I have reiterated it many times. The Mediterranean potential is important for the organic industry. There are many factors that lead to a common growth. An orange, an olive, a fig, or a hazelnut, a tomato, a bunch of table grapes as well as a bunch of aromatic herbs, do not speak Italian or Spanish, Greek or Turkish, French or Arabic: their common "figure" is the Mediterranean because they grow along coasts bathed by the same sea.

 

With these and many other crops the Mediterranean shows its ability to produce excellent typical products without parallel worldwide. In this context, not much is being done to create the conditions for a grand alliance in the Mediterranean for the development and promotion of organic products. And this is a game that has a deadline, you win or lose.

The large Mediterranean region has to sort out the other main world's areas where the organic industry can grow and develop, like China and Brazil just to mention two. These big areas are cornering, in the global market, some Countries' even significant productions.

There is thus a time - and this is that time - to develop a Euro-Mediterranean policy for the organic industry. Unrehearsed initiatives are not sufficient, a strategy is needed that has to start from the experiences of the pioneers of Euro-Mediterranean cooperation, like individual entrepreneurs or organizations such as the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari (IAMB), certifiers such as the Mediterranean Institute of Certification (IMC) that has been working in the region since 2000 and it opened branches in Tunisia, Lebanon, Egypt, Turkey, Morocco, as well as other organizations that have done remarkable things in Egypt, Tunisia, Lebanon, or communication projects such as the one we launched with Green Med, that is finalized, also through an edition printed in Arabic in Cairo, to create a bridge of dialogue between the various experiences.

We found out that during the next edition of SANA, the Italian leading fair for the organic industry (Bologna, 9-12 September), a conference will be held on September 10, promoted by the Italian Federation of Organic Producers Federbio, whose theme is "The Mediterranean Horizon". A noteworthy initiative that I hope will be as extensive and participated as it deserves. For, you see, there's another side of the coin, in which SANA, Federbio, the whole Italian organic system cannot indulge if they want to build a better future: the Mediterranean as a fashion, as mirror for larks to outlive through some ad hoc financing. And the next day everything's over!

Antonio Felice
GreenPlanet managing editor