The Committee Activities’ Summary

7th Session IFAP Mediterranean Committee. Algiers, Algeria, 4 -5 February, 2003
Presented by Nora Ourabah, Secretary of the Mediterranean Committee

The decision to establish a Mediterranean Committee was made in May 1990 at the IFAP World Congress held in Trondheim, Norway, in the wake of a formal decision adopted at a meeting of its Executive Committee organized in collaboration with the Centre International des Hautes Études Agronomiques Méditerranéennes (CIHEAM) held on February 20 and 21, 1990. The Mediterranean Committee’s constitution was made official at the meeting in Rome in 1992.


IFAP has always advocated peace and stability in the Mediterranean region and the strengthening of regional integration between the countries of Southern Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.


The IFAP Mediterranean Committee was established in order to meet these objectives. It is bolstering its activities through:
- follow-up to the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership (the Barcelona Process);
- the broadening of IFAP’s presence in the region.

Mediterranean Committee meetings and key themes broached

  • Constituent meeting of the Mediterranean Committee held on January 7, 1992 in Rome
  • First meeting: Cairo, April 1993
    - Elaboration of the general program
  • Session 1: Antalya, Turkey, September 7 and 8, 1993
    Themes broached:
    - Sustainable agriculture and water management
    - Strategies to strengthen food security and agricultural trade in order to foster economic development
    - Human resource development
  • Session 2: Jerusalem, Israel, December 11, 1994
    General theme: Agriculture in the Mediterranean region
    Specific theme: Water in the Near East: from confrontation to cooperation
  • Session 3: Lisbon, Portugal, November 3, 1995
    Themes:
    - Agriculture in the Mediterranean basin: reports from member organizations
    - Preparations by the IFAP Mediterranean Committee in anticipation of the Euro-Mediterranean Ministerial Conference held on November 27 and 28, 1995 in Barcelona
    - Establishment of the Mediterranean Committee’s work plan
  • Session 4: Rabat, Morocco, March 9 and 10, 1997
    Themes:
    - Moroccan agriculture
    - An overview of Mediterranean agriculture
    - European-Mediterranean cooperation (agricultural trade, development and cooperation)
    - Rio +5 environment and development (contribution by Mediterranea    n farmers to Rio +5 sessions)
  • Session 5: Nicosia, Cyprus, October 26 and 27, 1998
    This session assembled Greek and Turkish Cypriot agricultural organizations.
    Key theme: water
    Other themes broached:
    - Cypriot agriculture and water problems
    - An overview of Mediterranean agriculture
    - Cooperation between Mediterranean farmers
  • Session 6: Seville, Spain, November 16 and 17, 2000
    This event made it possible to revitalize IFAP activities in the Mediterranean region and cooperation between various interveners there.
    Key theme: trade in agri-food products in the Mediterranean zone, especially existing regulations governing bilateral agreements between intermediate countries and the European Union.

The Mediterranean Committee’s priorities

1. An integrated approach to Mediterranean agriculture aimed at sustainable development and the establishment of a coherent policy

At the first Committee meeting, held in 1993 in Cairo, the members first observed:

- the failure by international development policies to acknowledge the needs of the Mediterranean region overall and, indeed, the specific needs of each Mediterranean country;

- conflicts of interest between various countries in the Mediterranean basin often stem from disparities in economic development, environmental factors and conflicting demands for water;

- agricultural growth rates are limited in relation to other economic sectors, which has led to a massive rural exodus and, consequently, the marginalization of rural and farm populations. Moreover, national policies that encourage industrialization to the detriment of agricultural development are engendering food dependency exacerbated by demographic growth and food insecurity.

Consequently, the Mediterranean Committee decided that its objective in this respect would be to focus on agricultural development in the region in order to mitigate disparities, especially between the northern and southern Mediterranean countries, by emphasizing the complementary nature of crops. In order to reduce conflicting competition, the Committee deemed it urgent to solve three priority, interrelated problems, indicated below.


