Despite growing awareness of complex challenges such as climate change and the alarming depletion of water resources, agricultural systems are still often managed by addressing water, energy, and food production issues in isolation—overlooking the deep interconnections between these elements.

As agricultural water demand increases, there is an urgent need to move beyond this siloed approach and foster innovation by integrating technological solutions and Nature-based Solutions (NbS).
Engaging all relevant stakeholders—public authorities, farmers, citizens, and companies—in collaborative efforts is essential to break down institutional and behavioural barriers and build more sustainable and resilient agricultural systems.

The NexusLabs project aims to test innovative solutions based on the integrated Water–Energy–Food–Ecosystems (WEFE) Nexus approach to tackle the complexity of agricultural challenges.

Demonstration activities will be carried out in so-called Living Labs located across the Mediterranean basin, with the goal of generating tangible evidence of impact and laying the groundwork for the scaling and replication of solutions in diverse contexts.
Stakeholder engagement is central to the project: farmers, authorities, and businesses will work together to identify practical needs, co-design solutions, and uncover the economic, social, and institutional barriers that hinder change.

Etifor contributes to the project through a two-fold approach that combines robust analysis with strategic planning.

First, we lead a Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) process to evaluate and prioritise innovative technologies and strategies. This analysis considers multiple dimensions—economic (e.g. life cycle costing), environmental, and social sustainability—while integrating stakeholders’ preferences to ensure relevant and high-impact solutions.

Second, we are responsible for developing tailored business models and a framework for scaling the tested solutions. The strategy includes:

• Scaling Out, by replicating pilot initiatives in new sites across the Living Labs;

• Scaling Up, by promoting knowledge exchange among farmers and other stakeholders to overcome barriers and support adoption of new tools;

• Scaling Deep, by co-creating a shared vision for the Living Lab areas and fostering a long-term cultural shift in values and practices to embed innovation into local systems.