Summer school of 2026: “Conservation Agriculture in Mediterranean Systems in a Climate Change Scenario”

From 27^th – 29^th of April 2026, a second Summer School on “Conservation Agriculture in Mediterranean Systems in a Climate Change Scenario” was organized by Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária, I. P. (INIAV).

Due to the high amount of applications to the 1st Summer School in 2025, this 3-day event was again organised in Elvas (Portugal).

Theme

The traditional agricultural system of Southern Europe is close to the objectives of Agroecology in terms of sustainability, adaptation to climatic and soil conditions and respect for biodiversity. In these systems, breeding programs are aimed at creating materials adapted to the production method. Conservation Agriculture is therefore a relevant instrument for sustainability and Agroecology. The Mediterranean is also a region in the front line to be affected by Climate Change. This issue will also be addressed in this Summer School.

Who can participate?

Participants will include farmers, advisors, researchers and other stakeholders willing to learn and share their experience and good practices in the field of agroecology, from EU member states and associated and candidate countries. (NOTE: Only candidates with a citizenship from an EU Member State or an Associate Country OR citizens from other countries BUT working in an EU MS or AC are eligible. All other applicants will not be accepted).

Why should you participate?

This Summer School offers an immersive experience combining expert-led lectures, practice-focused discussions, and hands-on farm visits. Participants will be able to share their experience and also gain knowledge into applied research, real-world farming applications, and the challenges and opportunities of Agroecology in Southern Europe. Whether you're a farmer, researcher, or professional, this course will equip you with the knowledge and connections needed to drive the agroecological transition forward.

Selection criteria

A dedicated team of experts will review the quality of the applications. Each application will be evaluated against following criteria:

Motivation: Explain your motivation for participating in this Summer School, including your expectations, why you want to take part, but also how the group may benefit from your participation, and what your contribution might be.
Benefit for your professional activities: To what extend will this Summer School be important for your professional activity.
Practical experience: For example, if you are a farmer/practitioner, you should describe your practical experience on the farm, related to the topic. Are you applying solutions or best practices on the topic? Are you facing any specific challenges? If you have another profile, for example if you are a researcher or advisor, you should highlight how your work or experience supports practitioners in the field, or how your work is relevant for gaining practical experience on the topic.
Involvement in innovative projects: Are you involved in innovative projects related to the topic? Are you facing any specific challenges?

Balacing criteria

The group selected to participate in the Summer School will be based on the selection criteria, but also taking into account a balance in the areas of expertise, professional profile, geographical and gender balance.

Event format

Keynote lectures by experts in the field
Brainstorming sessions
Field visits to local farms

Click here for a detailed overview of the program.

Speakers

António Cordeiro (INIAV) - Mediterranean agricultural systems

Gabriela Cruz and Ana Paiva Brandão (APOSOLO) - Portuguese Association for Conservation Tillage

Gottlieb Basch (University of Évora) - Conservation agriculture

Graça Pereira (INIAV) - Grain legumes

José Potes (Farmer) - Mediterranean Agro-Silvo-Pastoral Systems - field visit

Luis Alcino Conceição - Visit to farms and experimental plots - field visit

Marta Barradas (SONAE MC) - Agroecology program - A retailer's view

Paula Scotti and José Semedo (INIAV) - Ecophysiological tools for Agroecology

Rita Costa (INIAV) - Winter cereals

Teresa Carita and Nuno Simões (INIAV) - Forage and pastures species (presentation of Carita / Simões)

Víctor Rolo Romero (Universidad de Extremadura) - Nature-Based Solutions for a Changing Climate: The potential of agroecology

Target applicants

This Summer School is mostly directed to researchers, farmers, agriculture consultants, ecologists, policy makers and related positions. Maximum 24 applicants will be selected.

Summer School attendance is free. Expenses for classes, field trips, accommodation, transport and meals are covered by the Partnership. However, the travelling to and from the Lisbon airport (or to and from Elvas if you are closer to Elvas than to Lisbon) is not covered and must be arranged by the participants.

Timeline of the call

Outcome

The 2nd edition Summer School involved 20 candidates from 8 different countries (DE, GR, HU, IT, LT, PT, RO, ES, GB, UA); 13 expert speakers from Portugal, Spain and Germany; 6 host guides for the field trips; 3 drivers and 12 members of INIAV in the organizing team.

The participants represented diverse backgrounds, including farmers, advisors, researchers, and policymakers. This diversity contributed to highly engaging discussions and fostered valuable opportunities for networking and collaboration.

Field trips included visits to large farms (approximately 600 ha) where participants could learn and visit pasture and cereal fields with multicrops and biodiversity; mixed exploration of trees, crops and animals; pastures adapted to Mediterranean Agriculture; intelligent management of water for irrigation; recovery of endangered breed of cattle (e.g. Mertolenga breed); drones usage for monitoring and product application, etc.

The overall feedback was highly positive.