Andrea Abad Bartolomé, founder of Terra Viva Ibiza, has been recognized with the 2025 PRIMA Award for Women Greening Food Systems in the Mediterranean. Her work provides an inspiring model for the kind of agricultural transformation CIRQUA aims to support across the Mediterranean region.
Facing challenges that mirror those across Mediterranean farmland – 90% land abandonment in Ibiza, intensifying droughts, and declining soil moisture retention – Bartolomé’s team developed practical, farmer-centered solutions aligned with CIRQUA’s objectives:
Open Ceres: Open-Source Smart Irrigation
The team developed an open-source precision irrigation platform that integrates soil moisture sensors with user-friendly decision support. Results speak for themselves:
Over 60% reduction in summer/autumn irrigation
100% winter irrigation savings
Real-time cost and water savings calculations
TerraCert: Competency-Based Farmer Education
An Erasmus+ project providing micro-credential training in regenerative practices, agroforestry, microbiology, and sustainable business practices – building the skills base for Mediterranean agriculture’s transition.
Community Collaboration
Through the Organic Farmers’ Association of Ibiza, the project strengthens farmer networks for knowledge exchange and collective advocacy.
This success story demonstrates how combining IoT-enabled smart irrigation, regenerative practices, and farmer education can address the Mediterranean’s water and food security challenges. CIRQUA’s pilot sites are working toward similar integrated approaches, validating nature-based solutions while developing the monitoring and decision-support tools farmers need.
