Brussels, 04/12/2013 (Agence Europe) - The International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM) has listed its many reasons for welcoming the results of the meeting on agriculture and food security held by the 5+5 group, which is made up of the 10 countries of the Western Mediterranean (France and Algeria, which co-chair the group, Spain, Italy, Malta, Tunisia, Libya, Morocco, Portugal and Mauritania) in Algiers in late November.
The first reason is that it has been appointed a direct technical partner of the states. As such, CIHEAM will become a benchmark “permanent observer” for Mediterranean agriculture. “The creation of a food security observatory in the Mediterranean, which will be a forum for exchange and partnership capable of providing assistance with decision-making, regularly or on an ad hoc basis, will be the cornerstone of the Declaration” adopted in Algiers, CIHEAM notes in a press release (our translation). This observatory will be made up of a “group of experts from each of the participants states”, the Centre adds, noting with satisfaction the “historic role” it has been given. CIHEAM, which was set up in 1962, is active in the field of “specialist training, networked research, cooperation between states in order to contribute to the development of the Mediterranean basin and to feed into the regional political debate in the fields of agriculture, food, rural areas and the environment”, said its secretary general, Cosimo Lacirignola.
The second reason is that agriculture and food security, which constitute the greatest challenges for the region, have been increasingly taken on board. This is the first time since the 5+5 Dialogue came into being in 1990 that a ministerial meeting has been held on this subject, further to the recommendations of the second summit of the heads of state and government of the western Mediterranean states, in Malta on 5 and 6 October.
CIHEAM is also delighted to note that the official declaration of Algiers opens up “many areas of regional cooperation to improve agricultural production and productivity, protect natural resources, increase the sharing of experience through multilateral research and innovation programmes, develop agri-commercial exchanges, reinforce food security, fight waste and promote more inclusive growth at local level in order to breathe new life into rural areas”.
Ministers have also decided to “develop cooperation to promote the stability of the agricultural and agri-food markets, particularly for cereals, oleaginous and protein crops, and in this way contribute to the AMIS-Mediterranean network currently being set up under the aegis of CIHEAM and the secretariat of AMIS”, a network under the FAO.
The final cause of CIHEAM's satisfaction is the ministers' recommendation to ensure the “preservation of water and land resources” and to make a contribution to the EU programme on rural development in the southern Mediterranean (ENPARD). Avenues have been opened up for initiatives on “family farming and women in rural areas, the Mediterranean diet, adapting to climate change and forest areas”, CIHEAM notes.
A further ministerial meeting will be held in February 2014. (FB/transl.fl)