-1- Productive diversification: The Mediterranean Basin now produces vegetables, fruits, oil and wine. The products mature at more or less the same times and almost all of them are destined for the same markets. Consequently, competition is stiff since production costs vary considerably from one country to the next, depending on the level of socio-economic development.

-2- Quality improvement, at two levels, i.e. health and the typical nature of the territory. The second aspect, which is inextricably linked to the first one, is that of quality. Various factors characterize quality, the most important ones being health and the typical nature of the territory.

The typical nature of the territory is essential since a product from a given region may differ from the same product from another region, either because climatic conditions are different or production processes differ in light of regional traditions and cultures.


-3- The availability of water: The third factor is the availability of water. It is impossible to seriously pursue commitments to diversify output and enhance quality and the typical nature of the territory without making available to farmers sufficient water at specified times geared to the production cycle. Water must be considered, now and in the future, as the main problem to solve in order to foster the diversification and enhancement of quality and the typical nature of the territory.



Integration of problems facing Mediterranean agriculture with respect to European and international institutions


Since its inception, the Mediterranean Committee has constantly focused on the development of Mediterranean agriculture and its specific nature, in order to restore farming to its rightful place in conjunction with the Euro-Mediterranean partnerships and, in particular, in anticipation of the establishment by 2010 of the free trade zone, the biggest of its kind, since it would encompass 40 or so countries and 600 million to 800 million inhabitants.


The Barcelona Ministerial Conference, November 1995


The IFAP secretariat drafted a declaration by farmers and agricultural organizations in the Mediterranean Basin submitted to the Barcelona Ministerial Conference in November 1995, which laid the foundations for the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership. The declaration focused on four key themes.

  • Recognition of the agriculture sector
    - Recognition of the importance of the Conference as a means of initiating talks between representatives of the basin, encouraging cooperation and promoting development;
    - The key role played by the agriculture sector in respect of peace and stability in the region;
    - The need for agricultural cooperation and the establishment of a permanent forum to ensure follow-up to the Barcelona Conference, which should be carried out in collaboration with government, technical, research and advisory institutions and the member agricultural organizations of the IFAP Mediterranean Committee;
    - The importance of strengthening agricultural organizations, including prospects for the political development of farmers;
    - The development of the culture, traditions and values of farmers and rural communities.

  • The rebalancing of levels of development in northern and southern Mediterranean countries
    - The need for joint development programs to overcome interregional disparities;
    - The rebalancing of internal and external needs to ensure food self-sufficiency through more extensive coordination of agricultural trade. This process should involve government bodies, agricultural organizations and research institutes;
    - The need to promote policies focusing on the quality, diversification and specialization of crops, in order to reduce interregional competition.

  • The environment and natural resource management
    - The management of water resources;
    - The need for a single authority in each country that would accept proposals from farmers, assess the water needs of the agriculture sector, and preserve and manage this precious resource.

  • Strengthening relations
    - Strengthen ties with research agencies and initiate collaboration with other agencies of interest to the farming community;
    - Engage in research initiatives geared to the demands of the agriculture sector in the realms of production and quality, with a view to protecting farmers’ incomes;
    - The need for training, technical assistance and agricultural advisory services aimed at farmers in the Mediterranean Basin;
    - The need for exchanges on information and training between agricultural organizations;
    - Interregional exchange programs between farmers.

Euro-Mediterranean Conference on Agriculture: Strasbourg, France, June 14 and 15, 2001

Given the complexity of the Mediterranean agriculture sector, the implementation of a Euro-Mediterranean Conference on Mediterranean Agriculture is essential in order to draw attention to the problems of Mediterranean farmers, facilitate the exchange of information and allow for communications between different regions in the basin. The efforts over many years of Giuseppe Avolio, former committee chairman and instigator of this project, have borne fruit. For the first time in the history of the IFAP Mediterranean Committee, a Euro-Mediterranean Conference on Agriculture was held in partnership with the European Parliament and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on June 14 and 15, 2001 in Strasbourg, in the two institutions’ premises. The gathering assembled 160 participants, including 44 farmers from IFAP.

