Durum wheat is more than just a cereal. In Sardinia, it is a way of life — the foundation of bread, pasta, and centuries-old traditions. But today, this heritage crop stands at a crossroads.

Across the Mediterranean, farmers are grappling with the pressures of climate change. Too much rain, and prices fall. Too little rain, and prices fall again. Droughts, floods, and shifting weather patterns threaten not only fields, but also livelihoods, culture, and food security.

How can Mediterranean agriculture adapt and thrive in this new reality? What innovative solutions are being developed in Sardinia under the ARSINOE project? And what role can research and collaboration play in ensuring a future for durum wheat and the communities who depend on it?

These are some of the questions explored in Grains of Change, a new ARSINOE documentary that delves into the challenges and solutions surrounding durum wheat adaptation in the Mediterranean region.

The full film will be released on September 23rd. In the meantime, we invite you to discover the trailer here.

Stay tuned — the story of Sardinia’s farmers, researchers, and innovators is just beginning.

Acknowledgements

This documentary was created, directed and produced by Isabelle La Jeunesse (University of Tours, Laboratory CNRS CITERES) with the primary objective of showcasing the work conducted by ARSINOE in Sardinia to inspire adaptation efforts of staple cereal production to climate change in the broader Mediterranean region.

It is the result of the collaboration of a research team including Claudia Cirelli (University of Tours, Laboratory CNRS CITERES), Marco Dettori (AGRIS, Italy), Jean-Philippe Corbellini (CNRS, MSH Val de Loire), Alicia Blanchi-Sic (University of Tours, Laboratory CNRS CITERES), with a key contribution from master student Claudia Araceli Fritz (Université Côte d’Azur, University of Tours Laboratory CNRS CITERES). A big thank you to Peaking Production for all the hard work in post-production. Other contributions came from partners including AGRIS (Italy), CIMMYT (Mexico), Entreprise Cellino (Italy) and Molino Secci (Italy), and also from the Idea Lab, many farmers from Sardinia and experts of food security such as Christopher Barrett, Patrick Caron, Jessica Fanzo … The film is part of the European project ARSINOE, supported by the University of Tours, CNRS, CITERES and MSH Val de Loire.

© ARSINOE