The Tarquinia plain in central Italy is now a key testbed for agroecological innovation within the PRIMA NexusLabs project. Led by CREA Ricerca, the Tarquinia Living Lab focuses on improving soil quality and water retention, integrating Nature-based Solutions (NbS), and strengthening skills and offering hands on training.
Implementation in the pilot fields is already underway. On 10 October preparations for the new growing season started with a key NbS action: enriching vineyard soils with organic manure, laying the groundwork for a more resilient and sustainable production cycle.
The Tarquinia Living Lab, Central Italy
The area, faces significant challenges such as current and projected water scarcity in both qualitative and quantitative terms, competition for water resources between agriculture and recreation, diffuse nitrate pollution and a weakly defined governance framework, against a backdrop of increasing extreme weather events.
On 7 October 2025, CREA Ricerca hosted the first Regional Meeting of the Tarquinia Living Lab, bringing together farmers, consultants, students, researchers, municipalities and water authorities. Discussions focused on how to move from knowledge to practice, overcome barriers to sustainable agriculture, and apply NbS to support the Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems (WEFE) Nexus. During the meeting, stakeholders, with previous experience in data collection and dissemination through their participation in the EU FATIMA and LENSES projects implemented in the region, shared their perspectives on key challenges, the impacts of Nature-based Solutions (NbS), and barriers to adopting new practices.
The event brought together farmers, consultants, students, and researchers of the Tarquinia Living Lab.
Tarquinia is one of nine Mediterranean Living Labs across six countries testing and scaling integrated solutions for irrigated agriculture. Through co-design with local stakeholders, NexusLabs aims to turn proven innovations into practical, widely adopted responses to today’s climate and resource challenges.
