Archives: Projects

Supporting eco-innovation to reduce food waste and promote a better resource efficient economy

The ECOWASTE4FOOD project brings together seven local and regional authorities from seven countries throughout Europe to promote eco-innovations against food waste. Its ambition is to address the crucial issue of food waste, not only to stop an unacceptable situation which causes the loss of up to 30% of the agricultural production in the EU that keeps not consumed or is consumed in a wrong way regarding health concerns, but also to demonstrate that food waste could be at source of a resource efficient and environmentally friendly economy for the territories. During the four years of the project, the partners commit themselves to share their experiences in this field, in order to jointly draw up action plans to support eco-innovations via European Regional Development Funds (ERDF).

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Objectives

The overall objective of the project is to improve the partners’ policy instruments for regional development, and mainly their action plans, in their capacities to protect the environment and promote resource efficiency through the support of eco-innovation in the field of food waste.

Activities

Main ECOWASTE4FOOD activities are threefold:

• to promote exchange of experience and sharing of practices among 7 EU regions, through targeted workshops and cross-visits,
• to promote the active participation of regional stakeholders in the interregional learning process of eco-innovation in the food systems through 7 local stakeholders groups,
• to foster the preparation, implementation and monitoring of 7 Action Plans for integrating and upscaling eco-innovative and resource efficient good practices within regional policies.

Results and impact

• Characterization of the types of eco-innovations in the territories concerned
• Mobilization of stakeholders groups in the territories concerned (SMEs, consumers…)
• Capitalization and dissemination of 40 best practices eco-innovations
• Implementation of 7 action plans to support eco-innovations between 2019 and 2020
• Mobilization of the ERDF to support eco-innovations (target of EUR 20 millions)
• Recommendations to improve territorial food governance through post-2020 EU regional policies

Coordinator

CIHEAM-IAMM – France

More information

Contacts:

• Jean-Paul PELLISSIER – CIHEAM-IAMM – pellissier@iamm.fr
• Samuel FÉRET – CIHEAM-IAMM – feret@iamm.fr

Olive tree sustainable development

Socio-economic analysis of olive tree varieties market strategies, standards & norms and long term evolution of this Mediterranean tree: interactions between economic, political and biological ecosystems and strategic options for a sustainable development. 

Objectives

Promote combined approaches for analysis in both biological and social sciences:

• Identify key factors for the diversity of olive trees and oils in Kabylia (Algeria), in the Rif Area (Morocco), in South of France and in producing countries.
• Define and analyse an oleasters and cultivars collection in Marrakech and Montpellier

Activities

• Research in biology and archeo-botanics: surveys, data base and interpretation of the olive tree evolution key factors.

• Social science research: analysis of value chains, standards and stakeholders strategies notably nurseries strategies, varieties market factors and institutional norms.

• Training through research (doctoral training) and interdisciplinary approach (biology and socio-economics).

• Setting up of an observatory of olive tree in the Mediterranean with economic and ecological dimensions (France, Morocco, producing countries).

Results and impacts 

• Strengthening of interdisciplinary research and cooperation network on olive tree in the Mediterranean;

• Synergies between global olive tree collections (Cordoba, Marrakech, Izmir) and between national and regional observatories (Madrid COI, CIHEAM and national research institutes);

• Development of topics of research and training (at Masters and PhD levels).

Main publications

Ater M. (ed.), Essalouh L. (ed.), Ilbert H. (ed.), Moukhli A. (ed.), Khadari B. (ed.). (2016). L’oléiculture au Maroc de la préhistoire à nos jours : pratiques, diversité, adaptation, usages, commerce et politiques. Montpellier : CIHEAM. 215 p. (Options Méditerranéennes : Série A. Séminaires Méditerranéens; n. 118). http://om.ciheam.org/option.php?IDOM=1026

Lamani O., Ilbert H. (2016). La segmentation du marché oléicole. Quelles politiques de régulation du marché de l’huile d’olive en Algérie ? New Medit, vol 15, n.3 (September 2016), p. 19-28. http://newmedit.iamb.it/edizioni_new_medit,229,229,2016,164,1069,la-segmentation-du-marche-oleicole-quelles-politiques-de-regulation-du-marche-d%E2%80%99huile-d%E2%80%99olive-en-algerie.htm

Lamani O., Ilbert H., Khadari B. (2015). Stratégies de différenciation par l’origine des huiles d’olive en Méditerranée. Cahiers Agricultures, 01/05/2015, vol. 24, n. 3, p. 145-150. http://dx.doi.org/10.1684/agr.2015.0749

