NEWS: Development of sustainable ecological solutions for soil management and protection by the Chamber of Aetoloakarnania and the University of Patras in the framework of the 3rd Agri-Food Conference “Agrown 2025” and the ECOBASE IPA-ADRION project
The Chamber of Aetoloakarnania in collaboration with the University of Patras presented the ECOBASE project, in the context of the 3rd Agri-Food Conference & Exhibition AGROWN 2025, highlighting the need to develop methods, strategic solutions and innovative tools to support a greener, sustainable and climate change-resilient Adriatic-Ionian Macro-Region.
As the Knowledge partner of the session, the Chamber of Aetoloakarnania highlighted the problem of soil degradation that has taken on global dimensions, causing great concern as the soil is the basic ecosystem related to food production, energy, water purification, sectors directly related to humans that affect them on a social, economic, environmental level. Consequently, designing strategies based on ecological solutions and tools keeping in mind sustainability and supporting a greener and more climate-resilient Macro-Region is a necessity.
The discussion was moderated by Konstantinos Nastoulis, Head of Business Consulting Support of the Chamber of Aetoloakarnania, who referred to the importance of implementing development conferences aimed at supporting the primary and agri-food sector, a sector in which as a prefecture we have a huge comparative advantage, and we hope through initiatives like AGROWN to develop even more.
Andreas Filias, Deputy Regional Governor for Rural Development of the Region of Western Greece stressed the need for collaborations of the so-called quadruple helix so that the results deriving from transnational projects can become strategic and implemented policies for the benefit of the agricultural world, the economy, the competitiveness of businesses and the protection of the environment.
The next speakers presented the ECOBASE project, which is supported by the Interreg IPA ADRION programme, and which seeks to address soil degradation, promote sustainable regional development, environmental sustainability and biodiversity, contributing to improving the quality and safety of agricultural products by providing innovative tools for policymakers, agri-food entrepreneurs and farmers.
Pantelis Barouchas, Associate Professor of the Department of Agriculture, University of Patras and lead partner of the project, presenting and specifying its goals and objectives as well as its results, stressed that it must be understood that soil degradation is an important problem worldwide that affects the environment, the standard of living of people, the social structure and certainly the economy and entrepreneurship. He stressed the need for the adoption of immediate strategies and tools for sustainable soil management and the development of multi-annual soil management plans for a sustainable and sustainable future in agriculture and the agri-food sector.
Georgios Robolas, project manager on behalf of the Chamber of Aetoloakarnania , presenting the role of the Chamber in the project, referred to its planned activities, analyzed the deliverables, the implementation of actions so far and its next steps, stressed that all project partners hope that its results will directly benefit the interested land operators, promoting the long-term, sustainable regional development and competitiveness, offering a significant impact on the economy, society and the environment, increasing business opportunities, ensuring environmental sustainability and biodiversity, improving soil health, pollution levels, preventing future contamination.
The ECOBASE project is an absolute innovation for sustainable soil management in the context of the broader EUSAIR strategy in the Adriatic-Ionian Macro-Region (ADRION) region and a preliminary step towards the future development of multiannual soil management plans.
For more information, please refer to the official website of the project https://ecobase.interreg-ipa-adrion.eu/
