Initiatives for responsible and sustainable nutrition in the Mediterranean
Solène PENHOAT, OCEMO
Article published in Newsletter n°16 of OCEMO, on 21 April 2016
With a view to the MedCop22, IPEMED is a partner of the programme “Initiatives for responsible and sustainable nutrition in the Mediterranean”. Nutrition, agriculture and rural development lie at the heart of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) that the United Nations Member States adopted in September 2015, and more specifically of SDG 1 (no poverty), SDG 2 (zero hunger), but also SDG 12 (responsible consumption and production).
In the context of the MedCop22, which will take place in Tangier on 18 and 19 July 2016, the Journal Résolis of the association Résolis working on research and assessment of innovative and social solutions, will publish a collective work on territorialised systems in the Mediterranean. Jean-Louis Rastoin, professor emeritus at Montpellier SupAgro, at the Unesco chair in World Food Systems, and IPEMED associate expert, presents an overview of this work.
Why is nutrition a key issue in the Mediterranean?
Jean-Louis Rastoin: Today, food insecurity is a real issue that affects all Mediterranean countries which, apart from France, Spain and Turkey, are all deficient in terms of agricultural production. In the East and in the South of the Mediterranean, dependence reaches 40 to 70% according to the countries. Mediterranean countries spend over $212 billion in the North and $75 billion in the South to buy food abroad.
Besides, malnutrition generates many health problems, with chronic diseases such as diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular diseases.
Furthermore, the current production models are not sustainable. Indeed, the lack of land resources, the increasing scarcity of water resources and the impacts of climate change jeopardise the sustainability of such models.
Faced with this alarming situation, what are the solutions?
Jean-Louis Rastoin: It is now time to look for practical solutions, through the development of Territorialised Food Systems (SAT)[1]. SAT are made up of a network of agri-food industries that meet the criteria of sustainable development. They are located in a regional geographic space and coordinated by a territorial governance. The key to their success lies in the notion of proximity. Indeed, it is necessary to encourage local distribution channels and to bring together, at the territorial scale, agriculture, crafts and food industries. Agricultural productions must be diversified by reconnecting agricultural, animal and forestry industries, according to the principles of agroecology. The combination of pulses, cereals and forests generates positive effects on the whole ecosystem. Family agriculture, made up of various sustainable sectors, is also a solution to unemployment issues and is one of the current great challenges of the Mediterranean zone.
What are the success factors of these new Territorialised Food Systems?
Jean-Louis Rastoin: Competitiveness requires to share productive resources, be they human, material or immaterial, which is encouraged by social and solidarity economy. Labels and protected geographical indications (PGIs) are also an asset as they enable a positive distinction. Today, there are over 1,500 geographical indications in Europe, but PGIs are not numerous enough in Southern and Eastern Mediterranean countries. It would be interesting to create and promote an “umbrella brand” at the Mediterranean scale, in order to ensure the promotion of Mediterranean local produces.
Finally, one of the essential keys to success lies in the reinstatement of the Mediterranean diet, the benefits of which have been known since ancient times. This diet would enable to reduce public health issues and to favour produces meant for local consumption (reconquest of the interior market) but also for exportation. It deserves an ambitious Euro-Mediterranean programme enabling to mobilise knowledge and build partnerships between public and private actors.
[1] Rastoin J.-L., 2015, Les systèmes alimentaires territorialisés : considérations théoriques et justifications empiriques [Territorialised food systems: theoretical considerations and empirical evidences], Economies et Sociétés, Série « Systèmes agroalimentaires », AG, N° 37, Isméa Les Presses, Paris