Coordinator

INRA Montpellier, Coordinateur OLIVEMED – France

More information

Source of funding: Open Science, Fondation Agropolis pour OLIVEMED ; CNRS pour EVOLEA

Contacts:

• Bouchaib Khadari, INRA, UMR AGAP, France – Responsable OLIVEMED – khadari@supagro.fr
• Jean Frédéric Terral, ISEM, UMR5554, France – Responsable EVOLEA – jean-frederic.terral@umontpellier.fr
• Hélène Ilbert, CIHEAM-IAMM, UMR MOISA, France – Responsable analyses institutions – ilbert@iamm.fr
• Ouassila Lamani, INRA-A, Algérie – Responsable analyses filières – ouassilalamani@yahoo.fr

Partners:

• COI International Oil Olive Council, Madrid – Espagne
• Inra Marrakech – Maroc
• Institut de recherche sur l’huile d’olive de Bornova, Izmir – Turquie
• Université Cadi Ayyad, Marrakech – Maroc
• INRA Alger – Algeria
• EDB, CNRS/UPS/ENFA, Toulouse – France

European Neighbourhood Programme for Agriculture and Rural Development

ENPARD is a political initiative launched by the European Union in 2011 with the aim of strengthening the partnership between the EU and neighbouring countries in the field of agricultural and rural policies and promoting sustainable agriculture and balanced territorial development as factors of stability as well as economic and social progress.

For this purpose, the idea is to build an inclusive dialogue bringing together all the groups of actors involved in agricultural and rural development at national, sub-regional and regional levels. Particular emphasis is attached on participatory and integrated approaches, notably in order to involve civil society and local actors in the identification of priority challenges and needs and in the elaboration and implementation of innovative and long-term agricultural and rural development policies.

Objectives

Through this partnership and this enhanced dialogue, the ENPARD South Support Programme pursues a threefold objective: 

• Improve living conditions in rural areas, particularly through diversification of activities;
• Increase agricultural productivity and improve the marketing of products through the valorisation of domestic production and convergence with international quality standards; 
• Strengthen the overall governance of agricultural and rural issues through the consolidation of professional organisations and institutions capacity. 

Activities

In order to support the emergence of this participatory and inclusive national dialogue, a think tank gathering representatives of all groups of actors working for rural and agricultural development is constituted in each country whose aim is to identify the main challenges and issues facing rural territories and agriculture in their respective country, to determine the needs and constraints faced by stakeholders, and to formulate proposals to policy makers to help the respective governments in adopting balanced and sustainable agricultural and rural policies.

To this end, these think-tanks, supported by the CIHEAM-IAMM team of the ENPARD South Support Programme team, regularly organise national workshops, sub-regional and regional seminars to discuss the challenges and issues previously identified with participants involved in the rural and agricultural development of the partner countries.

Capitalisation documents are drafted upstream and downstream of activities in order to fuel the debates, to enhance the discussions, to share experiences and reflections that occur during these meetings and to make operational recommendations to policy-makers.

Results and impacts

• Increase the involvement of civil society stakeholders in the formulation and implementation of agricultural and rural development policies;
• Fuel policymakers with new ideas and solutions to promote a balanced development of territories and a sustainable growth of the agricultural sector;
• Influence the formulation of the new agricultural and rural development policies through the discussions and work carried out within the framework of the program;
• Promote agriculture and the development of rural areas as central factors for the economic development in these partner countries, the improvement of the living conditions and stability of the Mediterranean basin;
• Reinstate agriculture and rural development as central issues in the cooperation between the European Union and its southern neighbourhood;
• Pre-identification and assistance in setting up pilot action programs.

Main publications

Newsletter
http://shoutout.wix.com/so/0LaX_DD_?cid=aa170433-3c04-4710-8c37-4d18ea906936#/main
Brochure
http://media.wix.com/ugd/a4c13c_5d8a9e48020b4193a953819d5fb283a0.pdf
Publication du séminaire régional
http://media.wix.com/ugd/a4c13c_0f2fc4902bfd4db78e7ff8062f49bf5e.pdf

More information

Contact

• Jean-Paul PELLISSIER – CIEAM-IAMM – pellissier@iamm.fr

Quality in Higher Education about Renewable Energies in North and West Africa

This project was built as a continuation of the QESAMED Tempus project (2013-2016). The number of Partners has been enlarged from 12 to 24, the geographical influence has been extended to new areas (Europe, North and West Africa) and a new major issue has been included: renewable energies applied to agriculture, agronomy and agri-food chains.

Sustainable access to energy is an absolute necessity in Africa to cope, among others, with climate changes. Renewable energies represent a big challenge and the rise of new environmental technologies opens innovative perspectives.

