Water • Energy • Food • Ecosystem
RE-FRESH REsilient agriFood system through REuse and Safe Handling of effluents
Transforming Mediterranean agro-food effluents into safe irrigation water, renewable energy and biobased soil enhancers.
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Water • Agriculture • Circularity
About RE-FRESH
A circular response to Mediterranean water pressure
The Mediterranean agro-food sector is a cornerstone of rural economies, yet it is also a major consumer and polluter of freshwater resources.
RE-FRESH demonstrates how agro-industrial effluents can be rapidly and cost-effectively transformed into safe irrigation water, renewable energy and biobased soil enhancers. Its integrated approach connects sustainable irrigation, circular resource recovery and soil enhancement within the Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystem (WEFE) NEXUS.
Discover RE-FRESHWEFE NEXUS
A connected circular model
Four linked pillars reduce water demand and support sustainable water and soil management in agro-food production and agriculture.
- 01
Reuse
Reuse and recycle agro-industrial effluents.
- 02
Water
Reintroduce regenerated water into aquifers or fertigation systems.
- 03
Energy & Soil
Regenerate soil while producing renewable energy.
- 04
Resilience
Retain more moisture in soils to strengthen agricultural resilience.
Objectives & Innovation
From basin analysis to modular treatment systems
RE-FRESH combines Water Footprint and Virtual Water assessment with advanced processes, biological routes and nature-based solutions.
Water Footprint & Virtual Water
Assess blue, green and grey Water Footprint and Virtual Water across production cycles.
Hydrographic basin analysis
Design water reuse strategies aligned with local hydrological dynamics.
Advanced Oxidation Processes
Apply ozonation, photocatalysis and other low-energy-intensive AOP treatments.
Fermentation & energy
Use anaerobic digestion and fermentation to produce biogas, biohydrogen and microbial biomass.
Natural photoactive materials
Develop locally derived materials for effective water disinfection in low-tech contexts.
SODIS / PDI-SODIS
Enhance solar disinfection through plant biomass and naturally derived photoactive materials.
Agronomic validation
Evaluate treated effluents and microbial biomass for fertigation and soil amendment.
Modular systems
Design scalable prototypes for agro-industrial supply chains and isolated rural communities.
Project impacts
Designed for impact across systems and communities
Consortium
Five partners across Europe and the Mediterranean
- France
- Italy
- Morocco
- Slovenia
- Tunisia
The consortium combines expertise in chemistry, environmental engineering, agriculture and innovation.
Programs
Science connected to field implementation
Work areas move from effluent characterization and recovery potential to treatment, agronomic validation and deployable prototypes.
01
Assessment of effluent recovery potential of agri-food chains
Partners will identify Mediterranean agri-food supply chains that are both economically strategic and highly vulnerable to water stress.
Explore program
02
Effluent valorization through fermentation
Develop fermentation processes to valorize agro-industrial effluents by producing microbial biomass and biogas or biohydrogen.
Explore program
03
Treatment of the effluents
Develop, optimize, and validate advanced processes to treat agro-industrial effluents, making it safe for agricultural reuse.
Explore program
04
Interventions in remote areas
Apply the developed solutions in remote and poorly infrastructure rural areas vulnerable to climate crisis, water scarcity, and soil degradation.
Explore program
05
Agronomic tests
Assess the effectiveness and sustainability of using treated effluents and microbial biomass for fertigation.
Explore program
06
Prototype development
Transition from lab-scale validation to field level implementation through autonomous, sustainable, and user-friendly prototypes.
Explore programProject activity
Latest Activities
Project activities will appear here as they are published.
Updates
Latest News
RE-FRESH Kick-off Workshop – Tunisia
The RE-FRESH Kick-off Workshop will bring together the University of Tunis El Manar team on 10–11 October 2026 at Le Sultan Hotel in Hammamet, Tunisia, for a closed coordination event.
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RE-FRESH Kick-off Meeting – France
The RE-FRESH consortium met at IC2MP, University of Poitiers, from 30 September to 2 October 2026 to discuss the project’s vision, objectives and implementation strategy.
Read moreKnowledge
Articles
Scientific and project articles will appear here as they are published.
RE-FRESH