Mediterra 2008 The Future of Agriculture and Food in the Mediterranean countries Comments Jacques Brossier CTA, Wageningen Feb 2010

General impression: this work tries to combine the three methods: projection, assessment, foresights. The method: – A 3 year period of collaborative work: 2005/2008; – Diagnostics on 6 fields relying on the experts all over Mediterranean – Challenges to be met (5 frames for action priorities). – Scenarios and several proposals for action

Origin CIHEAM secretariat. CIHEAM is a governmental institution: the ministries in charge of Agriculture in the CIHEAM countries are the members of the board; etc

Why a work of foresight (Extracts of the report): – “. First, it aims to provide actors and decision- makers with the keys for interpretation. – Secondly, the report aims to abandon the usual compartmentalised approach in order to show the multidimensional nature of agriculture in the region”

In fact this systemic approach has its own limit: several components have not been studied and taken into account, like some industrial and touristic parts of the economy, universities system, urban society, etc

Actors’ mobilization Experts, researchers, professors from CIHEAM network (4 CIHEAM institutions and universities from the north and the south). How many people (about100 people). The process of writing the report has relied heavily on the multi-disciplinary and contrasting approaches that are indispensable in any forecasting exercise.

So Diagnostics are done by specialists. These assessments present “strong trends”. The most interesting are: – sociodémographic and geo-economics contexts, – Natural Resources – soils and water -, – diet consumption, food security and food safety – huge challenge, contradiction et paradox (Mediterranean diet), “ Overall drop in the consumption of traditional products, Pleasure aspect still important, Strong cultural identity. Food security ensured but food quality a weaker point” – governance of rural worlds ;

The study is strongly oriented on the relationships between EU et south Mediterranean countries A dominant vision : relationship with EU: it appears that Agriculture is deliberately forgotten in the official relations ships.

Proposals for action (7 general approaches, 13 technical): all are written in general terms, and often ‘voluntarist’.

Final Comments How to measure the quality, the success and the impact of this type of work? After about 2 years, what we can say? which success, which debates, which diffusion, which results? How the Mediterranean governments change their policy priorities.