AFREQEN is an Erasmus+ “Capacity Building in Higher Education” project, which brings together 24 French-speaking partners. The project aims at enhancing the development of skills by co-developing higher education and vocational training programs focussed on the key dimensions of metrology and quality management applied to the field of renewable energies.

The CIHEAM-IAMM is in charge of the WP5: support the partners in the development of e-learning modules. It fosters production through the pooling of professional skills (video production, pedagogical engineering, sound recording, video shooting…) and the training of teams who could perpetuate the production of e-learning courses.

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Objectives

Two objectives are targeted by AFREQEN:

• Develop e-learning modules: initial (masters) and vocational training about metrology and quality management applied to the fields of renewable energies and energy efficiency.
• Support the full implementation of skills in quality management and metrology within the partner institutions, not only regarding their education programmes but also the transfer of results of research.

Activities

• Develop initial training modules in quality management and metrology applied to renewable energies;
• Build e-learning resources to target a larger public, at controlled costs  (Moocs).
• Organize workshops to mobilize the managers of the agricultural and agro-food sectors and increase their awareness about quality management and metrology issues in respect of competitiveness;
• Implement training-action sessions;
• Build a network of expertise and experience sharing;
• Support the transfer of technology and the quality certification of trainings.

Results and impacts

• Production and online availability of e-learning resources
• Institutions  with certified quality  management systems
• Research labs with strengthened skills and equipment
• Trained professionals through training-action sessions

Coordinator

Conservatoire national des arts et métiers (CNAM) – France

More information

Source of funding : UE – Erasmus+ Key action n° 2: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices – Capacity-building in the field of higher education; Call for proposals EAC/A04/2015

Contacts:

• Marc HIMBERT (CNAM), France (marc.himbert@lecnam.net)
• Luc MARTIN (CIRAD), France (luc.martin@cirad.fr)
• Pierre ARRAGON (CIHEAM-IAMM), France (fad@iamm.fr)

Total budget: 1 000 000 €

Partners :

• Ecole nationale supérieure agronomie (ENSA) ; Université Mohamed Khider de Biskra (UMBK) – Algeria
• Agence française de la francophonie (AUF) – Dir. Régionale Europe de l’Ouest – France
• Université catholique de Louvain (UCL) – Belgique
• Institut international d’ingénierie de l’eau et de l’environnement (2iE)
• Université Ouagadougou (UOUAG) – Burkina Faso
• Institut national polytechnique Houphouët-Boigny (INPHB)
• Université Félix Houphouët-Boigny (UFHB) – CI
• Universidad de La Laguna (ULL) – Espagne
• Comité africain de métrologie (CAFMET) – France
• Centre international d’études pédagogiques (CIEP) – France
• CIHEAM – Institut Agronomique Méditerranéen de Montpellier (CIHEAM-IAMM) – France
• Centre de coopération internationale en recherche agronomique pour le développement (CIRAD) – France
• Qualité en recherche et en enseignement supérieur (QuaRES) – France
  Université de Perpignan Via Domitia (UPVD) – France
• Conseil régional de l’oriental (CRO) – Maroc
• Institut agronomique vétérinaire (IAV Hassan II) – Maroc
• Université Cadi Ayyad (UCAM) – Maroc
• ENDA -Energie environnement développement ; Université Cheikh
• Anta Diop (UCAD) – Sénégal
• Université Gaston Berger (UGB) – Sénégal
• Université Carthage (UCAR) – Tunisie
• Université de Monastir (UMON) – Tunisie

Mediterranean Culinary Heritage Experiences: how to create sustainable tourist destinations?

MEDFEST is tackling the challenge of diversifying traditional ‘sun & sea’ tourism destinations, with new and sustainable products based on the rich and renowned culinary heritage of the Mediterranean.

This approach is unique because Mediterranean culinary heritage initiatives are generally unconnected and to this day there have been only few common approaches developed to integrate this culinary heritage into a sustainable tourism offer. The methodology in MEDFEST is based on participatory action planning, where three main types of stakeholders (producers, tourism organisations, policy makers) are involved and take responsibility for the project’s actions from the beginning till the end to ensure the sustainability of the results.

Objectives

MEDFEST’s general objective is to create or improve existing strategies related to sustainable tourism development within the traditional Mediterranean small-scale culinary sector.

The project aims at creating tools and instruments for designing new sustainable and alternative culinary experiences, which will be offered to visitors. 

Activities

• Create tools for enhancing sustainable tourism destinations by using culinary heritage as a resource;
• Foster the creation of eight new sustainable tourism destinations in the Mediterranean area;
• Develop a common transnational strategy on managing and planning culinary tourism in the Mediterranean area.