The event revolutionized the customs of European bodies since it assembled in the same room parliamentarians and farmers. The main objective of this initiative was to recognize the specific nature of Mediterranean agriculture by making it a priority sector in European policy. The conference encouraged both parliamentarians and agricultural organizations to reflect on a new development strategy in which Mediterranean agriculture would play a central role in decision-making.

This dialogue is necessary in light of the multifunctional nature of agriculture, the restructuring of the Common Agriculture Policy, the expansion of the European Union, and the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership Agreement. The place of the southern Mediterranean Basin countries must be clearly defined and taken into account, especially at a time when the European Union is preparing to expand eastward.

The IFAP Mediterranean Committee renewed its proposal to establish a permanent advisory committee comprising the IFAP Mediterranean Committee, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the European Parliament, which would meet on a regular, but as yet undetermined basis. This permanent forum would underpin dialogue stemming from follow-up in respect of the Barcelona Process.


Presentation of the agriculture sector in various countries

During the Committee’s sessions, presentations were made on the agriculture sector in a number of countries.

2. The protection of natural resources, including water, is a daunting problem for Mediterranean agriculture


At the Cairo session, delegates acknowledged the need for an interdisciplinary, integrated approach to water management. This approach makes it possible to take into account the complex interaction of socio-economic factors.

Aside from demographic pressure, which only exacerbates imbalances in supply and demand with regard to water, a lack of organization and a failure to assess farmers’ needs are also contributing to the problem.

Two key approaches are possible to solve this problem, i.e. an increase in water supply by means of techniques such as desalinization, or sound management of demand. While the first approach is conceivable, committee members decided to emphasize the second approach.

The management of demand would be carried out by fostering research, training, advisory services and the establishment of water users’ associations whose objective would be to assess each group of users’ water needs.


Concerns of the Mediterranean Committee at the World Summit on Sustainable Development

The question of water, which has always been one of the Mediterranean Committee’s priority concerns, was pinpointed by the IFAP Executive Committee as a key theme in agriculture that warrants urgent attention. To this end, IFAP decided to participate in several international events, including the International Conference on Freshwater held in November 2001 in Bonn, in anticipation of the World Summit on Sustainable Development (August 26 to September 4, 2002).

The Mediterranean Committee’s ideas concerning water have been largely expressed and reiterated by various IFAP delegations at international events. The International Conference on Freshwater’s conclusions reflect the viewpoints of IFAP farmers in general and the Mediterranean Committee in particular.

It has been suggested that each country establish a single water authority, with a view to setting up a single international authority that would set rules valid for all, i.e. defined as principles by the UN, governing the search for, distribution and cost of water, including the definition of priorities. For many years, at sessions in Cairo, Antalya, Malta, Cyprus and, more recently, Seville and Strasbourg, the IFAP Mediterranean Committee and the Council of Europe have formulated precise proposals in this respect.

3. Development and strengthening of links between research bodies and farmers


At various sessions, the members of the Mediterranean Committee have agreed that development and research must take into account farmers’ needs. Consequently, the Committee is advocating that links between research bodies and farmers be strengthened. Farmers and researchers must work together to find solutions to important questions such as competition on agricultural markets, movements of capital and problems stemming from the migration of populations, imbalances in agricultural policies, and natural resource management.

The consideration of the viewpoints of rural communities, which know better than anyone their concerns and needs, must be reflected in the formulation of development programs devoted to training and resource management. Rural communities must not, under any circumstances, be marginalized.

The IFAP Mediterranean Committee has collaborated since its inception with the Centre International des Hautes Études Agronomiques Méditerranéennes (CIHEAM), which has participated in each of its meetings. This agency, which specializes in agricultural research in the Mediterranean area, has always indicated to the Mediterranean Committee its willingness to provide documentation and extensive data on various topics of interest to Committee members.


