On 19 September 2025, the Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, International Agricultural Research and Training Center (UTAEM), successfully hosted the first PRIMA NexusLabs regional meeting in the Turkish living lab gathering almost 40 representatives from the agricultural, water, and environmental sectors of the region. The event provided the opportunity for fruitful dialogue and it is the first of a set of regional meetings which aim to strengthen collaboration among partners and stakeholders in an effort to create a bridge between knowledge and work on the ground.
Regional meetings will be regularly organised every six months as the main platform that will ensure a continuous collaboration and co-creation between partners and stakeholders, a core element of the project’s objective.
The Menemen Pilot in Türkiye
Located in Türkiye’s Menemen plain, the living lab focuses on demonstrating practical, sustainable solutions that address pressing challenges in water and soil management. Menemen plains are fed by the Demirköprü Dam, Gediz River, and groundwater reserves for agricultural irrigation operations through open-channel irrigation systems. However, the Living Lab as a pilot site includes olive groves and rotational field crops such as wheat, maize and legumes supported with smart irrigation system. It is divided into two sub-labs — one focused on soil, the other on water — working to tackle issues such as water scarcity, excessive use of water, intensive agriculture, chemical fertilizer use and soil tillage intensively to name but a few.
Advancing Innovative Nexus Solutions Through Knowledge Exchange
Participants engaged in interactive group discussions, examining challenges in their pilot area, assessing their impacts, and identifying barriers and opportunities for Nature-based Solutions. Adding international perspective, five experts from Spain and Tunisia joined as project coordinators and partners, providing technical insights and sharing best practices from across the Mediterranean.
Within the framework of the PRIMA NexusLabs Project, a range of cutting-edge Nexus solutions will be implemented in Türkiye’s Living Lab to promote sustainable and climate-resilient agriculture. These innovative measures bridge water, soil, and ecosystem management — turning research into real impact on the ground. Key solutions include:
- Smart irrigation systems – optimizing water use and improving efficiency in response to growing scarcity.
- Olive mill wastewater reuse – introducing a treatment and repurposing olive mill wastewater as an alternative irrigation source.
- Conservation tillage methods – enhancing soil health and increasing carbon sequestration.
- Agro-ecological practices – applying microbial fertilization, crop rotation, intercropping, and mulching to restore soil fertility and biodiversity.
- Advanced monitoring tools – deploying meteorological and micro-meteorological systems to provide real-time data for smarter decision-making.
Together, these integrated solutions aim to enhance water efficiency, restore soil quality, and support sustainable food production, contributing to a more resilient Mediterranean agricultural landscape.
After the meeting, a separate field visit was organized with the Project team at UTAEM’s demo site, which is 5.1 ha area in total, dedicated to the Living Lab concept.
Activities are advancing at Türkiye’s Living Lab at all levels. The team will soon finish setting up the demonstration area while capacity building trainings on practices and Nature-based Solutions to farmers are being prepared for the first irrigation season next summer. At the Menemen Plain, key topics that will be emphasized include contribution on soil and water conservation, alternative water-saving methods and complementary practices for carbon sequestration.