HORIZON-CL6-2027-02-FARM2FORK-02-two-stage: Climate-Resilient Crops and Agroecological Practices for African Smallholder Farming

Our research group at Çukurova University, Türkiye, offers extensive experience in sustainable crop production, agroecology and biomass valorisation under semi-arid Mediterranean conditions. Our expertise combines climate-resilient crops, diversified cropping systems, irrigation and fertilisation management, and the agricultural use of organic residues, compost and biogas digestate.

We can contribute to integrated approaches that improve water, nutrient and energy use efficiency while supporting food and feed security. Our diverse germplasm resources, including sorghum, guar, soybean, teff and perennial forage grasses, provide opportunities to identify locally adapted crops and complementary crop combinations. We are particularly interested in connecting legume–cereal and legume–grass intercropping with organic nutrient recycling and the sustainable use of crop residues for bioenergy.

We are particularly interested in contributing to:

• Evaluation of crop and genotype performance under contrasting water and nutrient availability, including drought and low-input conditions

• Testing intercropping, rotations, cover crops and organic amendments to improve productivity, soil health and resource use efficiency

• Agronomic assessment of compost and digestate as nutrient sources, including their potential to reduce mineral fertiliser requirements

• Characterisation of crop biomass and residues for forage, biogas and other bioenergy pathways, considering competing uses and soil organic matter needs

• Generation of field data on crop outputs and water, fertiliser and energy inputs to support resource balances, environmental assessments and economic feasibility analyses

We are open to collaborating with African research institutions, farmer organisations, advisers and businesses to co-develop and test practical solutions for smallholder farming. We can contribute germplasm characterisation, experimental protocols and comparative Mediterranean field evidence, while working with African partners to adapt and validate approaches across contrasting agro-ecosystems. We welcome mutual learning that integrates local knowledge with agronomic research and supports affordable, biodiversity-friendly and circular farming practices.