FAO and CIHEAM renew their partnership in the Mediterranean area
A renowned regional intergovernmental organization, the International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM) is a driver for policy and strategy development in the Mediterranean region. Both FAO and CIHEAM aim to boost worldwide efforts to enhance food and nutrition security.
Around the world and in the Mediterranean region, climate shocks, inflation, crises and conflicts are driving severe challenges to food security, weighing heavily on the most vulnerable. Today, FAO and CIHEAM renewed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that was first signed in 2015, aiming to develop a collaborative framework supporting the shift towards more sustainable agrifood systems in the Mediterranean region and in keeping with the United Nations' 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the FAO Strategic Framework 2022-2031 and CIHEAM’s priority programs. It lays the foundations for a strengthened collaboration that is better equipped to deal with the challenges of today as well as potential future threats, involving a wide range of public and private stakeholders.
This strategic and meaningful partnership aims to foster a shift towards more sustainable and resilient agrifood systems at country level and expand perception of the Mediterranean diet. Going beyond the diet’s health benefits, this MoU underlines its potential as a lever for sustainable green and blue entrepreneurship; as a catalyst for greater multi-stakeholder engagement in the Mediterranean; to add value to the Sustainable Food Systems - Mediterranean Platform (SFS-MED Platform) to attract and mobilize investments in the SFS-MED Platform Flagship projects.
Secretary General of CIHEAM, Dr Teodoro Miano, stated, “The relevance of this partnership, which began informally in 1977, concerns a unique set of actions in the Mediterranean involving all the CIHEAM centres and resources. The complexity of the MoU allows action plans in several relevant topics such as food security, trade, fragile food communities and distress migration, women and youth empowerment, sustainable food systems, coastal management and small fisheries, among others.”
The partnership work plan sets out collaborations on joint programmes, including in-country technical assistance as close as possible to the needs of the populations, in the sectors of:
● Sustainable Food Systems (SFS)
● Land and Water
● Blue Economy and Fisheries
● Plant Pests and Diseases Management
● Animal Genetic Resources
● Forestry
● Mitigation and Adaptation to Climate Change in Agriculture and Livestock
The strategic benefits for both CIHEAM and FAO are manifold: progress on SDGs 2, 3, 12, 13, 14 and 15; identification of common resources and investments to promote better production, better nutrition, better environment and a better life in the Mediterranean region; enhancement of training programmes to improve skills of agricultural professionals, youth and women; and the development of policies, strategies and programmes in agriculture and fisheries in the Mediterranean region.
About Dr Teodoro Miano
Dr Teodoro Miano was appointed Secretary General of CIHEAM in March 2023. He holds a degree in Agricultural Chemistry and has conducted research programmes with several institutions in various countries. Dr Miano is Full Professor at the University of Bari Aldo Moro, where he acted first as Head of the Department of Soils, Plants and Food Science and successively Vice Rector for International Relationships. Formerly, Dr Miano was President of the International Humic Substances Society, Deputy President of the European Confederation Soil Science Societies, President of the CIHEAM Scientific Advisory Committee. He has authored and co-authored several scientific publications and books and holds memberships to numerous Scientific Societies including the Soil Science Society of America, European Geosciences Union and the International Union of Soil Sciences.
About the International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM)
Established in 1962, CIHEAM is an intergovernmental organization composed of 13 Member States (Albania, Algeria, Egypt, France, Greece, Italy, Lebanon, Malta, Morocco, Portugal, Tunisia, Türkiye, and Spain). The Centre brings together four Mediterranean Agronomic Institutes: CIHEAM Bari (Italy); CIHEAM Chania (Greece); CIHEAM Montpellier (France); CIHEAM Zaragoza (Spain); and a General Secretariat, the headquarters of the organization, based in Paris (France).
CIHEAM has a long history of multilateral and regional cooperation and offers education and training, research, technical assistance, and capacity building in the field of food security, sustainable agriculture, fisheries, and rural development. It works with public administrations, universities and research centres, cooperation and development organizations, local authorities, civil society actors, and companies to meet the needs of Mediterranean populations and territories.
