Demonstration Fields / Living Labs in Action

Located at the cooperative farm “La Generale” in Genzano di Lucania (PZ, 12 ha), this site represents the first CoolFarmLab demonstration field and lighthouse platform for agroecological experimentation in Mediterranean cereal systems. The field compares a conventional system based on durum wheat, deep tillage, uniform fertilization and standard plant protection, with an agroecological system built on wider crop rotations, minimum tillage, residue return and reduced, site-specific inputs. The agroecological rotation includes durum wheat, lentil, rapeseed and mugwort, together with intercropping solutions such as durum wheat–vetch and additional wheat–lentil and wheat–faba bean trials, aimed at increasing biodiversity, improving soil functioning and enhancing yield stability. 

The Experimental Farm “E. Pantanelli” in Policoro (MT) hosts the second CoolFarmLab demonstration field, where the crop diversification strategies developed at Genzano are being validated under farm-scale conditions. The experimental area, established on 6 ha from January 2026, compares local conventional wheat-based systems with agroecological rotations including lentil, chickpea, rapeseed, coriander and barley-based intercropping mixtures. Alongside the agronomic comparison between conventional and agroecological management, Pantanelli also functions as a Living Lab site, supporting field demonstrations, farmer-oriented activities and stakeholder engagement for the co-creation and transfer of agroecological practices.

The first CoolFarmLab Living Lab on the Mediterranean cereal system was held on 14 November 2025 at the University of Basilicata and was organised by the UNIBAS–UNIBA research group. This first meeting was designed to open the co-creation process by bringing together stakeholders from across the cereal value chain to discuss the main critical issues affecting the sector, explore their underlying causes, and identify the main research and innovation needs for the agroecological transition

The second CoolFarmLab Living Lab on the Mediterranean cereal system was held on 14 April 2026 at the Matera Campus of the University of Basilicata and was organised by the UNIBAS–UNIBA research group. Building on the first meeting, this second event had a more operational focus and was aimed at identifying priority actions, discussing pilot activities, and selecting innovations and technical solutions that could be further validated, observed, or tested in the following phases of the project.