Mediterranean Work Group

Presentation

The initial objective of networking in the Mediterranean Animal Production was to improve consultation and dialogue around the mutual understanding of the challenges of researchers in the region. The EAAP Mediterranean Working Group has been formed under this context with the cooperation of EAAP, FAO and CIHEAM.

Aim

The Mediterranean WG is an EAAP-FAO-CIHEAM Group devoted to dealing with scientific and development issues related to animal production in the Mediterranean basin. Its aim is to discuss the Mediterranean livestock issues in a broad perspective that can lead to new ideas for research and development programs in the region and to increase the attractiveness of EAAP for researchers on both sides of the Mediterranean Sea.

The MWG held a meeting on December 14 2020. In the meeting the WG members reviewed the activities carried out since the last physical EAAP Council meeting in Ghent (2 years) and agreed on the plan for the next period. The Members of the WG had regular contacts following up the agreed activities.

Publications

One of the activities of the Mediterranean Work Group is the organization of a Mediterranean symposium held periodically in a selected Mediterranean location. It is a major event where common problems and historic cases of the area are discussed with involvement of the scientists and stakeholders of the region. The Proceedings of the meetings are published within the EAAP Scientific Series.

• MWG  publication of the articles of the EAAP virtual session 2020
  https://om.ciheam.org/option.php?IDOM=1040
• 2010, Zadar (Croatia) Animal farming and environmental interactions in the Mediterranean region
  EAAP Scientific Series, Volume 131, Editors I. Casasus, J. Rogosić, A. Rosati, I. Stoković and D. Gabiña
  https://doi.org/10.3920/978-90-8686-741-7
• 2008, Corte (France), New Trends for Innovation in the Mediterranean animal production
  EAAP Scientific Series, Volume 129, Wageningen Academic Publishers, 2009. Editors R. Bouche, A. Derkimba and F. Casabianca
  https://doi.org/10.3920/978-90-8686-726-4
• 2005, Fonte Boa (Portugal). Animal products from the Mediterranean area
  EAAP Publication. No. 119. EAAP Scientific Series. Wageningen Academic Publishers, 2006.
  Editors J. M. C. Ramalho Ribeiro, A. E. M. Horta, C. Mosconi and A. Rosati
  https://doi.org/10.3920/978-90-8686-568-0
• 2003, Ioannina (Greece) Animal production and natural resources utilisation in the Mediterranean mountain areas
  EAAP Publication. No. 115. EAAP Scientific Series. Wageningen Academic Publishers, 2005.
  Editors: A. Georgoudis, A. Rosati and C. Mosconi
  https://doi.org/10.3920/978-90-8686-561-1
• 2001, Hammamet (Tunisia), Prospects for a sustainable dairy sector in the Mediterranean
  EAAP Publication. No. 99 EAAP Scientific Series. Wageningen Academic Publishers, 2003.
  http://www.wageningenacademic.com/Default.asp?pageid=58&docid=16&artdetail=Eaap99&webgroupfilter=&
• 1998, Agadir (Morocco), Livestock and climate uncertainty
  EAAP Publication. No. 94. EAAP Scientific Series. Wageningen Academic Publishers, 2000
  http://www.wageningenacademic.com/Default.asp?pageid=58&docid=16&artdetail=Eaap94&webgroupfilter=&
• 1996, Badajoz (Spain), Basis of the quality of typical Mediterranean animal product
  EAAP Publication. No. 85. EAAP Scientific Series. Wageningen Academic Publishers, 1998
  http://www.wageningenacademic.com/Default.asp?pageid=58&docid=16&artdetail=Eaap90&webgroupfilter=&
• 1995, Benevento (Italy), International Symposium on Mediterranean animal germplasm and future human challenges
  EAAP Publication. No. 90. EAAP Scientific Series. Wageningen Academic Publishers, 1997
  http://www.wageningenacademic.com/Default.asp?pageid=58&docid=16&artdetail=Eaap85&webgroupfilter=&
• 1994, Thessaloniki (Greece), The optimal exploitation of marginal Mediterranean areas by extensive ruminant production systems
  EAAP Publication. No. 93. EAAP Scientific Series. Wageningen Academic Publishers, 1996
  http://www.wageningenacademic.com/Default.asp?pageid=58&docid=16&artdetail=Eaap83&webgroupfilter=&
• 1993, Evora (Portugal), Animal production and rural tourism in Mediterranean regions
  EAAP Publication. No. 74. EAAP Scientific Series. Wageningen Academic Publishers, 1996
  http://www.wageningenacademic.com/Default.asp?pageid=58&docid=16&artdetail=Eaap74&webgroupfilter=&
• 1992, Cairo (Egypt) Prospects of buffalo production in the Mediterranean and in the Middle East
  EAAP Publication. No. 62. EAAP Scientific Series. Wageningen Academic Publishers, 1994
  http://www.wageningenacademic.com/Default.asp?pageid=58&docid=16&artdetail=Eaap62&webgroupfilter=&
• 1991, Adana (Turkey), Production of hides, skins, wool and hair
  EAAP Publication. No. 56. EAAP Scientific Series. Wageningen Academic Publishers, 1994
  http://www.wageningenacademic.com/Default.asp?pageid=58&docid=16&artdetail=Eaap56&webgroupfilter=&
• 1990, Rabat (Morocco). Livestock in the Mediterranean cereal production systems
  EAAP Publication. No. 49. EAAP Scientific Series. Wageningen Academic Publishers, 1994
  http://www.wageningenacademic.com/Default.asp?pageid=58&docid=16&artdetail=Eaap49&webgroupfilter=&

