From documentation to protection and utilization
AENAON transforms scattered local knowledge about native edible plants into a documented scientific base — and that base into practical tools for conservation, cultivation, and education across three regions in two countries.
In Crete, the South Aegean, and Cyprus, the traditional Mediterranean dietary pattern includes numerous native edible species — leafy gathered plants (horta) and native fruit trees. These are species adapted to xerothermic conditions, with low input requirements, closely linked to local ecological knowledge and the dietary identity of each place.
The insufficient documentation of their agronomic and nutritional value, however, constitutes a fundamental scientific issue. Without systematic recording and characterization, these species remain exposed to indiscriminate harvesting, habitat degradation, and the effects of climate change, while the knowledge surrounding them is passed on less and less to younger generations.
Since the species and the threats are common to all three regions, AENAON develops a unified, cross-border response. Biodiversity is not confined to national borders but connects ecosystems; therefore, the shared approach allows partners to share knowledge, resources, and methods, more effectively than isolated actions in each region separately.
Programme
Priority
Fund
Duration
Budget
Partners
MIS
Interreg VI-A Greece – Cyprus
P1 – SO 2.7
ERDF
24 months (2025–2027)
€1,847,323.69
5 – 2 countries
6006370
The South Aegean Region and the Regional Nursery transfer the results to the scale of the island space, with gardens and material production.
The Laona Foundation ensures the participation of the local population and disseminates the operation to communities, students, and professionals in Cyprus.
Each partner coordinates at least one package and participates in all. The sequence leads from collection and documentation to cultivation, dissemination, and education.
WP1
Project management
Coordination of the consortium, financial monitoring, and ensuring smooth implementation, with monthly online and semi-annual in-person meetings.
Coordination
HMU
WP2
Information & publicity
Website, social media, printed and digital material, press releases, publications, and participation in events and media.
Coordination
South Aegean Region
WP3
Documentation & characterization of material
Collection and preservation of propagation material, genetic and chemical identification of genotypes, population protection charter, and nutritional–social assessment.
Coordination
HMU & CUT
WP4
Cultivation & mass production
Propagation and cultivation protocols, mother plantations, pilot cultivations, and enrichment of urban and visitable gardens with native species.
Coordination
HMU & CUT
WP5
Dissemination & education actions
Development of educational material, experiential and participatory seminars for adults and children, skills workshops, and an educational toolkit.
Coordination
Laona Foundation
Από την καταγραφή και καλλιέργεια των αυτοφυών εδώδιμων φυτών έως τη διατροφική αξιολόγηση, την εκπαίδευση και τη διάχυση της γνώσης, οι εταίροι συνεργάζονται σε ένα κοινό εγχείρημα «από το χωράφι στο πιάτο»
The two universities, HMU and CUT, collect, identify, and characterize the plant material using molecular and chemical techniques, and preserve it ex situ.
The South Aegean Region and the Regional Nursery transfer the results to the scale of the island space, with gardens and material production.
The Laona Foundation ensures the participation of the local population and disseminates the operation to communities, students, and professionals in Cyprus.
AENAON is designed so that its results remain functional even after the funding ends. The infrastructure, material, and knowledge are integrated into the partners’ institutional activity and made available to the scientific and wider community. Thus, the operation lays the foundations of a common cross-border policy for the protection of the region’s native edible species.
Seed banks & cultivation protocols — certified propagation material, available to growers and researchers.
Population protection charter — identification of genotypes and mapping of the species that need protection.
Permanent gardens in the three regions — urban and visitable gardens that continue to operate after the project.
Open knowledge — educational material, an educational toolkit, and open-access publications.
Το σχετικό περιεχόμενο αποτελεί αποκλειστική ευθύνη των δικαιούχων της πράξης και δεν μπορεί σε καμία περίπτωση να εκφράζει τις επίσημες απόψεις της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης, των συμμετεχουσών χωρών και της Ειδικής Υπηρεσίας Interreg 2021-2027 (Διαχειριστικής Αρχής).