A CIHEAM meta-network to promote legumes in Sustainable Food Systems in the Mediterranean (BEANS)

Over the past three years, the MEDIET Project, funded by the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs (MFAIC) and implemented by CIHEAM Bari, has established a comprehensive research and development platform with partners from 17 countries. The project concluded that legumes offer a promising solution to food security challenges due to their significant protein content, nutraceutical benefits, and positive environmental and economic impacts.

Why a Meta Network for Legumes in the Mediterranean

The BEANS Network offers a comprehensive understanding of how agricultural, ecological, and socio-economic systems interact and influence each other. This integrated approach offers a broader understanding that surpasses what can be achieved by examining individual networks in isolation, resulting in more effective strategies for sustainable development in the region.

The Strategic Role of the CIHEAM Meta Network in Regional Food Security

The BEANS Meta Network tackles food security challenges in the Mediterranean region by fostering regional cooperation, research, and innovation. It achieves this by promoting sustainable agriculture, developing resilient and nutritious legume varieties adapted to Mediterranean climates, supporting and implementing improved policies, practices, and technologies, and bolstering local economies by generating income for farmers and encouraging regional cohesion.

Establishment of the BEANS Meta Network

Established in Bari in March 2024, as an output of the International MEDIET Seminar, the Network promotes legumes in Mediterranean food systems. The MEDIET project has paved the way for the valorization of local and genetically selected pulses, highlighting their health impacts, food processing potential, and market viability.
CIHEAM will lead the network, focusing on research projects, food policy advocacy, capacity building, and knowledge sharing, in collaboration with international and national authorities, research institutions, and private sector actors. It will also leverage existing Meta Networks and platforms, such as SFS-MED and FEED, and other related initiatives implemented in all CIHEAM Institutes. This initiative aligns with the CIHEAM Strategic Plan 2030 on Sustainable Food Systems and was endorsed at the CIHEAM Ministerial Conference in Rabat in October 2024.

Organizational Structure of BEANS

The BEANS Meta Network will be chaired and managed by the Secretary General of CIHEAM as a corporate initiative. The BEANS Meta Network features a Steering Committee, an International Advisory Board, and a General Assembly, involving several international organizations and concerned regional actors. The Meta Network project will run for three years, developing research projects, launching training programs, and initiatives with Mediterranean decision-makers. Implementation will follow a phased approach to be confirmed during the first General Assembly, scheduled for spring 2025.