-developing a comprehensive innovation ecosystem for advancing agroforestry land management systems in the Mediterranean. The framework will enable holistic co-assessment with relevant stakeholders of the opportunities offered by innovative agroforestry systems (e.g., diversified food production, adaptation and resilience, carbon sequestration, enhanced soil productivity, and improved water retention), while co-identifying options for scalability. It will also consider potential benefits from existing agricultural value chains, ecosystem services financing, and participation in carbon projects. 

In particular, the project will follow a Living Lab (LL) approach, with LLs being established in Egypt, Italy, Spain, and Tunisia. The LLs include demonstration sites on improved agroforestry systems. The impacts of these novel approaches will be evaluated using a comprehensive set of indicators covering environmental, economic, and social dimensions. Unique and effective training materials and expert systems will be designed to inform practitioners about best practices.

The project will co-develop suitable business cases for selected agroforestry systems, building on the co-identification of adoption barriers and financing opportunities offered by green commodities markets, as well as on farmers’ willingness to produce and consumers’ willingness to purchase agroforestry products. 

TUM-PuR will be responsible for the overall coordination of the project and the development of business models.