M.O.A.N. - first meeting in Italy

At Valenzano (Puglia), the first meeting of Mediterranean Organic Agriculture Network took place. M.O.A.N. was launched by an initiative of the "Instituto Agronomico Mediterraneo" to support the development of organic agriculture in the Mediterranean countries with the help of promotion activities, education, research and data collection. Following the recommendations of the conference Euro-Med in Venice in 2003, the network has been reorganized to promote the organic sector in the EU and among non-members of the Mediterranean area. The network organizes its activities in the areas of development, science, technique and education with emphasis on a continuous exchange of the member states.

The network consists of the countries Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Spain, Slovenia, Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine, Syria, Tunisia and Turkey. The meeting at IAMB , the first one involving almost all members, has focused on the roles and the potential of organic agriculture in the Mediterranean region, with case studies from Tunisia, Turkey and Morocco. It also presented each country; the opportunities of research were shown as well as possibilities of cooperation in the organic sector. Further activities were also discussed.

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