Welcome Message

Welcome to MED – Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development.

MED is a large and highly multidisciplinary R&D unit focused on the sustainability of ecosystems and food systems in the Mediterranean context. MED is therefore positioned at the core of research needs to comply with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations as well as with the Green Deal of the European Union. We are a key and dynamic partner in Western Mediterranean, triggering new approaches to research while matching societal expectations.

MED researchers work with the ambition to find solutions to questions from the real world. Research outcomes support the optimization of management to enhance the resilience, productivity and profitability of the Mediterranean production systems and value chains, while delivering environmental and social benefits. Outcomes also support the preservation of nature and landscape, and rural vitality, under Mediterranean conditions.  For this, research is organized in thematic lines around specific Mediterranean value chains and production systems, as olive-oil or silvo-pastoral systems, as well as core, transversal questions, as biodiversity or governance.

MED is built on a forward looking concept of a research unit, where integration of knowledge and systems approach are key. A systemic approach is adopted to the formulation and analysis of the problems. Co-learning and co-construction of knowledge, with a diverse set of stakeholders, is central to the positioning of MED. Our location, embedded in an agricultural region with high nature values and strong dynamics of change, triggers our involvement with practice. Research spans a wide range of scales from the cell to the plot, to landscape and to global networks.

We are constantly looking for improvement and development, and would much welcome your interest and interaction!