Mediterranean Regional Meeting of the international “4 per 1000” Initiative

Mediterranean Regional Meeting of the international “4 per 1000” Initiative – from the evening of October 21 to 23, 2024 – Rabat, Morocco

This regional meeting is organized by the international “4 per 1000” Initiative with CIHEAM, OIV, IAV Hassan II (which will be hosting us on its premises), the FARM Foundation (France), CIRAD (France), INRA (Morocco), ICARDA (Lebanon), the AAA Foundation (Morocco), OCP (Morocco) and the Moroccan and French Ministries of Agriculture as co-organisers, partners and supporters.

This conference with the theme “Together, let’s support Soil Health in the Mediterranean context”, involved experts from Mediterranean countries, in relation to soil organic carbon, climate change mitigation and adaptation, focusing on agroecology.

On 22 October 2024, Dr. Paul Luu, Executive Secretary of the international “4 per 1000” Initiative, opened the conference, and introduced the High-level inauguration session.

Different themes were discussed during this “4 per 1000” Mediterranean Regional Conference:

• Challenges and opportunities for soil health and agriculture in the region

  Session lead: Paul Luu, Executive Secretary, the international “4 per 1000” Initiative
  This session provided a brief overview of the most pressing challenges effecting soil health (salinization, erosion, drought, loss of biodiversity) and the resulting effects for production, society and the environment. At the same time, this session highlighted the potential for regional food production and how strengthening agroecology can help to harness it.
• Carbon sequestration in arid zones
  Session lead: Rachid Moussadek, ICARDA (International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas)
• MRV [Monitoring, Reporting & Verification] and indicators for soil organic carbon and soil health

  Session lead: Paul Luu, Executive Secretary “4 per 1000” Initiative
  This session explored the latest developments of MRV tools and systems and reflects on soil health indicators in the region.
• Success factors for the transition to sustainable agriculture

  This session shed light on the elements needed for a successful transition to sustainable agriculture and discusses associated challenges and success factors.

3 parallel sessions were organized:

• Parallel Session 1: Holistic production systems

  Session lead: Ghizlane Echgadda, Research Professor, Plant Protection and Environment Department, ENA (Ecole Nationale d’Agriculture /National School of Agriculture) Meknès (Morocco)
  Agroecology aims to establish resilient agroecosystems, which foster circularity and rely on diversity. This session explored holistic approaches to the design of production systems for the major regional produces, like cereals and crops, fruits and nuts, olives, meat, etc., placing a special focus on combined systems (agriculture-forestry-pastoralism) and shed light on challenges and opportunities in the establishment and maintenance of these systems.
• Parallel Session 2: Vineyards and wine

  Session lead: Alejandro Fuentes Espinoza, Head of Unit Economy and Law, OIV (International Organisation of Vine and Wine)
  Taking stock of the work of the OIV and the players involved in sustainable soil  management: Focus on good practices and the identification of parameters and criteria for the correct analysis (measurement) of soil organic matter
• Parallel Session 3: Agroecology for local development

  Session lead: Elen Lemaitre-Curri, Deputy Director, CIHEAM (International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies) Montpellier (France)
  Empowerment of local producers and consumers is a crucial element of agroecology. This session explored how agroecology can drive local and regional socio-economic development, and how policies and private sector engagement can foster the needed changes.

Several sessions were held on Wednesday, October 23, 2024, the last day of the conference, which was dedicated to the elaboration of a Regional Roadmap for Agroecology and Soil Health in the region:

• Holistic approaches to water management

  Session lead: Matthieu Brun, Scientific Director, FARM Foundation
  This session aimed to introduce innovative and holistic approaches to water management and irrigation, at a field but also at catchment and landscape scale with a special focus on the close inter-linkages of water and soil management. Besides the technical aspects, it shed light on political incentives and social innovations supporting adaptation.
• Business models for soil health

  Session lead: Franck Boissinot, Director General, Biosphères (France)
  This session introduced private sector initiatives and reflects on political incentives and certification approaches.
• Multi-stakeholder exchange on opportunities, needs for action and barriers to implementation regarding agroecological approaches and soil health in the region
• Presentation of the results from the breakout sessions
• Regional cooperation and networks 
  Session lead: Sandrine Dury, Regional Director for the Mediterranean, Middle East and Balkan countries, Cirad (French International Agricultural Research Centre for International Development) (France)
• Possibilities for regional cooperation and ways to fully embed soil health in existing collaborations
• Presentation  and validation of the Regional Roadmap and messages (scientific, technical, organizational, in terms of policy, etc…).

The Executive Secretariat of the international “4 per 1000” Initiative would like to extend its warmest thanks to all the partners and supporters in the organization of this conference, and to all the participants.

For more information and to see the recording of this 1st Mediterranean Regional meeting of the Initiative, click here.

On the occasion of the 12th Ministerial Meeting of CIHEAM in Rabat, Morocco, on 25 October 2024, Mr. Stéphane Le Foll, President of the international “4 per 1000” Initiative, transmitted to Mrs. Frida Krifca, President of the International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM), the recommendations for a Regional Roadmap on Soil Health for the Mediterranean. This amazing document, entitled ‘A regional 6 year-Roadmap |2025-2030] for the Mediterranean geographical area, in line with the « 4 per 1000 » Strategic Plan 2050 & the CIHEAM Strategic Plan 2030’ is the final result of a working session which took place during the first “4 per 1000” Mediterranean Regional Conference.

The 12th Ministerial Meeting of CIHEAM in Rabat, Morocco, brought together representatives from the 13 Mediterranean member countries to address key issues around food sovereignty and sustainable food systems in the region. Discussions focused on the various political, economic, environmental, and humanitarian crises impacting food sovereignty in the Mediterranean basin and the strategies to overcome these challenges. Emphasis was placed on supporting innovation, education, youth and women’s inclusion, and transitioning towards a more resilient agriculture sector.

Find out more here.
The videos of the meeting are available on here.

MedECC special reports are published, including the special report ‘Interlinking climate change with the Water – Energy – Food – Ecosystems (WEFE) nexus in the Mediterranean Basin’.

Philippe Drobinski, Director of the Dynamic Meteorology Laboratory and the interdisciplinary Energy4Climate Centre, presented this report at the Mediterranean Regional Conference of the “4 per 1000” Initiative.

MedECC (Mediterranean Experts on Climate and environmental Change) is an open and independent network of scientists founded in 2015. MedECC builds on a community of scientific experts willing to provide their expertise on a voluntary basis. This network of experts assesses the best available scientific knowledge on climate and environmental change and the associated risks in the Mediterranean Basin in order to make these results accessible to decision-makers, stakeholders and citizens.

Special Report Interlinking climate change with the Water – Energy – Food – Ecosystems (WEFE) nexus in the Mediterranean Basin