Explore ten FrontAg Nexus demonstration cases testing climate-smart agricultural solutions across the Mediterranean. The catalogue presents real-world applications of aquaponics, hydroponics, vertical farming, insect farming and agrophotovoltaics, highlighting their contribution to more resource-efficient, resilient and locally adapted food production.
Black Soldier Fly (BSF) scientifically named as Hermertia illucens is a common insect of the family Stratiomyidae that prefers to live in marshy areas with high humidity in their natural habitat. Black Soldier Fly Larvae are voracious decomposers, capable of breaking down a wider range of organic materials.
The use of insects as food for humans and as feed for livestock is increasingly acknowledged as a viable strategy to enhance food security while reducing environmental pressures. From a nutritional perspective, entomophagy is not a recent phenomenon but rather a long-standing practice in many cultures.
Aquaponics is a sustainable agricultural practice that integrates aquaculture (fish farming) and hydroponics (growing plants without soil). This symbiotic system allows for the efficient production of both fish and plants, where the fish waste provides essential nutrients for plant growth, and the plants, in turn, help purify the water for the fish. However, while aquaponics offers numerous environmental and economic benefits, it also presents challenges, particularly in the management of fish sludge.
Insect farming requires low production inputs therefore representing an important opportunity, given the prospect of a growing world population and a simultaneous reduction in available resources. In Europe, being a so-called “Novel Food” (Regulation (EU) 2015/2283), legislation to regulate the production and consumption of insects, both for human and animal diet, has been taking first steps in recent years. At this current stage, human and animal consumption of some insect species has been approved by the European Commission, opening to a promising future increase of consumption.
Indoor cultivation systems can be particularly versatile for any type of environment, from the hottest to the coldest, allowing you to control all the environmental parameters necessary for the development of a plant, such as light, temperatures and relative humidity.
The FrontAg Nexus project demonstrates an optimized Agrivoltaic (AgriPV) system in Taşarası (Havran district, Türkiye) that harmonizes solar electricity generation with crop cultivation. The 14.04 kWp pilot system utilizes high-efficiency bifacial TOPCon PV modules elevated 3.5 meters above the ground. By arranging the modules in an east-west oriented (21° tilt), checkerboard layout, the system creates an optimal microclimate for shade-tolerant leafy crops (lettuce, spinach, arugula) growing directly beneath the panels.
The FrontAg Nexus project investigated the small-scale rearing of Galleria mellonella (wax moth) larvae as a valuable, protein- and fat-rich feed ingredient, using alternative diets based on food-industry waste streams. Food-industry by-products can be adopted as alternative ingredients to replace components of the conventional Galleria mellonella diet, in line with circular economy principles. This approach not only reduces production costs of the rearing but also alleviates pressure on urban waste management systems.
The FrontAg Nexus project showcases UM6P trapezoidal closed loop hydroponic systems demo site. This soilless cultivation method offers precise control over nutrient delivery and water use, enabling significant resource optimization.
Traditional agricultural practices in the Mediterranean often generate significant waste and suffer from inefficient resource management, leading to environmental pollution and lost economic value. Addressing