Towards a sustainable Mediterranean agricultural policy: Strengthening complementarities for overall development of the Mediterranean Basin
Elaborated by Nora Ourabah, Coordinator of the IFAP Mediterranean Committee

However varied Mediterranean agricultural systems may be, in principle they are characterised not only by strong geographic and climatic similarities but above all, by a common historical and cultural heritage. All these common points have given rise to a reinforced Mediterranean identity. Therefore the emergence of a sense of belonging to the same regional aggregate transcends the few differences that make up the specificity and strength of each of the nations forming this aggregate.

“Mediterranean” food products are increasingly recognised as being beneficial to health. Farmers in both the north and the south of the Mediterranean Basin have accordingly decided to group together within IFAP to develop the benefits of their products. Based on the observation that there is a lack of consideration for the needs of the Mediterranean region in international development policies, the CIA , together with other member organisations on both sides of the Basin, have pleaded the urgency of creating a Mediterranean structure within IFAP. It is interesting to note that IFAP was a precursor in its decision to create such a structure. This decision was made in 1990 , even before the Ministers of the European Union and the partner third countries in the south of the Basin had signed the Barcelona Agreement which resulted in the famous Euro-Mediterranean partnership.

The main mission of the IFAP Mediterranean Committee is to get out of this competitive situation confronting farmers on both sides of the Mediterranean. It is of the utmost importance to solve this problem of competition, which is the main source of concern to farmers in the run-up to the creation of a free trade area in 2010. How does it translate into practice and what are its origins?

These tensions between the two sides of the Mediterranean are the result of similar products (vegetables, fruit, oil, wine) which come to maturity and are traded at the same times and on the same markets. This conflict situation results mainly from disparities in development levels between the North and the South of the basin (the five Mediterranean countries of Southern Europe benefit from better technical knowhow and together produce 80% of the GDP of all the Mediterranean countries), and from various environmental factors and conflictual demands on water. The countries in the south of the basin are therefore often accused of flooding southern Europe’s markets with similar low-cost products, this being detrimental to local products and the incomes of the local European farmers.

All these disparities are made worse by the fact that despite association agreements signed between most of the Mediterranean third countries and the European Union, trade remains subjected to tariff concessions and quota systems. These take little or no account of the role of agriculture in the Mediterranean region, or the importance of introducing an overall agricultural and rural development policy. Yet this lack of consideration of the agricultural aspect of the Euro-Mediterranean partnership is liable to undermine the implementation of the future largest free trade area in the world.

Faced with this alarming situation, the IFAP Mediterranean Committee is firmly convinced that beyond these conflicts which are impeding North-South Mediterranean trading, elements must be defined that will develop the complementarities of these agricultural systems. It is only on this condition that the Euro-Mediterranean partnership will be beneficial to both sides and that sustainable development of agriculture will come about in the Mediterranean area.

To develop the strengths of the region, the Committee has considered it urgent to resolve three closely interrelated priorities, consisting mainly in:
- seeking out forms of diversification for Mediterranean crops
- improving the quality and typicality of local products
- and undertaking to make water available.

The idea of developing complementarities in production between both sides of the basin will first of all require an inventory of these complementarities, based on a study of reliable, up-to-date data. The aim of this analysis will be to find ways to achieve complementarity in agricultural trade on both sides of the basin. To do this, it is essential to precisely identify the farmers’ situation by providing data on the types of products imported and exported, the sowing calendar and the European export periods. It is also important to identify factors that are sources of competition such as: prices, production costs, quality and regional typicality, grants, conservation, transport, matching production to demand, searching for specific outlets according to demand, orientation towards appropriate markets, particularly in the context of European Union enlargement.

This new approach to balanced sustainable development on both sides of the Mediterranean cannot be conceived without the help of European partner organisations, research institutions, alongside Mediterranean farmers’ organisations. Therefore for the first time in the history of the European Union, farmers and parliamentarians met together within the European parliament itself to discuss the agricultural issues at stake in the Mediterranean area. The first Euro-Mediterranean conference on agriculture revolutionised the customs of the EU bodies since it brought together parliamentarians and farmers in the same room. The main aim of this activity was thus to recognise the specificity of Mediterranean agriculture by raising it to the rank of priority sector in European policy. Who other than the farmers themselves are the best placed to put forward and analyse the everyday problems of Mediterranean agriculture? This kind of dialogue between IFAP farmers and the EU bodies appears to be strengthening.

It is essential that to promote Mediterranean agriculture, this awareness-raising of the EU bodies, or the “marketing of the profession” to them, should become reality through the development of concrete projects, particularly under the MEDA programme. Yet this programme does not give much importance to the agricultural sector. The situation must change.

All the proposals suggested by this Committee, consisting in reducing economic disparities, solving water problems, diversifying production for the region’s agricultural development, cannot emerge without maintaining regional and inter-regional conditions of peace and stability.

The IFAP Mediterranean Committee has always pleaded for peace and stability in the Mediterranean region and advocated strengthening regional integration between the southern European countries, North Africa and the Middle East.

Moreover, the Committee has never hesitated to meet in conflictual areas. Some historic meetings have thus marked the attempt to build peace and develop dialogue between farmers in the region.

A highly symbolical meeting that brought together Palestinians and Israelis took place in the Israeli parliament itself (CNESSET) in Jerusalem (1994), thus gathering Israeli and Palestinian farmers around the same table, together with other agricultural representatives of Arab countries.

Another meeting in Nicosia, Cyprus (1998), was of utmost importance for peacekeeping and the recommencement of dialogue between the Cypriot, Turkish and Greek Cypriot farmers’ organisations.


Consultation between farmers on both sides of the Mediterranean, participatory policy, awareness-raising of EU and international bodies to the issues at stake in Mediterranean agriculture, collaboration between farmers and researchers – such are the steps to be followed so that Mediterranean farmers can make a dignified living from their products in the future enlarged regional area.