On April 11, 2023, a delegation led by His Excellency, Mr Mohammed Sadiki, Minister of Agriculture, Water and Forests of Morocco, visited the Marchouch Experimental station of INRA and ICARDA, Morocco. The delegation included the Governor of the Province of Khémisset, Director of INRA-Morocco, professionals, elected officials, and a large group of Ministry officials.

A Winter Camelina Field Workshop was held on the 10th of March at the Agriculture Experimental Station Dłoń, located in Poland by our partner PULS. The main objective of the workshop was to present the winter camelina in field conditions, focusing on crop growth and productivity. The scientific staff of the Carina project led discussions on the most important issues related to agrotechnical treatments in camelina cultivation to local farmers. Talks on performed and future agrotechnical treatments were found to be very interesting for workshop participants.

On-farm demonstration trial of camelina was successfully planted in the Rammani region of Morocco on 13-Dec-2022 using locally available seeders. This marks a significant step forward for farmers in the region who are looking to diversify their crops and improve yields

Milano, 15.02.2023 – At the “Circular Bioeconomy Conference: Enabling Sustainability and Resilience”, attendees from 7 partner organizations and 4 European countries met to unfold the potential of hemp as a promising biomass for circular and bio-based applications. The conference was organized by HempClub, a COSME-funded European project and coordinated by the Lombardy Green Chemistry Association. The event was held on 14. February 2023 at the University of Milano-Bicocca. Participants had the opportunity to learn also about the CARINA project. 

The Carinata Biomaterials Summit is an annual event that brings together thought leaders from industry, government, and academia to explore the role of biofuels and other bioproducts in a carbon economy. This year’s summit to be held on 14.-15. March 2023 promises to be an engaging and informative event, with a dynamic interdisciplinary space of thoughtful and purposeful discussion.

Partners Collaborate to Design Sustainable Cropping System with Camelina and B Carinata In an exciting two-day workshop held in Paris, the Camelina Company and Nuseed Carinata partnered with farmers to co-design a cropping system that includes camelina and B carinata. With the help of ARVALIS – Institut du végétal team members Clotilde Rouillon and Loïc Viguier, the participants discussed a methodology that can be adapted to suit farmer’s habits and behaviors in different countries.

In collaboration with a highly experienced team of partners, on 24th of November 2022 in Bologna, Italy, we have announced the launch of the “CARINA: CARinata and CamelINA to boost sustainable diversification in EU farming systems” project. This initiative, funded by the European Commission under its Horizon Europe programme (HORIZON-CL6-2022-CIRCBIO-01-04), marks a significant step towards revolutionizing European agriculture.

At the heart of CARINA are two novel oilseed crops, carinata and camelina, uniquely positioned to provide low iLUC feedstocks for the bio-based economy. Their adaptability allows successful cultivation across Europe and northern Africa. Extracting high-quality oils from these crops opens doors to innovative bio-based products, including bioherbicides and bioplastics. The project strategically plans to capitalize on the co-product – a protein-rich cake – as animal feed, alongside numerous high-value products derived from mucilage and glucosinolates.

CARINA aims to achieve specific objectives by October 2026:

Identify and promote innovative, diversified, and sustainable farming systems.

Produce innovative biochemicals (monomers and polymers) from camelina and carinata.

Provide policy recommendations to encourage sustainable agricultural systems for the bioeconomy.

Evaluate economic profitability and environmental impacts associated with new cropping systems.

Showcase the replicability potential of CARINA systems across Europe.

Promote awareness along the value chain through direct engagement in social innovation.

The project envisions establishing 9 lighthouses, 5 living labs, and 9 policy innovation labs in Europe to drive project activities and findings. Collaboration of over 20 partners from 13 European and associated countries is aiming to bring social innovation to 3 million farmers.

CARINA is set to be a game-changer, steering European agriculture towards a sustainable and diversified future.