A resilience strategy with the implementation of four innovations - technical, organisational, and institutional

The French demonstration site is structured around the implementation of four innovations and one cross-cutting project, detailed below:

1. Supporting Water and Soil Management on Farms

Farmers in the region face different challenges regarding access to water and its efficient use for crop production. In view of climate projections and the challenging economic situation facing the agricultural sector, it is important to support the implementation of different approaches to soil water management. An experimental monitoring programme, supported by soil moisture sensors developed by HSTI France, a project partner, has been launched on pilot plots with three groups of farmers: a group of irrigating winegrowers in the lower plain, with the aim of reducing the quantities of water used; a group of non-irrigating winegrowers, testing cover crops to protect soils and promote water infiltration; and a group exploring diversification into perennial crops (olive trees, pistachios and carob trees), with the aim of reducing water consumption among irrigators and monitoring soil water dynamics in these new cropping systems.

2. Developing an Approach to Support Land Reorganisation for Food Crops

Local agriculture faces several challenges, including the need to diversify the food supply, which is currently extremely limited, despite the presence of project developers interested in this area. To address these challenges, it is necessary to identify synergies between the region's needs and available resources in order to support the development of food-producing crops. Workshops with agricultural development organisations will be launched in spring 2026 to develop the specifications for a decision tree designed to support project developers, whether from the private or public sector. The aim is to foster innovative and sustainable agricultural development.

3. Coordinating Water Uses at the Watershed Scale

Upstream hydroelectric activities on the Aude River and downstream water withdrawals, particularly for agricultural purposes, are not currently coordinated beyond the framework established by the Matemale Agreement. In the future, changes in the energy mix may require the hydroelectric sector to adjust the frequency and volume of water releases. These changes could affect both the environment (aquatic ecosystems, riparian woodlands, connected groundwater bodies, etc.) and agricultural activities, particularly the quantities of water available for abstraction. A modelling study of hydroelectric operations will therefore be undertaken, alongside discussions involving upstream and downstream stakeholders. The objective is to develop future water-use scenarios that take into account electricity generation, irrigation and environmental needs.

4. Supporting the Objective Assessment of Agrivoltaic Projects on Agricultural Land

The decline of winegrowing, exacerbated by the sector's economic downturn and the effects of climate change, is contributing to the emergence of abandoned agricultural land and declining farm incomes across the region. This situation is creating opportunities for agrivoltaic projects, leading to increasing pressure from the energy sector. As a result, applications to develop agrivoltaic parks are becoming more frequent. To address this issue, a collaboration with the Climate Economics Chair at INRAE was initiated between February and March 2026. The development of a decision-support tool (DST), together with surveys investigating the territorial co-benefits of agrivoltaics, will make it possible to compare the interests and perspectives of energy companies, local institutional stakeholders and citizens. This work will support the Regional Natural Park in developing an assessment framework to objectively evaluate proposals submitted by project developers.

5. Cross-Cutting Initiative to Support Innovation: Technical and Economic Modelling

The aim is to assess the economic impact of selected innovations. The first step involves modelling representative farm types as part of a final-year student internship. The findings were first presented on 24 September 2026, in the presence of several local stakeholders, including the Chamber of Agriculture, the Regional Natural Park (PNR), INRAE and farmers.