The 2nd Prima NexusLabs Plenary Meeting took place at the premises of the Bibliothèque universitaire de l’Université Cadi Ayyad in Marrakech, Morocco, in November 11. It brought together researchers, farmers, and partners to drive sustainable, locally led solutions for some of the region’s most pressing challenges.
During the meeting, partners shared updates in implementing state-of-the-art holistic solutions in their respective Living Labs together with local stakeholders.
Morocco is now in its 8th consecutive year of drought, making sustainable irrigation solutions more urgent than ever. The meeting offered a unique opportunity to engage with local farmers, understand their challenges, and explore how NexusLabs innovations can help save water and energy while improving farm profitability.
The three-day event, hosted by Université Cadi Ayyad, followed a rich agenda that combined plenary sessions and breakout discussions, covering all aspects of the project’s work packages (WPs) and Living Labs initiatives. Participants visited the Mansouri farm in the outskirts of Marrakech, a leading member of the Morocco Living Lab and spoke with the local manager who explained the water shortages that they are experiencing in irrigating the olive trees in the farm.
The NexusLabs community left Marrakech with a clear timeline on next steps how to implement locally impactful solutions that address water scarcity, improve energy efficiency, and strengthen the sustainability of agriculture throughout the nine Living Labs in the Mediterranean.
