The overarching aim of the AWARE project is to tackle the sustainability challenges affecting European food security. Climate change, societal shifts, and economic transformations have significantly affected the availability and accessibility of healthy and nutritious food. In response, the consortium members of the AWARE-project are committed to enhancing the resilience and adaptability of food production systems, aligning with the EU farm-to-fork strategy and empowering farmers with innovative tools to achieve improved environmental outcomes and strengthen their position within the supply chain.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned goals, a pilot plant will be set up in Castellana (Italy), where various research experiments will be carried out. The main question is whether treated regional wastewater can be reused for the production of plants and fish for human consumption.

In addition to ensuring optimal growth and health conditions for animals and plants in aquaponics, other goals of the cooperative project are:

• Engaging Policy and Regulatory Stakeholders - collaboration with policy and regulatory stakeholders to support and facilitate favourable conditions for aquaculture farmers. This can create an enabling environment that fosters growth, innovation and sustainability within the industry
• Enhancing visibility and traceability of research to increase confidence in the quality and sustainability of fish and plant products
• To provide relevant information on the safety and quality of the different production steps, sustainability aspects, as well as acceptance by the end customers.