- Their ultimate purpose is to help solve a global challenge through research and innovation.
- In total, the institution is promoting 34 across Spain.
- The platforms led from Galicia address the optimization of agricultural and forestry systems, interdisciplinary scientific alternatives against rural depopulation, and sustainable fishing.
Santiago de Compostela, 25 March 2020. CSIC is promoting the creation of “Interdisciplinary Thematic Platforms” (PTIs) by its research groups as a management instrument to tackle major global challenges with high social and scientific impact.
In Galicia, the Biological Mission of Galicia (MBG) and the Institute of Marine Research (IIM) lead three of the 34 platforms promoted nationwide by the institution for the design, preparation, implementation and exploitation of the PTI over the next three years.
At the IIM, the Fisheries Ecology group leads PESCSOST, a platform for sustainable and responsible fisheries management through integrated, ecosystem-based and transdisciplinary management tools that incorporate ecological, social and economic perspectives in governance, in collaboration with the General Fisheries Society.
At the MBG, the Maize Genetics and Breeding group leads AGROFOR, a platform to improve the profitability, sustainability and resilience of agricultural and forestry systems through efficient management of plant genetic diversity; and the Viticulture group leads ALCINDER, an interdisciplinary project combining cutting-edge technology, agrarian heritage, culture, landscape and human capital in depopulated rural areas to promote alternatives for creating highly profitable micro-industries.
PESCSOST
PESCSOST addresses the challenge of achieving sustainable and responsible fisheries management, requiring integrated, ecosystem-based and transdisciplinary tools that incorporate ecological, social and economic perspectives. Its goal is to ensure the sustainable provision of high-quality marine food, improve well-being and reduce poverty while protecting renewable marine resources.
Its first mission focuses on reducing discards, which entails the landing obligation for all catches of stocks subject to catch limits. The Spanish fishing sector and administration are interested in obtaining well-documented justifications to maintain exemptions such as de minimis and high survival, and to study selective or conservation improvements that may reduce unwanted catches.
AGROFOR
AGROFOR addresses efficient management of the genetic diversity of modern, native/local and exotic varieties in order to recover biodiversity in agricultural and forestry systems and increase their sustainability, resilience and profitability. It focuses on major crops and forest species, from maize and peas to oak, oats and pine trees.
ALCINDER
ALCINDER addresses the challenge of offering alternatives for creating highly profitable micro-industries in depopulated rural areas by combining cutting-edge technology, agrarian heritage, culture, landscape and human capital. The selected case-study area covers southwest Asturias, northwest Castile-León and southeast Galicia, regions severely affected by depopulation but with strong potential for sustainable agricultural and industrial initiatives.
Interdisciplinary Thematic Platforms
These platforms address multidisciplinary themes and have a structure covering the whole life cycle of each initiative. They create working frameworks in which several research groups collaborate to tackle relevant scientific challenges. Based on broad social goals such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals, they define missions that are addressed through complementary projects. Their ultimate purpose is to contribute to solving a global challenge through research and innovation.