Frontier agriculture systems in the Mediterranean region: current status and future opportunities

Climate change is profoundly impacting agricultural activities, with direct and indirect consequences on plants yield. Such negative impact could be particularly severe in some Mediterranean countries, where climatic changes are posing further challenges on already limited resources for agriculture. In this context, new resilient and sustainable forms of agriculture incorporating a “circular economy” model should be promoted to alleviate food security challenges. Frontier agriculture technologies (i.e., hydroponic, aquaponic, rooftop agriculture, vermiculture, insect farming, saline agriculture) can contribute to reaching this goal. The present study was developed within the framework of the PRIMA project FrontAg Nexus, aimed at establishing which frontier agricultural technologies are practiced in the Mediterranean, their technological readiness level (TRL), business readiness level (BRL), and social readiness level (SRL), costs and benefits, productive capacity, ecosystem services, sectorial polices and key performance indicators (KPIs). A systematic literature review (SLR) was developed and evidenced that research in Mediterranean countries is already focusing on the application of smart agriculture systems to ameliorate productivity and nutrition while reducing environmental impact. Spain and Italy are leading the research in Mediterranean Europe, while, across African Mediterranean countries, most research activities have been conducted in Egypt. The evaluated cultivation systems demonstrated the capacity to reuse and optimize resources, while creating income, fostering social inclusion, ensuring self-production for the household needs and creating different ecosystem benefits. Existing literature showcase examples of agricultural innovation at technical readiness level (TRL), business readiness level (BRL) and societal readiness level (SRL) in the range of 3 to 5 points. The study represents an important resource for understanding the current state of the art of frontier agriculture in the Mediterranean.