During the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committees sessions of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), the regional implementation annex for the Northern Mediterranean, so-called Annex IV was negotiated.The Northern Mediterranean Annex offers to its current members - Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain and Turkey - a framework for mutual co-operation and more effective national action. Other countries in the region are expected to join soon. In addition to intra-regional co-operation, this Annex calls on the co-ordination with other sub-regions and regions particularly with those of the sub-region of northern Africa.

The Northern Mediterranean countries faced with environmental crises, with problems linked to climatic issues and with the no longer sustainable exploitation of natural resources are addressing in the context of a Regional Action Programme ojectives and activities that take in account the unique characteristics of the Mediterranean basin involving countries belonging to three different annexes of UNCCD.

The Regional Action Programme aims to:

• promote the acceptance and the compliance of values and principles for the preservation of environment and soil, water and biotic resources and the consciousness that desertification can, in many cases, be stopped and reversed by means of proper policies and interventions.
• harmonise national action programmes of Country members of the Annex IV and and to improve their co-ordination in combating desertification.
• provide information to European Commission to assist in the identification of priority issues and the development of environmental and structural policies for the Mediterranean region.
• set up a network that will help regional and local authorities affected by specific problems to establish international partnerships for prevention or mitigation projects eligible for funding by the European Commission.
• assess existing programmes related to desertification among Parties of the region and their relationship with national action programmes.

Several transnational topics to combat desertification in the Northern Mediterranean have been herein identified: 

6. traditional knowledge and practices safeguarding the quality of the Mediterranean landscape.

In 1992, the United Nations organised the World Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro. The importance of this meeting was such that it is designated as "Summit of Planet Earth". Further to the Conference, that aimed to conciliate the dramatic global environmental conditions with the necessity of development and the people’s welfare, three world conventions were promulgated on: climate, bio-diversity and desertification. Each of these three conventions faced the problem with a different approach of the development and the technology, and considered the necessity to take into account and re-evaluate old practices and knowledge. However, the classification of traditional knowledge lead to various problematics.

Traditional and local knowledge are always part of a complex system and consequently, can not be reduced to a list of technical solutions and restricted to a set of distinct applications according to the expected outcome. Its efficiency depends on interactions between more factors which should be carefully considered in order to understand the historical successes achieved through traditional learning and its logic for a contemporary re-proposal.

Each traditional practice is not an expedient that solves a particular problem but is always an elaborate method, usually multifunctional and that is part of an integrated approach (society, culture, economy), closely linked to the concept of a world based on the careful management of local resources. 

Modern technology seeks immediate efficiency through a high specialisation of the knowledge and is run by dominant structures, able to mobilize resources external to the environment. Traditional learning is functional over very long periods, resorting to a shared knowledge created and passed on through generations as well as to social practices, and uses renewable inner inputs.

While modern technological methods operates by separating and specialising, traditional knowledge unites and integrates.

This principle, so similar to nature model, in which every residue of a system is used by other systems, where the concept of waste and the possibility to resort to external resources does not exist, has allowed human groupings to survive over history. Poly-functional techniques and multi-use guaranteed opportunities of success even in adversity. Collaboration and symbiosis resulting from the re-use of everything produced within a system has allowed autopoiesis, self-production, self-propulsive development independent of exogenous or occasional factors.

Historic settlements, traditional landscapes, local knowledge offer a gamut of solutions that must be safeguarded, and can be re-proposed, adapted and renewed by employing modern technology. It is not a reapplication or transformation of the single procedures, but it is necessary to understand the logic of those models: traditions can lead to the creation of new technological paradigm.

© Pietro Laureano
 

The presentation will cover the following: 
1) Overview (History, Goals & Objectives, Target market & client profile) 
2) Outreach & Performance indicators (Sustainability, Productivity & Efficiency) 
3) Institutional Characteristics (Management Organization Structure, Executive Committee, Management) 
4) Operational Approach and Financial Performance 
5) Technical & Non-Financial Services 
6) Consulting Services 
7) Particular Points of Strength 

© Nabil Elshami

"A people without water is a people without a home", scarcity and misuse of fresh water pose a serious and growing threat to sustainable development and protection of the environment. We could focused the debate on War and Water, and related desertification aspects: a priority topic for its humanitarian importance. Desertification is one the most severe environmental emergencies and fourth of our planet’s lands. But we would prefer to present here positive experiences, representing water solidarity and Mediterranean challenges.

