Two pioneering women from Spain and Morocco recognized for their transformative work in sustainable food systems
PRIMA is proud to announce the winners of the 2nd edition of the Woman Greening Food Systems Award, a prize celebrating women who are reshaping the future of food across the Mediterranean region.
The first winning initiative combines practical solutions to water scarcity with long-term systemic change with free trainings, preparing the ground for quick adoption of sustainable practices while the second inititative combines urgent biodiversity rescue with community-centered science, protecting both Morocco’s genetic heritage and the food systems that depend on it.
Get to know the winners now:
The Winners:
Andrea Abad Bartolome (Terra Viva, TVI), Spain.
For her initiative: Farming the Future: Innovation, Education, and Regeneration in Action
Focusing on tackling Mediterranean water scarcity, Andrea Abad Bartolome has developed a smart irrigation system with the CERES Foundation that uses IoT sensors and weather data to help farmers automate watering based on real-time need, cutting water use while boosting crop resilience.
The technology is open-access, with free training to lower barriers to adoption.
She also leads TerraCert, an Erasmus+ project bringing together nine partners across five countries to create Europe’s first regenerative agriculture certification linked to micro-credentials and Europass. The project will be launched soon, and will offer 21 modular courses and digital credentials recognized across the EU, equipping a new generation of farmers with verified skills in agroecology, soil science, and sustainable business practices.
In her vision, she place the people at the center of her actions:
“This journey has taught me that innovation is not only about tools and technology, it’s about people. It’s the courage to change paths, the strength of farmer-to-farmer learning, and the power of turning degraded landscapes into thriving systems, one seed, one system, and one story at a time”
Kaoutar Aboukhalid (Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique), Morocco.
For her initiative: MOROREGEN, Conservation and Sustainable Valorization of Moroccan Oregano: From Wild Populations to Cultivation and Habitat Restoration
Khaoutar Aboukhalid is leading MOROREGEN, a cross-border scientific initiative to save Morocco’s endangered endemic oregano species from extinction. With four native oregano varieties facing severe threats from overexploitation, climate change, and habitat loss, her project combines field research with local knowledge to protect and restore these plants that are vital to traditional medicine, local economies, and ecosystem health.
Working with Moroccan and French partners, she’s developing a replicable model for conserving underutilized plant species while supporting the communities that depend on them. The work addresses both immediate biodiversity loss and long-term food system resilience in a region where 20% of plant species are found nowhere else on Earth.
She placed the science and woman at the center of her mission: saving an endangered endemic species from our region:
“The project adopts a field-based scientific approach rooted in local socio-ecological realities. It aligns with PRIMA’s vision of sustainable, climate-smart, and socially inclusive agriculture and offers a replicable roadmap for the conservation and valorization of underutilized plant species, demonstrating how women-led science can green the Mediterranean food system while safeguarding its unique biodiversity.”
These two winners embody the multi actor approach needed to address the Mediterranean’s food system challenges, and they demonstrate that sustainable change requires both innovation and conservation, new tools and traditional knowledge.
