Funding of the BEANS Network
07/03/2025
The Secretary General of the CIHEAM Teodoro Miano, has presented a funding proposal for BEANS, a new network dedicated to Legumes, building on the MEDIET project. The CIHEAM will lead the Executive Committee in collaboration with an International Advisory Board, composed of one representative from each participating organisation. BEANS aims to foster regional cooperation, promote sustainable agriculture, and develop resilient legume varieties. The founding event will be marked by a General Assembly, scheduled to take place at the CIHEAM Bari at the end of May 2025.
Objectives of the Network
- Foster regional cooperation, promote sustainable agriculture;
- Develop resilient legume varieties;
- Support the improvement of agricultural policies and technologies;
- Boost local economies.
The activities of the Network include research projects, capacity building, and policy advocacy, with a planned three-year timeframe.
Organisational Participation and Commitment
Various organizations have expressed their commitment to the Network, and outlined their potential contributions. Mouïn Hamzé, Professor and former Secretary General of the CNRS in Lebanon, has pledged to support the management of the Network and the planning of its activities.
- European Commission, Laurent Mercier
- Prima, Angelo Riccaboni, Octavi Quintana
- Alliance Bioversity International, Paola De Santis, Eleonare Faler
- ICARDA, Shiv Kumar Agrawal, Aly Abousabaa
- IFAD, Amine Belhamissi, Federica Cerulli, Hanya Sedky
- AOAD, Adil Abdelrahim and Kamel Mostafa El-Sayed
- FAO, Teo Calles
- ACSAD, Saud Shehab
Network Structure and Sustainability
The network will be structured around an Executive Committee based at the CIHEAM, an International Advisory Board bringing together participating organisations, and a broader General Assembly, composed of international stakeholders. The General Assembly will confirm the composition of the Steering Committee, the International Advisory Board, while defining the priority scientific areas of the Network.
Forthcoming actions
- Teodoro Miano and Mouïn Hamzé will lead and manage the BEANS meta-network initiative, oversee the Executive Committee and the IAB, and draft an action plan to be reviewed before the General Assembly;
- Scheduled for the end of May 2025, the General Assembly will confirm the Network's structure, identify thematic areas, and set up a working group to prepare a funding proposal for 2026;
- Each organisation participating in the meeting will designate a representative for the International Advisory Board.
- The Network will develop research projects, launch a capacity building programme, and initiate policy advocacy efforts.
- Each organisation is encouraged to fund the participation of its members in the General Assembly.