4-8 May 2026 – FLORA at the European Geosciences Union (EGU) General Assembly
The FLORA team presented several new results at the European Geosciences Union (EGU) General Assembly 2026 in Vienna.
Three contributions were presented during a dedicated PICO session on global agriculture and environmental sustainability:

• How far are global croplands from environmental sustainability: from production to consumption perspectives (presented by Marcellin Guilbert & Carole Dalin)
• Consumption-based GHG footprint of global food systems (2000–2020) (presented by Belén Benítez, Bertrand Guenet & Carole Dalin)
• Characterisation of global cropland bright spots (presented by Jasmine Gamblin, Marcellin Guilbert, David Makowski & Carole Dalin)

Together, these presentations showcased complementary perspectives developed within the ERC FLORA project, ranging from environmental sustainability indicators for croplands to consumption-based greenhouse gas accounting and the identification of agricultural “bright spots” worldwide.
In addition, Isabella Ghirardo, Carole Dalin and collaborators presented new work on “Modeling Coupled Impacts of Soil Salinity and Hydroclimatic Stress on Irrigation Demand”, investigating how interacting environmental pressures may affect future irrigation requirements.
The meeting provided an excellent opportunity for the FLORA team to exchange with the international Earth system science community and discuss new collaborations.

22 March 2026 – Carole Dalin interviewed for World Water Day
On the occasion of World Water Day (22 March), Carole Dalin shared insights on the crucial links between water resources, food systems and planetary health.
Drawing on her research within the FLORA project, she discusses the central role of agri-food systems in shaping water security and environmental sustainability, highlighting the need to consider the interconnections between human health, ecosystem health and the sustainable management of water resources.

3-5 March 2026 – FLORA at the Water Science Conference in Venice
Carole Dalin participated in the Water Science Conference organised by the CMCC Foundation – Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change and hosted by the Istituto Veneto di Scienze Lettere ed Arti in Venice. Bringing together leading researchers in hydrology, climate and sustainability sciences, the conference explored current challenges at the interface of water resources, climate change and society.
Carole presented a talk entitled “Water at the core of human–nature interactions”, highlighting the central role of water in shaping sustainable agri-food systems and planetary health. Her presentation explored the complex interconnections between water resources, food production and environmental sustainability, themes that are at the heart of the FLORA project.

Spring 2026 – Two Master’s students join the FLORA Team for their research dissertation
During the second semester of the 2025–2026 academic year, the FLORA project welcomed two Master’s students from the École normale supérieure (ENS) and AgroParisTech for research internships.
Souheila Mgaieth joined the team from February to June 2026 to work on developing scenarios for bringing the global food system back within planetary boundaries. Her dissertation focused on exploring pathways for transforming global food systems while simultaneously addressing environmental sustainability and food security objectives.
Nelly Bergounhon joined the project from February to August 2026 to conduct a multi-dimensional assessment of the sustainability of global food systems. Her work combined a review of the scientific literature with the selection and preparation of socio-economic indicators, such as food affordability, alongside nutritional health indicators (including dietary quality and disease prevalence) and environmental indicators, such as biodiversity impacts, nitrogen pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Her dissertation contributed to the development of an integrated framework for assessing the sustainability of food systems across multiple dimensions. The FLORA team is delighted to welcome Souheila and Nelly and wishes them every success in their research.

11-12 December 2025 – FLORA contributes to IPSL’s 30th Anniversary Conference
As part of the 30th anniversary of the Institut Pierre-Simon Laplace (IPSL), Carole Dalin participated in a public panel discussion on the links between climate, agriculture and human health.
Her presentation examined how climate change is reshaping agri-food systems through increasing pressure on land and water resources, with a particular focus on the environmental impacts of livestock production and feed systems, and their implications for human health. The discussion highlighted the need to accelerate transitions towards more sustainable agricultural practices, including agroforestry, crop rotations and greater reliance on plant-based proteins.
The session, held at the Collège de France alongside Florence Habets, Gonéri Le Cozannet and Antoine Séjourné, emphasized the interconnected challenges linking climate, water, food systems and public health, reinforcing the importance of integrated approaches such as those developed within the FLORA project.

November 2025 – Belén Benítez participated in FairCarboN conference in Le Croisic. From 3 to 5 November 2025, the conference brought together researchers working on carbon cycles and nature-based solutions. As part of the event, she presented a scientific poster showcasing her recent work, “Attributing gridded land-use-change emissions to agricultural commodities from 2000 to 2020.”