Other activities

One of the aims of the Mediterranean WG is to enhance collaboration in research and education within countries of the Mediterranean basin. Therefore, the WG participates both in educational programs and other scientific meetings held by other networks in the area.

2. Technical Workshop
    We continued the discussions on the Workshop to reinforce cooperation within region and strengthen existing capacities for the conservation and management of AnGR and in connection with ERFP and FAO. The physical Workshop planned for spring 2020, was canceled due to the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. We worked on a first assessment of the situation of AnGR documentation in the region (as a starting point of a work by distance on these aspects) (members of the WG: Ligda, Hadjipavlou, Djemali).
   We plan to organize a web meeting in cooperation with CIHEAM, FAO and ERFP in 2022, following this preliminary work.
3. Discussion on the future evolution of the WG
   E-mail exchanges and preliminary discussions were carried out. A first draft on the MWG new orientations (concerning the role of the EAAP MWG in the Mediterranean region (Livestock sector  / Research / Communication to the society) is under discussion.
4. Communication
   The WG aims to increase our communication with researchers and other stakeholders / use existing tools (i.e. EAAP Newsletter and website to promote topics relevant with the Mediterranean region and also the MWG activities).
   Some suggestions are to organise webinars on specific topics of interest in the Mediterranean region, mainly addressed to postgraduate students.
   MWG – through EAAP- could ask for input from research units on animal production, within Mediterranean countries, on how the MWG could promote collaboration or the setup of a platform for exchanging views on common issues and common research approaches for topics of interest.

2019-2021

The MWG has regular contacts with CIHEAM to explore possibilities for cooperation (Scientific Sessions, Conferences, publications, involvement of young scientists from Southern Mediterranean countries). CIHEAM is represented in the WG (A. Lopez).

MWG members seek for means to enhance cooperation (i.e. currently there is collaboration within members of the WG in specific projects (ARIMNET and PRIMA). We examine possible interaction as a WG with approved PRIMA projects.

MWG updated the information on the relevant page of the EAAP official Website.

2015

Joint Seminar of the Subnetworks on Nutrition and on Production Systems of the FAO-CIHEAM Network for Research and Development in Sheep and Goats, 2015/06/16-18, Montpellier (France) .

Napoléone M. (ed.), Ben Salem H. (ed.), Boutonnet J.P. (ed.), López-Francos A. (ed.), Gabiña D. (ed.). Zaragoza : CIHEAM, 2016. 705 p. (Options Méditerranéennes : Série A. Séminaires Méditerranéens; n. 115). http://om.ciheam.org/om/pdf/a115/a115.pdf

2013

Joint Meeting of the Mountain Pastures, Mediterranean Forage Resources (FAO/ESCORENA –CIHEAM) and Mountain Cheese Networks .Clermont-Ferrand (France), 24-26 June 2013. “Forage resources and ecosystem services provided by Mountain and Mediterranean grasslands and rangelands”,

“Environmental Assessment of Livestock Production Systems”. Advanced course IAMZ-CIHEAM, EU–FP7 RedNEx, MedWG EAAP, CITA, INIA. Zaragoza (Spain), 15-20 April 2013. Coordination of the course.

