Thyrea Living Lab: A Regenerative Agriculture Initiative in North Kynouria

Highlights from the Thyrea Living Lab workshops

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People working together

Last weekend, on February 8th and 9th, the Thyrea Living Lab successfully took place in Xiropigado, North Kynouria, as part of the European project GOV4ALL. The event brought together local farmers, researchers, policymakers, and community members to explore solutions for soil restoration and rural sustainability.

What is GOV4ALL?

People working together

GOV4ALL is an EU-funded Horizon project that fosters sustainable agricultural initiatives across Europe. With five agro-innovation hubs in Greece, Spain, and France, the project aims to demonstrate that co-created systemic changes in soil management are achievable. These Living Labs put farmers and rural communities at the heart of soil health restoration efforts. The initiative is supported by 35 partners from Austria, Greece, France, Spain, and the Netherlands, with 12 Greek partners actively involved.

Thyrea Living Lab: A Historical and Environmental Context

North Kynouria, historically known as Thyreatis, spans 577 km², covering a diverse landscape of forests, grasslands, olive groves, and vineyards. Despite its rich biodiversity, the region faces pressing agricultural challenges, including poor fruit fly management, water scarcity, extreme weather events, and harmful soil practices that have led to severe erosion and loss of soil fertility.

The GOV4ALL initiative, through the Thyrea Living Lab, engages a dynamic grassroots community led by Meraki People (MRK), an organization involved in global open-science movements like the MIT Media Lab-led Global Community Bio Summit. The lab’s leaders, with a strong entrepreneurial mindset, are committed to implementing regenerative agriculture, agroforestry, and eco-scaping initiatives to revitalize the region.

Contact:

Living Lab ambassador Christiana Gardikioti, MRK. Email: crisgar@otenet.gr

The Thyrea Living Lab Event

The two-day event was organized by local GOV4ALL partners, including:

The workshops focused on mapping the land, people, and challenges of North Kynouria, while exploring soil restoration techniques that can boost agricultural income and empower local communities. The overarching goal is to enhance the region’s resilience against climate change, desertification, and economic decline.

Key Takeaways from the Thyrea Living Lab Event

The workshops focused on soil restoration strategies to enhance agricultural income and strengthen local communities. The goal is to make North Kynouria more resilient to climate change, desertification, and economic challenges. Participants explored solutions for preventing soil erosion, improving water retention, fostering biodiversity, and transitioning to organic fertilizers.

A particularly insightful panel discussion took place among local farmers, who shared their experiences with best practices, discussing both the advantages and challenges they face in adopting sustainable farming methods. Their firsthand accounts provided valuable insights into the real-world applications of regenerative agriculture and the barriers to widespread adoption.

Distinguished guests who honored the event and addressed the audience included the Mayor of North Kynouria, Mr. G. Kampylis, the Deputy Mayor and Head of the Primary Sector, Mr. P. Kampourolias, the President of Xyropigado, Mr. S. Tsioulos, the Vice President of the Chamber of Commerce, Mr. N. Totsis, the President and members of the Doliana Cooperative, and their financial consultants, Mr. G. Poulimenos and Mr. A. Barlas. Farmers from Ilia and Messinia, cooperatives, and social enterprises also participated, alongside academic speakers from leading universities.

A Collective Vision for the Future

In a public statement, the event organizers expressed their gratitude and vision:

“We hope that through your participation, we can inspire and support professional farmers in North Kynouria, the Peloponnese, and across Greece. By introducing new regenerative practices, knowledge, and experiences, we aim to positively impact local communities and encourage the adoption of environmentally sustainable farming. Together, we can move away from harmful conventional practices and create regenerative, productive, economic, environmental, and cultural hubs of prosperity.”

The Thyrea Living Lab marked a significant step toward fostering a more sustainable agricultural model, proving that collaboration between local communities, researchers, and policymakers can pave the way for a greener and more resilient future.

Stay connected for more updates and future events!