Results and impacts

• Increase the tourism sustainability and quality of life in the Mediterranean area;
• Diversify the tourism sector in terms of products and seasonality;
• Extend tourism development to the rural coastal hinterland;
• Safeguard the Mediterranean culinary heritage for future generations. 

More information

Source of funding: Programme InterReg Med/ fonds UE FEDER

Contacts:

• David BOLE, coordinateur, ZRC-SAZU, Slovenia, david.bole@zrc-sazu.si
• Fatima EL HADAD-GAUTHIER, Teacher-researcher, CIHEAM-IAMM, France, elhadad@iamm.fr

Total budget: 2 218 473 €

Partners:

• Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Art (ZRC SAZU) – Slovénie
• Associazione Svilupo Rurale (ASR) – Italie
• Ecole d’Ingénieur de Purpan (EI PURPAN) – France
• Université de Barcelone (UB) – Espagne
• Associação In Loco – Portugal
• Agence pour le développement rural de l’Istria Ltd. (AZRRI) – Croatie
• Technical Institute of Heraklion Chamber (TIHC) – Grèce
• Τroodos Network Thematic Centers (DITHEKET) – Chypre
• CIHEAM-IAMM is part of the 11 additional associated partners – France

High Nature Value farming: Learning, Innovation and Knowledge

High nature value (HNV) farmland defines areas in Europe where agricultural activities support and are associated with exceptionally high biodiversity. These areas are an important component of European agriculture not only for their natural values but also for cultural heritage, quality products and rural employment. Such farming is practised most frequently in areas where natural constraints prevent intensive production. They mainly, but not exclusively, involve low-intensity livestock farming.

The HNV Link project network focuses on innovations that increase the socio-economic viability of HNV farming while maintaining natural values of HNV farmland, including ecosystem services provided to the society. The project links the partners into a peer-learning process and harnesses their innovation expertise for use in other HNV farmland regions.

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Objectives

HHigh Nature Value Farming: Learning, Innovation and Knowledge (HNV-Link) is a 13-partner network dedicated to developing and sharing innovations that support HNV farming systems and communities by simultaneously improving their socio-economic viability and environmental efficiency.

Activities

The project is implemented in 10 so called “learning areas”, where HNV farming systems are prevalent and where appropriate innovations have been made to sustainably maintain HNV farmland. Innovations are not only technical and commercial but also social, institutional and regulatory.

The following activities are developed:

• Assess the current situation of HNV farming systems (evolution dynamics, challenges);
• Collect and evaluate innovation examples from the grassroots and innovation gaps;
• Engage key actors across a shared HNV farming vision;
• Organise an “Innovation Fair” to foster peer learning among partners
• Arrange cross visits of practitioners to learn from the field
• Disseminate the innovations and lessons learnt to engage farmers groups, advisors, researchers and other actors beyond the 10 learning areas. 

Results and impacts

• Edition of an Atlas of innovations feasible within HNV farming areas
• Peer learning and innovation transfers between partners
• Strengthened network of HNV farming actors
• Scientific and policy papers on HNV farming
• Package of educational material exposing educators and students alike to HNV concepts, challenges and opportunities.

Coordinator

CIHEAM – Institut Agronomique Méditerranéen de Montpellier (CIHEAM-IAMM) – France

More information

Source of funding : European Commission, H2020 programme

Contacts :

• François LERIN – CIHEAM-IAMM, France, coordonnateur, contact@iamm.fr
• Claire BERNARD-MONGIN – CIHEAM-IAMM, chargée de projet, contact@iamm.fr
• Maïté PUIG DE MORALES – CIHEAM-IAMM, gestion financière, puigdemorales@iamm.fr
• Virginie AVIGNON – CIHEAM-IAMM, assistante, avignon@iamm.fr

Total budget: 2 200 000 €

Partners :

• European Forum on Nature Conservation and Pastoralism (EFNCP) – R.-U.
• Université d’Evora, Instituto de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais Mediterrânicas – Portugal
• Université des Sciences Agronomiques et de Médecine Vétérinaire de Cluj Napoca (USAMV) – Roumanie
• Society for Territorial and Environmental Prosperity (STEP) – Bulgarie
• County Administrative Board of Västra Götaland – Suède
• Application des Sciences de l‘Action (AScA) – France
• Sligo Institute of Technology, (IT Sligo) – Irlande
• Université de Thessaly (UTH) – Grèce
• Université d’Helsinki – Finlande
• Local action group LAG 5 – Croatie
• Conservatoire d’Espaces Naturels Languedoc-Roussillon (CEN-LR) – France
• Fundación Entretantos – Espagne