Steering change together: the UfM, FAO and CIHEAM renew partnership for more sustainable agrifood systems in the Mediterranean

22 January 2025. The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM) have reaffirmed their commitment to transforming agrifood systems in the Mediterranean region by renewing their Memorandum of Understanding. Originally signed in 2021, this partnership has already achieved remarkable progress in contributing to agrifood systems transformation efforts in the Mediterranean, and its renewal reaffirms the partners’ shared ambition to drive further progress on the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.

A strategic collaboration

The Mediterranean region is a microcosm of global agrifood system challenges, facing intersecting pressures from climate change, demographic shifts and economic fragilities. Recognizing this, the renewed partnership will continue to focus on key areas such as: policy dialogue, research, capacity development, advocacy and awareness.

Since 2021, the three signatories have joined forces in the SFS-MED Platform, a multistakeholder initiative (and affiliated project of the One Planet Network’s Sustainable Food Systems Programme) fostering an innovative regional approach to agrifood systems transformation through a network for shared learning in response to existing agrifood challenges. Under this initiative, the SFS-MED partnership convened regional UN Food Systems Summit (UNFSS) dialogues in 2021, which brought together National Convenors and key stakeholders, and published a stocktaking report based on lessons from the UNFSS dialogues in the region. From 2022 to 2024, the partnership implemented a series of technical webinars, providing a space for knowledge sharing on the trends, priorities and challenges emerged as common to most countries in the Mediterranean, which resulted in the publication of a digital tool, offering actionable insights for stakeholders. Last but not least, the SFS-MED initiative published two executive briefs, in 2021 and 2024, outlining pathways for agrifood systems transformation and cooperation in the Mediterranean.

Looking ahead: UN Food Systems Summit +4 and beyond

With the upcoming UN Food Systems Summit +4, the partnership aims to enable regional contributions to the global agenda by leveraging its existing platforms and networks. Planned activities include enhancing the continued support to the SFS-MED Platform and its activities, with a focus on multistakeholder collaboration, knowledge generation and shared learning.

FAO’s technical expertise, CIHEAM’s research and capacity-building networks and UfM’s political outreach, converge in the renewed MoU, reflecting a holistic approach to agrifood systems transformation, advancing sustainable production and consumption, improved nutrition, a healthier environment and a better life for all in the Mediterranean.