From 29 June to 3 July 2026, the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Montpellier (CIHEAM Montpellier), partner of the NPP-SOL project, organised and hosted the IFSA 2026 Conference of the International Farming Systems Association in Montpellier, France.
Under the theme “Farming and Agri-Food Systems dynamics: facing crises and trade-offs in transition pathways“, the conference brought together an international audience of researchers, young researchers and academic institutions. Discussions addressed how farming systems can be strengthened and reconfigured to withstand external shocks while advancing ecological, social and economic sustainability. Topics ranged from transformative change and capacity development to food production, consumption and the water–energy–food–ecosystems nexus.
Members of the NPP-SOL team at CIHEAM Montpellier played a leading role in the event: Hatem Belhouchette co-chaired the IFSA Steering Committee and Zaynab Khannafer contributed to the organisation of the conference.
These themes are closely linked to CIHEAM Montpellier’s work in NPP-SOL, where the team is developing a bioeconomic framework to assess nitrogen and irrigation strategies in Mediterranean maize-based farming systems in Italy and Spain. The aim is to identify options that reduce nitrogen losses to water and the atmosphere while remaining economically viable for farmers.
NPP-SOL is part of the PRIMA Programme supported by the European Union.
More info on the event: https://ifsa2026.sciencesconf.org/resource/page/id/40)