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THE ABCAMPAIGN - PROTECTING OUR MEDITERRANEAN AGROBIODIVERSITY PROMOTING HEALTHY EATING HABITS

FoE MedNet members FoE Spain, France, Greece, Malta, Cyprus, and FoEME have been active working on their national ABCampaignm, promoting Agrobiodiversity in the Mediterranean. This project to date focussed on an often forgotten aspect of sustainable agriculture in the Mediterranean region: agrobiodiversity. The Mediterranean area concentrates the highest variety of agricultural species and breeds that live in the Temperate Zone. The project has promoted the protection and enhancement of local plant and animal varieties as a contribution towards sustainable agriculture in the Mediterranean region.

Project participants carried out research and prepared preliminary reports on local plant varieties and animal breeds being cultivated and conserved in the countries in which the FoE partner groups are located. These reports give an idea of the richness of Mediterranean agrobiodiversity and call for more concrete and coherent policies to protect and enhance it. Did you know for example that the Maltese black goat, famed for its high milk yield no longer exists on those islands?

In addition, the project partners published a pamphlet in seven mediterranean languages, which identifies the causes of agrobiodiversity loss in the Med. (CAP etc) and make a series of demands aimed at the EU, at national level and consumer/general public level, which look to reverse the trend towards intensive and monoculture farming and highlight the value of local varieties, products and local agrobiodiversity.

The ABCampaign has now moved into a new phase and will focus its activities on promoting sustainable and healthy eating habits among school children and local administration`s school food policies. A programme of activities has been elaborated which will build on the successes already seen in the ABCampaign and existing strong ties between MedNet groups and local schools.

The Sustainability Impact Assessment of the Euro-Med Free Trade Area