News

• The aim of the meeting is to use agricultural innovation to address the challenges of the sustainable use of water, soil and biodiversity

• The event consisted of two days with presentations, panels, working sessions in Córdoba and study visits in Jaén

The CAP Network held a series of in-person workshops in Andalusia on October 21 and 22, 2025, focusing on the sustainable management of natural resources in agricultural practices . These workshops were part of its national cycle of exchanges between Operational Groups ( OGs ) and Innovative Projects. The event brought together 67 participants at the Rectorate of the University of Córdoba and included study visits to the province of Jaén. The workshops were organized in collaboration with the ceiA3 International Agri-food Campus of Excellence.   from Andalusia, from the "Technological Center of the Olive and Oil" CITOLIVA and the University of Cordoba.

The objective was to connect agricultural agents facing similar challenges through innovation , to facilitate the transfer of results from Operational Groups and to identify possible replicable solutions in other territories, as well as to foster dialogue between projects developed within the framework of European Innovation Partnership ( EIP-AGRI ) programs.

Program

The first day included institutional presentations, thematic panels on sustainable olive grove management, regenerative agriculture, digitalization and climate advice, as well as a collaborative work dynamic.

The innovations made around the new biotechnological tools in olive and pistachio cultivation to deal with water stress situations played a leading role, along with all the experiences related to the optimization of irrigation and water use.

Likewise, other GOs shared experiences related to ecoregimes, the certification of carbon credits for the use of organic fertilizer and the use of techniques for healthy soil.

Study visits in Jaén

The second day was dedicated to field visits in the province of Jaén, where initiatives such as the following were learned about:

• LIFE Olivares Vivos and GO COOPERALIVE , focused on biodiversity and profitability of olive groves.

• GO SUBALMA , with trials of subsurface drip irrigation and the use of olive mill waste. This GO won the award in the "Mitigation and adaptation to climate change" category at the 2024 "European Innovation Awards" .

• The Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe organic farm and the Cortijo de la Virgen are being used as demonstration spaces where the LIFE Olivares Vivos and GO SUBALMA experiments are being implemented, respectively.

• The San Isidro Labrador de Canena Andalusian Cooperative Society , dedicated to the production of EVOO.

These visits provided firsthand insight into how innovative solutions are being implemented in the region, particularly those related to efficient irrigation, reinforcing the role of innovation in the transition to a more resilient, fair, and sustainable agriculture.

Cycle

This meeting is part of the National Cycle of Exchanges between Operational Groups organized by the CAP Network between May and October 2025, with the aim of fostering mutual learning, the transfer of results, and the creation of networks among rural stakeholders involved in innovation. Each session addresses a specific theme, such as precision livestock farming, plant health, valorization of by-products, viticulture, precision agriculture, or agri-food business models.

To date, conferences have been held in different locations across Spain, each one focused on a specific theme:

• Precision livestock farming – La Vega Innova , San Fernando de Henares (Madrid).

• Business models and high-value products in the food chain - Neiker Centre of Arkaute , Álava.

• Sustainable management of natural resources in agricultural practices – University of Cordoba and province of Jaen.

Each day included presentations, thematic panels, working dynamics and cross-visits for the exchange of knowledge on the ground, facilitating the connection between projects and actors of the innovative agricultural ecosystem.