4. Peace and stability in the Mediterranean Basin


One of the key objectives of the IFAP Mediterranean Committee, which distinguishes it in IFAP, is to encourage exchanges and dialogue between agricultural organizations, despite conflicts in several countries in the region. The Committee’s proposals to reduce economic disparities, solve water shortages, and diversify crops in order to develop agriculture in the region cannot be achieved without maintaining regional and interregional peace and stability. Delegates have unanimously agreed at various Committee sessions to denounce the waste stemming from war and condemn any form of violence toward farmers and their families.

For this reason, farm representatives of the Mediterranean countries have always expressed their willingness to strengthen cooperation in order to contribute to peace. The Committee has never hesitated to meet in conflict-torn areas. Two noteworthy events warrant mention and are an integral part of the Mediterranean Committee’s history.

The second session in Jerusalem, Israel on December 11, 1994 is highly symbolic since it took place in the Israeli Parliament (Knesset) in Jerusalem and assembled Israeli and Palestinian farmers and other farm representatives from the Arab nations.

The fifth session in Nicosia, Cyprus on October 26 and 27, 1998 was of crucial importance in maintaining peace and reviving dialogue between Turkish Cypriot (KTCB) and Greek Cypriot (EKA) agricultural organizations.

Prior to the session, the chairman of the Mediterranean Committee visited the UN buffer zone in Cyprus to bring together representatives of the two agricultural organizations accompanied by a UN representative, the first meeting in over 20 years of Greek and Turkish Cypriots. The fifth session of the Mediterranean Committee was held the following year in Nicosia. It assembled, among other bodies, the KTCB and EKA, which have since maintained regular relations.

Following this meeting, the members of the Mediterranean Committee submitted a request to the United Nations in order to reaffirm the importance that the IFAP Mediterranean Committee attaches to the role played by organizations in civil society in promoting peace:

Non-hindrance to Co-operation among Civil Society Organisations even in cases of Political Tension or Conflict”.

Civil society organisations, if they so wish, have the right to meet, discuss and collaborate with each other under any circumstance, even in a situation of intense conflict, broken diplomatic relations or non-recognition, or of war.”

This recommendation was incorporated into the IFAP background paper entitled “The Role of Farmers,” chapter 32 of Agenda 21, drafted for the World Summit on Sustainable Development. The paper was submitted to the United Nations and is available on its Web site (www.un.org) in the organization’s official languages.

On the occasion of IFAP’s 50th anniversary, the UN Secretary General sent a message of congratulations in which he expressed his gratitude for the Mediterranean Committee’s efforts to promote peace in the Mediterranean area, through agricultural organizations.


5. Strengthening the presence of the region’s agricultural organizations on the Mediterranean Committee


Since its inception, the IFAP Mediterranean Committee has made every effort to strengthen its presence around the Mediterranean Basin by welcoming new organizations or reintegrating former members, in particular:

- the Union des Pequenos Agricultores in Spain, which joined IFAP in 2000 and subsequently convened the sixth session of the Mediterranean Committee in Seville in November 2000;
- the Chambre Nationale d’Agriculture d’Algérie, which joined IFAP in the wake of its initial participation in the sixth session in 2001;
- the Union Tunisienne de l’Agriculture et de la Pêche, which joined IFAP in 2000;
- the Malta Agriculture Lobby, which joined IFAP in 2001, after participating in the Euro-Mediterranean Conference on Agriculture held in June 2001 in Strasbourg;
- the Jordan Farmers' Union, which joined IFAP in 2002 following its initial participation in the Mediterranean Committee’s deliberations at the special session held in June 2001 in Strasbourg.

The Committee contacted new Mediterranean agricultural organizations in order to initiate new collaboration with IFAP:

- the Fédération des Chambres de Commerce, d’Industrie et d’Agriculture du Liban (FCCIAL), which participated in the Euro-Mediterranean meeting in June 2001 in Strasbourg and subsequently invited the chairman of the Mediterranean Committee and the Secretariat to visit Lebanon in February 2002. The Secretariat is seeking to strengthen relations between the two organizations and to encourage the FCCIAL to join IFAP.

