Joint actions will be promoted in the areas of plant breeding, protected crops, water governance and irrigation

The Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Zaragoza (IAMZ) and the National Institute of Field Crops of Tunisia, of the Tunisian Ministry of Agriculture, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for cooperation in research and exchange of information and training in agriculture and related sciences.

Ousama Khriji, President of the National Institute of Field Crops of Tunisia and Javier Sierra, director of the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Zaragoza (IAMZ), signed the agreement of cooperation on Tuesday in the city of Tunis, in the presence of the Minister of Agriculture, Samir Betaib.

The MoU involved development of cooperation actions in the area of plant breeding, protected crops, water governance and upscaling and modernisation of irrigation systems. Work conducted together will support efforts to overcome the challenges faced in the agricultural and food producing systems in Tunisia, such as climate change, increasing populations in urban areas and the lack of opportunities for young people and women, especially in rural areas.

This new alliance reinforces collaboration between both countries through research and training led by the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Zaragoza, an international reference point that has trained over 1000 young people and professionals from Tunisia.

This agreement is signed within the framework of events scheduled to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the National Institute of Field Crops of Tunisia.

The Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Zaragoza is commemorating its 50th anniversary throughout 2019. It is a centre of excellence offering life-long advanced post-graduate education through a consolidated programme of cooperative research networks and coordinates international research projects. Over 15 000 young leaders of the agrifood sector in the Mediterranean and Latin America, among other countries, have received training at IAMZ over the past five decades.

IAMZ is one of the four institutes that comprise the International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM), whose headquarters are in Paris, together with the institutes of Bari (Italy), Montpellier (France) and Chania (Greece). It was created upon the initiative of the OECD and the Council of Europe. It is financed with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Government of Spain and its own resources.