Contradictions, threats and tensions of our age are concentrated in the limited space of the Med., with large scale-scale pollution and erosion of the environment, civil wars and armed conflicts, extreme nationalism, racism, religious fundamentalism, the denial of identity, ethnocentricity, arms, dealing and nuclear proliferation, exclusion, economic dependence, the poverty trap, the destitution of street children, demography and migratory flows that are out of control...the Mediterranean is also a distillation of cultural nostalgia, still marginalized in comparison with the large regional groups which are officially recognized by States and Intergovernamental Organizations.

We are living in a world in which the gap between the "have" and "have not" is widening. Workshop like this one, excellent and fresh initiative, can serve as catalyst, as powerful instrument in fighting unethical behaviour and exclusion. Reminding us treating environment with more respect, creating more solidarity and social responsibility.

© Paola Antolini
 
 

After more than 40 years the Fair Trade movement is now around throughout the EU. The strength of the idea of Fair Trade is to put together consumers and producers kept apart in international trade. The challenge for the future of the whole fair trade movement is whether volunteers and professionals workers will give it enough support. Fair Trade is a social and economic self-made experiment for a new idea of economy and citizens policy. The growing rates of unemployment, in Southern Europe in particular, are very high and there is all the Mediterranean area to develop. 

This presentation will give an overview of the fair trade data in all the EU countries and it will discuss the main problems to solve in the next years.

© Stefano Magnoni

Lo sviluppo considerevole che hanno avuto tutte le forme dell’economia solidale - dal terzo settore, al commercio equo, alla finanza etica - negli ultimi tempi non è semplicemente il frutto di nuovi tentativi per far fronte alla disoccupazione né tanto meno la mera soddisfazione di interessi personali e collettivi di fronte alla crisi del Welfare state, come un gran numero di economisti e sociologi tentano di dirci appoggiandosi che su dei dati unicamente quantitativi. Si tratta, piuttosto, di un fenomeno «culturalista » in esso la complessità sociale ed economica. Ancor meglio che altrove nel Mediterraneo, zona per antonomasia all’incrocio delle culture. 

A partire da questa constatazione di fatto, vorrei proporre un percorso di ricerca che, prendendo spunto dalle esperienze vissute di alcuni centri sociali ed associazioni che operano in area mediterranea, ci permetta di scoprire che l’essenza dell’economia non è il mercato ma il risultato di un equilibrio fecondo fra dei sistemi di mercato, dei sistemi di redistribuzione e dei sistemi di solidarietà.

© Elisabetta Bucolo

This experience led since 1995 in the South of France arose from the initiative of two persons relieved by associations. The one, specialist of the creation of media events , the other professional gardener specialized in the collection of the forgotten vegetables.

One can decompose it into three phases: 

1. The Market of biodiversity of Arles in 1996 
2. The attempt of constitution of an associative network between 1997 and 1999 
3. The creation of a company and a commercial site in 2000

 

 
 

I - MARKET OF MEDITERRANEAN BIODIVERSITY 

The objective was to make a demonstration intended for the general public to explain in a concrete way what is biodiversity, its importance as preservation of the balance of the environment, as a guarantee for the consumer and as cultural patrimony.

During ten days we presented to the public several hundred of fruits and vegetables, in the natural state and transformed, from seven countries: Algeria, Spain, France, Italy, Morocco, Tunisia, Turkey.

Every product was the object of an index card of presentation and every country was represented with members of associations or producers. According to their rarity, products were either exposed, or in tasting, or in sale. We had recreated the structure of a real market and also a central garden with about 300 variety show of plants and Mediterranean trees. Success was very important: about 15 000 guests really enthusiastic to discover or to rediscover fruits and vegetables of the Mediterranean countries.

We had during the year preceding the Market made numerous animations in schools and we had a very important school public.

