NPP-SOL – A gentle solution to mitigate environmental impacts

There is a kind of impact that cannot be seen, yet it can cause great harm. It is diffuse pollution — inherent in all human activities — and in the specific case of agriculture, it must be carefully monitored due to the many variables involved: soil, air, and water. It is precisely to face this silent challenge that NPP-SOL – Non-Point Pollution Solutions – was created: an international project that Arborea has chosen to embrace with both heart and mind.

From 2023 to 2025, we are collaborating with leading scientific and institutional partners — including the University of Basilicata (UNIBAS), the University of Cagliari, the Volcani Institute in Israel, INRA Morocco, and CIHEAM Montpellier — to develop sustainable, accessible solutions adapted to the Mediterranean climate. The initiative is promoted by PRIMA (Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area), a European program aimed at building a healthier and more resilient future for the entire Mediterranean region.

Our goal is as simple as it is ambitious: to prevent agricultural pollution from non-point sources — such as fertilizers or effluents — that can compromise soil and groundwater quality. We pursue this through an innovative approach that combines good agricultural practices with tailor-made, low-cost technologies adapted to the specific characteristics of each territory. These are solutions designed to be replicated, shared, and improved over time, in line with the principles of circular economy and tangible sustainability.

Actions in the field

In the heart of Sardinia, together with researchers from the University of Cagliari, we have launched a concrete experimental phase. Using state-of-the-art probes and sensors, we monitor the movement of nitrates in the surface layers of the soil, collecting essential data to understand where and how to take action. An important part of the work takes place in the Nitrate Vulnerable Zone (NVZ), where our livestock farms operate.

The value of cooperation

Being part of NPP-SOL means strengthening our way of doing cooperation. It means listening to the land, sharing solutions, and cultivating innovation and respect. In the final phase of the project, scheduled for 2025, we will integrate the tested practices with new, customized technologies to improve the use of water, soil, fertilizers, and crops across all the livestock sites involved.

Because even when it comes to agriculture and the environment, a revolution can be gentle. And it can begin with a small gesture: understanding better to have a smaller impact.

FAQs

Useful Information

What does “non-point source pollution” mean?

Not all forms of pollution are visible to the naked eye or come from a specific outlet. “Non-point sources” are the quietest and most widespread: they arise from a combination of agricultural activities, such as fertilizer application or livestock effluent management. When rainfall is heavy, for example, nutrients present in agricultural and livestock byproducts can permeate the soil and end up in underground waterways, without a single visible source. Precisely because they are invisible and widespread, they are more difficult to monitor—but no less important to prevent.

What does the NPP-SOL project consist of?

NPP-SOL is a large international project that brings together universities, research institutions, and agricultural companies to find concrete solutions to widespread agricultural pollution. Arborea participates with field trials, testing smart technologies and practices to protect soil and water, maintaining the high quality of our agricultural work.

What role does Arborea have in this project?

Since 2023, our cooperative has been collaborating with the Universities of Cagliari and Basilicata to field test sensors, probes, and monitoring systems, with the aim of measuring how and to what extent nitrates move through the soil. This valuable work helps develop technologies suited to our Mediterranean climate and accessible to all farms.

What will change thanks to NPP-SOL?

We want to transform agriculture into an even more earth-friendly model. Thanks to NPP-SOL, we will be able to adopt more efficient, targeted, and sustainable management systems for water, fertilizer, and crop use. In practice: less waste, less pollution, and greater care for the soil that nourishes us.

Sustainability

Sustainability is not just an opportunity, but a duty and a mission.

Combining economic objectives with environmental and social ones is a choice that represents the Company’s concrete commitment to achieving the common well-being of the community.