Paris, France, Friday 21 April 2023

• The CIHEAM will co-host the upcoming Side Event of the 4° Conference of the One Planet network’s Sustainable Food Systems Programme on “Multi-stakeholder collaboration for more sustainable food systems in the Mediterranean” with UNFAO, UfM, and Prima.

• The event builds on the outcomes of previous dialogues and events organized by the SFS-MED Platform within the context of the  United Nations Food Systems Summit and the 3rd World Conference on the Revitalization of the Mediterranean Diet, hosted by the CIHEAM in its institute in Bari.

• The CIHEAM reaffirms its constant commitment to the Mediterranean diet and recalls its ambition to offer quality and innovative training to perpetuate and promote it, as well as the importance of a cooperation dynamic based on the complementarities of countries and the collaboration of all stakeholders in the agri-food systems.

21 April 2023, Paris (France) - The CIHEAM will co-host the online seminar “Multi-stakeholder collaboration for more sustainable food systems in the Mediterranean” together with its partners, namely the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the Union for the Mediterranean, Prima Program and with the financial support of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation. The webinar will be held at the margins of the 4th Global Conference of the One Planet’s Network’s Sustainable Food Systems Programme and will aim at displaying processes of food systems transformation in the Mediterranean and at mobilizing resources to consolidate the joint SFS-MED Platform’s effort in view of the UN Food Systems Stocktaking Moment (Rome, July 24-26). 

In addition, the webinar will capitalize on the results achieved through the 2021 UNFSS and the 3rd World Conference on the Revitalisation of the Mediterranean Diet held in September 2022 at the CIHEAM Bari. This purpose is encouraged by the renewed political support stated in the UfM Ministerial Declarations on Sustainable Blue Economy, Environment and Climate Change, and Research and Innovation. 

The CIHEAM, a strong supporter of the Mediterranean Diet

With this event, the CIHEAM is reaffirming its willingness to act as a key regional player in the promotion of the Mediterranean Diet as a suitable and sustainable food system for the Mediterranean and its people. “The CIHEAM strives for achieving sustainable food systems in the Mediterranean, and its actions are firmly rooted in the One Health framework, with the belief that living organisms (plants, animals, humans, etc.) are at the centre of the global picture”, CIHEAM Secretary-General Mr Miano said. 

CIHEAM’s commitment has come a long way since the publishing of the 2012 MEDITERRA on “The Mediterranean Diet for Sustainable Regional Development”. Back then, the Mediterranean Diet was described as a regional opportunity at the core of the debate about “green economies”, paving new and affordable ways for development in Mediterranean countries. Nowadays, more than 10 years later, and within a context of multiple and interconnected crises, the Mediterranean Diet comes back as a necessary sustainable food system at the intersection between agriculture, food, and the environment.

The SFS-MED Platform

During the 2nd World Conference on the Mediterranean Diet held in 2019 in Palermo, the CIHEAM suggested the creation of a Multi-Stakeholder Platform on Mediterranean Sustainable Food Systems: this proposal and the following rounds of discussions marked the launch of the SFS-MED Platform. 

The SFS-MED Platform is a multi-stakeholder initiative aimed at promoting collaborative actions for the sustainable transformation of food systems in the Mediterranean. It serves as: 

• A forum for dialogue and collaboration on priority themes for sustainable food systems in the Mediterranean
• An ideal setting to rebalance sustainability and finance
• A network for strengthening knowledge sharing and capacity building related to sustainable food consumption and production across the Mediterranean
• A catalyst of opportunities for regional cooperation for data sharing, science diplomacy, and the advancement of green and blue practices, as well as inclusive and digital innovation.

In 2021, in order to strengthen collaboration and further consolidate the platform, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the three sponsor organizations UNFAO, CIHEAM and UfM,  with the main goal of accelerating the transition towards sustainable food systems in the Mediterranean region within the 2030 UN Agenda.