The dynamics of land, water and seed resources in Mediterranean agriculture
The populations of the 11 south and east Mediterranean countries in the south and east of the Mediterranean that are not members of the EU rose to 290 million inhabitants in 2010. In 2030, the next generation will have added approximately 75 million (mostly young) people. One of the major challenges will be to manage the crucial issue of food security, not only for public health, but for political stability.
Mediterranean agriculture is subject to significant constraints like land exploitation, water shortages and the technological gap. Production factor resources to improve food security are thus rare. SEMCs must optimize the use of natural resources (land and water), and improve the inflow of agricultural supplies (seeds, fertilizer and equipment) while instigating new production concepts that integrate the constraints of climate change and sustainable development.
Two instruments are concerned with the issue of food security in the Mediterranean: the Euro-Mediterranean Free Trade Area (EMFTA) and the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
The EMFTA was envisioned by the 1995 Barcelona agreements in the form of bilateral conventions (EU-SEMC), and should have been completed by 2005. EMFTA should have included an agricultural component covering agricultural and food products. However, the free trade doctrine founded on standard economic theory did not anticipate that South and East Mediterranean Countries (SEMCs) would not be ready for free trade without assistance. We therefore need to consider new approaches.
The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) has proved efficient in providing food security. The 2010 CAP budget was over 56 billion euro. This corresponded to around €350 per hectare of which 65% was direct aid, and to €80 /ha for rural... 
Demonstrate the benefits of Euro-Mediterranean agricultural integration by estimating the economic, social, and environmental costs/advantages of non-integration into the Euro-Mediterranean, as well as the consequential geopolitical impact – by combining the following factors - :
- International commerce: balance sheet of agricultural and agro-business trade flows 1990-2010 and perspectives for 2021. Progress of agricultural and agro-alimentary negotiations in the EMFTA.
- Agricultural policy instruments: Effects on the CAP of SEMC enlargement, based on two scenarios for the CAP 2014-2021. The economic (turnover), social (employment) and environmental impacts on the SEMCs.
- Modes of governance: Identification of levers for the creation of a Euro-Mediterranean agricultural and agro-business component of the CAP.
May 2011 : Progress report on the methodology and initial results
30/05/2011 : Seminar to present progress report
October 2011 : Final report
Professor Emeritus Montpellier SupAgro, UMR 1110 Moisa
Agronomist, PhD in economics and management science associate, Jean-Louis Rastoin teaches economics and business management SupAgro. Founder and director of the joint research unit Ciheam-Iamm/Cirad/Inra/IRD/Montpellier SupAgro, he was advisor to the Ministry of Agriculture of Brazil and head of Renault Agriculture SA Plan. He chaired for six years the International Association of Food and agribusiness (AIEA2). It is national correspondent of the Academy of Agriculture in France.
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