Tracing degradation patterns in Harbu: why preliminary field assessment matters
Written by Wudu Abiye In January, I travelled to Ethiopia to carry out a preliminary field survey. The aim of this visit was to gain a deeper understanding of the…
Dryland Agriculture and Land Use
Past, Present and Future Resilience
Dryland Agriculture and Land Use:
Past, Present and Future Resilience
The interest in traditional agriculture is a worldwide trend: as people reclaim their heritage, they increasingly turn to lessons learned by their ancestors about how to sustainably interact with their environment.
The Horizon Europe-Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Network AGRI-DRY aims to develop an interdisciplinary approach to traditional crop cultivation through the recognition of the complementary value of cultural heritage and sustainable living.
AGRI-DRY is a four-year Horizon Europe Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Network, funded by the European Commission and UKRI. The network is composed of 6 academic institutions from Spain, the United Kingdom, Italy, Denmark, Botswana and South Africa. AGRI-DRY is integrating leading researchers within this research field and recruiting 10 doctoral candidates to offer them the unique opportunity to perform top-level and high impact research, whilst working to obtain a PhD.
This project is coordinated by Universitat Pompeu Fabra and University of Glasgow.
Our research
AGRI-DRY is training 10 doctoral candidates in new interdisciplinary approaches to examine three interlinked research questions:
- How and why have agricultural systems emerged and developed in the light of evolving needs and changing environmental conditions?
- What were the impacts of these systems on modern and ancient land use and ecosystems, and on our climate systems historically, and how do they continue to impact these today?
- What can be learnt from these ancient and traditional agricultural systems for policy and practical applications around current food production, social and ecological resilience, and climate mitigation?
Our emphasis is on drylands, using the Mediterranean Basin, North Africa and the Sahara, and Southern Africa as our main geographic focus.
Latest from AGRI-DRY
Building palynological expertise: AGRI-DRY student gaining experience in South Africa
Written by – Alexandra Vasilyeva Following the AGRI-DRY Summer School in November, I stayed in South Africa for a few weeks to learn about local pollen types. It was a busy…
From archives to excavations: preparing for archaeological research at Ziwa
Written by – Tawanda Mushweshwe On 7 January 2026, I visited the National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe (NMMZ) Headquarters in Harare as part of my preparations for the upcoming…
AGRI-DRY call for PanAf abstracts
Submit an abstract for the PanAf Congress Session organised by AGRI-DRY! Our session is titled “People, climate, and landscape dynamics in African drylands”, encouraging cross-disciplinary discussions on human–environment interactions in…
Agricultural landscapes are a testimony to humanity’s long interaction with the land, often unique examples of the whole people-nature system. They demonstrate a rich cultural and landscape diversity, sustainable land-use systems, and, in some cases, people’s daily struggle for survival under extreme climatic and environmental conditions. The key role of the traditional knowledge of indigenous people and local communities for ecosystem management and sustainable use of resources is now recognized, in light of climate change.
AGRI-DRY aims to bring about a significant reorientation of European and African doctoral training in traditional agriculture. The change will involve both substance and approach. The substance is the strong focus on rigorous techniques for interdisciplinary research. The approach is the emphasis on both research and applicative work, through the participation of both academic and advocacy and policy-making institutions. AGRI-DRY represents a unique opportunity for European young researchers to enjoy a wide array of training opportunities that are competitive with the best programmes offered outside Europe.
Our Team
Partners
Universitat Pompeu Fabra
University of Glasgow
Aarhus Universitet
Università del Salento
University of Botswana
University of the Witwatersrand
AGRI-DRY 