It was an heavy operation in financial means because preparation lasted more than year: 

4. constitution of the Mediterranean network
5. collection and check of data on products 
6. logistic and media preparation 

II - ATTEMPT OF CONSTITUTION OF A MEDITERRANEAN NETWORK 

From this success which showed the interest of the public for the biodiversity if one puts it in its plate, we continued to lead initiatives of smaller scale in the South of France but especially we tried to establish a data base on the Mediterranean products.

Idea was already to create an Internet site of marketing of authenticated "biodiversity » products.

Regrettably, the idea of electronic business had not yet made its road in France especially with financeurs and with associative environment. We eventually abandoned for lack of financial means.

III - CREATION OF A COMPANY AND A INTERNET SITE 

The interest of the public for a healthy and diversified food growing in view of all the accidents due to the extensive agriculture, we decided, Jean-Luc Danneyrolles and myself to acte together again but in a private capacity while keeping « associative spirit ".

Jean Luc is a farmer and for fifteen years he looks for, collects "old" variety show of vegetables. He became one of references in subject, notably as regards tomatoes, peppers, hot peppers. He sells the production on Apt's market and for ten years diffuse a small catalog very known for gardeners amateurs.

In six months and with little financial investment ( 7000 Euros) but a lot of work we have create a site of electronic business with secure payment. This site presents 342 vegetables and rare plants cultivated in biologic agriculture.

We are regularly quoted as one of best site on the garden.

Operational since January, we know that we will need certain time to make profitable it but we trust completely in spite of the fears which arouses the on-line payment.

Besides, it allows us to have reactions and demands of very different people.

We opened the site to the association which accompanies us: « L’ALLEE » and of which objective is to propose garden as a separate education at the school. Within this association we lead actions in primary and secondary schools.

PERSPECTIVES 

Our experience showed us that the actions of sensitization are necessary but ask for important financial means and that it is very difficult to last.

The commercial act, when one has something good and healthy to propose is a valuable and particularly honest act.

It can lead only through a company. Associations have another role to be played.

Demand is more and more strong on the Mediterranean qualitative products and it should a chance be seized for the producers of the countries of Mediterranée.

We can put our experience in the service of those that wish it.

We are preparing the version in English of our site and we are ready to welcome initiatives of valuation of products stemming from the biodiversity.
 
 

Michèle BARRIERE, L’ALLEE, La Molière, 84400 SAIGNON, FRANCE

info@lepotager.com - http://www.lepotager.com

© Michèle Barriere
 

The functioning of the local ecosystem is currently very far from sustainability, as is the case for most developed economies. The two main factors we intend to examine here concern land and energy use.

With a high population density and a strong dependence on mass tourism, we now have close to 21% of the national territory covered by building and roads. Concurrently, we have suffered a precipitous decrease in arable land, a huge loss from an already-thin tree cover, and serious inroads into the very limited areas of "wilderness".

Energy use per unit GDP is higher than for most countries in western Europe, as is the production of carbon dioxide per capita. Principal causes for this situation are thought to lie in the major production of potable water by sea water desalination, in an excessive use of personal transport, and in an almost total absence of energy efficiency and conservation in buildings as well as insignificant use of renewable energy.

Possible moves in the direction of sustainability are discussed.

© Edward A. Mallia

In these 50 years of history the International Cooperation for Development (1949: Truman’s speech on the extension of the Marshall plan to the Amicable Countries) has lived through various seasons, each one in tune with the political climate of the moment. 

From the public aid of the 60’s we have progressed to the solidarity of the 70’s and to the interdependence of the 80’s. But beyond the slogans, the use of cooperation as a political instrument prevailed. 

It was in the 90’s and in more recently in the year 2000, with the focus on global human security that people were placed for the first time in the center of attention of political cooperation. An important factor in this change of direction in recent years has been the end of the divide between the two West- East blocks which the planet was divided into until a decade ago and which had an effect on any political interest. 

In this altered international scene, the Cooperation for Development, understood as an instrument of foreign politics, as a marketing instrument to work as an incentive for export or even as an instrument for security purposes but security for territories and not for people, has been strongly contested.

© Elisabetta Bottaro