17^th Meeting of the FAO-CIHEAM Mountain Pastures Network “Pastoralism and ecosystem conservation”, Trivero (Italia), 5-7 June 2013. Participation in Scientific Committee

8^th International Seminar of the FAO-CIHEAM Network on Sheep and Goats Sub-Network on Production Systems “Technology creation and transfer in small ruminants: roles of research, development services and farmer associations”. Tánger (Morocco) 11-13 June 2013. Participation in Scientific Committee

2011

16^th Meeting of the FAO-CIEHAM Mountain Pastures Network “Contribution of the mountain pastures to European agriculture and environment”, Kraków (Polonia), 25-27 May 2011. Participation in Scientific Committee

2010

7^th International Seminar FAO-CIHEAM Network on Sheep and Goats, Sub-Network on Production Systems “Economic, social and environmental sustainability in sheep and goat production systems”. Zaragoza, 10-12 November 2010. Participation in Scientific Committee

Future plans

The MWG work  is based on the voluntary engagement of its members and has  contacts inh all Mediterranean countries. In the previous year  the WG has mainly focused to the organization of the Mediterranean Symposiums and the relevant publications. Currently the WG is discussing its future orientations under the current environment (in the research domain and the livestock sector).

The key elements of this discussion are:

• Enhance the WG activity and involvement
  WG aims to improve the impact of the WG in the area, improve the collaboration between researchers and institutes within the region, using the opportunities of specific research calls oriented for projects in the Mediterranean region (previously ARIMNET and ARIMNET2,  currently the  PRIMA – Partnership on Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area, INTERREG Calls). Sustain the increased involvement of all Countries (including Non-European Mediterranean)

• Improve communication and cooperation
  The WG will make efforts  to promote and valorize the work done and increase efforts to have a more active work on connecting research with farmers, their associations and other stakeholders and promote the communication and cooperation in the region.

Sessions during the last EAAP meetings

The Mediterranean WG works in close collaboration with the EAAP scientific commissions, producing workshops and sessions held during the EAAP annual meetings, where Mediterranean issues are brought forward.

Working Group Session for 71st EAAP meeting  (December 2020 – virtual)

The WG organized jointly with EAAP WG AnGR and LFS Commission a full day Symposium (session 37 Management of resources’ diversity to ensure resilience (LFS / MWG, chaired by V. Thenard and E. Sturaro) and session 47 Diversity of animal genetic resources for resilient farming systems (G, WG-AnGR / MWG, chaired by G. Hadjipavlou and C. Ligda).

The Symposium focused on the challenges and drivers of change that the livestock sector is facing in the Mediterranean and less-favoured areas. In total the two sessions included 11 + 8 Theater presentations and 10 Posters.  

CIHEAM agreed to proceed with the publication of the presentations of the sessions 37 and 47 in a special issue of Options Mediterraneenes. Within the publication, an additional section will be included on outcomes of selected completed Arimnet projects (on livestock production).

The process is ongoing. All articles have been reviewed and the publication is under the final editing.

The MWG has not proposed a specific session for EAAP 2021 (Davos).

2018, 69th EAAP meeting, Dubrovnik (Croatia), 27-30 August

Session 65: “Practices and prospects for adapting to a challenging Mediterranean environment. (MWG, S+G; WG)

Chairs: Christina Ligda / Georgia Hadjipavlou

Panel discussion Moderator: F. Casabianca

The topics addressed were: the current challenges and developments in breeding goals in sheep and goat breeding programs, including conservation aspects, breeding practices and GXE management in dairy sheep, adaptation to climate change and thermal tolerance, and sustainability aspects, including crop – livestock systems dynamics. A panel discussion organized at the end of the session to debate on: i) the common challenges and stakes in the region, and ii) the means to enhance cooperation, focusing on the role of research and scientific community.

Sessions for the next EAAP meeting

EAAP 2022 (Porto, Portugal)- Suggestions for topics in connection with Study Commissions and other WGs

Since next meeting will be in Porto , the MWG can go back to topics discussed for 2020, update them and propose a session with relevant Study Commissions (i.e. aspects of AnGR resources in Mediterranean, also out of Europe). Members of the WG will participate in the Business meetings of Sheep&Goat (Georgia Hadjipavlou as Secretary of the Commission) and LFS Commissions to propose topics of common interest.

The MWG can collaborate with EAAP WG AnGR and ERFP in common topics, following up the previous cooperation in aspects of the management of AnGR (see below in Other activities 1. Technical Workshop). Ideas for topics: The role of livestock for food security – the role of breed diversity and diverse production systems, GeneBanks the role of breeders associations and other stakeholders and their dynamic use (suggestions from the AnGR WG).  

Other topic (that could be elaborated in connection with the LFS Study Commission): session dedicated to pastoral systems in Mediterranean areas facing increasing uncertainty.

The next EAAP meeting is an opportunity to promote topics of common interest Invite or seek sponsorship (e.g. CIHEAM) for presenters (especially young researchers) from North African countries/Near East Mediterranean countries. On going PRIMA projects could be also support such invitations.