- IFAP accepted an invitation from the Union Générale des Paysans Syriens to participate in its 9th General Conference, held in March 2001 in Damascus. IFAP is maintaining cordial relations with the Syrian farmers’ movement and will seek in the future to broaden collaboration with the organization and encourage it to join IFAP. Syria is a major farming country that merits expressing itself through the IFAP Mediterranean Committee.

Avenues to be consolidated in the future

The IFAP Secretariat is proposing an action plan based on achievements at previous sessions that will underpin the establishment of a new plan, following discussions in this respect.


1 – The Mediterranean agenda at the international level

Continue to put forward problems specific to the Mediterranean region at major international meetings. In particular, ensure that representatives of Mediterranean farmers are heard at the 3rd World Water Forum to be held in Kyoto March 16- 23, 2003.

Similarly, in conjunction with its environmental and sustainable development initiatives, IFAP is participating in a desertification task force that is conducting an awareness campaign focusing on the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). It is understood that desertification encompasses biophysical and socio-economic factors.

Since the Mediterranean zone is one of the areas hardest hit by desertification, the problem should be treated more explicitly by the Mediterranean Committee, which could link its reflections to IFAP’s deliberations in this regard. The members of the Mediterranean Committee could participate in international events pertaining to the UNCCD.


2 – Forum to discuss Mediterranean and Euro-Mediterranean agricultural policies


The main objective of the IFAP Mediterranean Committee is to ensure that Mediterranean agriculture receives the attention it warrants, especially in Euro-Mediterranean partnership agreements.

The Mediterranean Committee must continue to act as a forum to discuss agricultural policies by keeping abreast of Euro-Mediterranean partnership agreements and other topics of current interest to the region. The idea of implementing a permanent forum following the example of the Euro-Mediterranean Conference on Agriculture held in the European Parliament in Strasbourg must be pursued. Relations with the agricultural committees of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and with the European Parliament must be consolidated.


3 – Develop cooperation between the northern and southern Mediterranean Basin countries

Cooperation through technology transfers is necessary to rebalance economic disparities between the northern and southern Mediterranean Basin countries. The permanent framework for Euro-Mediterranean dialogue should also be used to exert pressure on European bodies and ensure that MEDA programs are accessible to agricultural organizations and farmers.

Markets and trade
The secretariat is proposing to conduct a study based on declarations made at the Lisbon and Seville sessions concerning trade in agri-food products in the Mediterranean zone. The study would seek to quantify the types of output exported and imported by countries in the basin. Data concerning periods of exporting would also be useful in order to overcome the problem of competition between similar products that reach markets at the same time.

Moreover, it would endeavour to pinpoint factors that foster competition, e.g. prices, production costs, quality and the typical nature of the territory, subsidies, preservation, transportation, and adaptation of output to demand. This analysis is intended to ensure the complementary nature of agricultural trade in the Mediterranean zone.

This study could be carried out in collaboration with the CIHEAM and any other research agency likely to provide extensive data on the topic.


4 – Maintaining peace and stability in the region

The members of the Mediterranean Committee must continue to engage in discussions and exchange information on their respective countries and regions, despite the political problems that are rife in some areas of the Mediterranean Basin. Farmers must act together in order to maintain and ensure the survival of farming.


5 – Management of water resources

The Mediterranean Committee must develop management strategies centred on demand for water and organisation through river basins. Interested members of the Mediterranean Committee could submit project proposals to members of the Dialogue on Water, Food and the Environment, of which IFAP is a member representing farmers, and in which the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) is a leader, to take advantage of technical and financial support.


6- Continue to broaden IFAP’s presence in the region

The IFAP Mediterranean Committee must continue to make known  its activities among agricultural organizations in the region that are not or are no longer members of IFAP in order to encourage them to join IFAP.