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SPOTLIGHT | The Mediterranean diet: 30 years of fascinating research with new challenges ahead
As part of the CIHEAM Zaragoza-Campus of Aula Dei Lecture Series, Miguel Ángel Martínez-González, Professor of Public Health at the University of Navarra and Adjunct Professor of Nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health explores the main advances achieved, as well as the challenges that lie ahead in the study of the Mediterranean diet. [Watch the recording]
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GOVERNANCE | In April, CIHEAM Zaragoza hosted the annual meeting of the CIHEAM Advisory Board (CAB), attended by its members and the Organisation's Secretary General, Teodoro Miano. The meeting brought the Board together in Zaragoza to review priorities, governance and future actions. A key item on the agenda was the selection of the shortlisted candidates for the 2025 MSc Best Thesis Award, reflecting the Board's ongoing commitment to strengthening excellence and Mediterranean cooperation. [Read more]
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TALENT | CIHEAM Zaragoza took part in the workshop Tunisian Talent in Spain, held in April at the Casa Árabe in Madrid, reaffirming our commitment to international cooperation and development of talent across the Mediterranean. Organised by the Embassy of Tunisia in Spain, in collaboration with FIPA and the ONTT, the event aimed at promoting the integration of talent and the creation of synergies between Tunisia and Spain in strategic sectors.
[Read more]
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UNIVERSITY OF PRISHTINA | The Rector of the University of Prishtina, Arben Hajrullahu, and Raúl Compés, Director of CIHEAM Zaragoza, signed a Memorandum of Understanding, formalising their commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation.
The agreement covers training, scientific research, joint international activities and the development of projects of common interest — including the identification of funding opportunities within European cooperation frameworks and coordinated action on agriculture, food security, rural development and climate change adaptation. [Read more]
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EGE UNIVERSITY | In May, CIHEAM Zaragoza's Director, Raúl Compés, met İsmail Can Paylan, Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture at Ege University (Türkiye), and members of his team. The meeting provided an opportunity to explore potential areas of collaboration between the two institutions, with a view to strengthening ties in agronomic research, training, and knowledge exchange in the Mediterranean region. Both parties expressed their interest in identifying concrete avenues for future cooperation, building on CIHEAM Zaragoza's ongoing commitment to fostering international partnerships in support of sustainable agriculture and food systems.
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CHAMBER OF COMMERCE | CIHEAM Zaragoza took part in a working meeting of the Internationalisation Committee of the Zaragoza Chamber of Commerce, held on 20 May, which focused on the evolution of foreign trade and the challenges facing companies in the current international context. Director Raúl Compés presented the institution's work in international cooperation, training, and agri-food development in the Mediterranean region, highlighting the strategic role CIHEAM Zaragoza plays within this wider context of internationalisation.
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CERAI | In June, CIHEAM Zaragoza welcomed a visit from Pedro Escriche and Paula Naval of CERAI (Centre for Rural Studies and International Agriculture, a Spanish NGO working on rural development, food sovereignty and international agriculture), along with Youssef Diallo, coordinator of CERAI's Mauritania project. They met with director Raúl Compés, to get to know our institution first-hand and to explore possible avenues for collaboration.
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OUR INSIGHTS
A cooperative approach to the agrifood sector
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ANALYSIS | Agricultural innovation starts with co-creation: How the Multi-Actor Approach is transforming agricultural research
In this article, CIHEAM Zaragoza's project manager Irene Gavieiro addresses how the Multi-Actor Approach demands meaningful engagement across the entire project lifecycle, turning research into practical, lasting impact. [Read more]
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What makes CIHEAM Zaragoza's training different? | Isabel Casasús, Researcher in the Animal Science Department of the Agri-food Research and Technology Centre of Aragon (CITA, Spain) [Watch video]
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What role do agricultural insurance schemes play in protecting the farming sector? | Miguel Pérez Cimas, Director of the State Agency for Agricultural Insurance (ENESA). [Watch video]
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What was it like to study on the International Master's Programme in "Animal Nutrition" organised by CIHEAM Zaragoza and the University of Zaragoza? | Nikauly Mejias (Dominican Republic) [Watch video]
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What was it like to study on the International Master's Programme in "Plant Genetics, Genomics and Breeding" organised by CIHEAM Zaragoza and the University of Lleida? | Nafissatou Diallo (Senegal). [Watch video]
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Taking a glimpse into the future of agrifood systems
with the help of our experts
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‘El despegar de las grullas’: Art and science converge at CIHEAM Zaragoza | The painting symbolises CIHEAM Zaragoza’s mission and its impact on young people and professionals, empowering them to soar to new heights. [More information]
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Multidisciplinary solutions to climate change in the agrifood sector | CIHEAM Zaragoza and the Remedia Network have brought together in June more than 100 researchers and scientists from across Europe and the Mediterranean for this year’s double event: an International Seminar followed by the XIII Remedia Workshop. The experts participating in the event have highlighted the need to integrate different disciplines and expertise to tackle greenhouse gas mitigation. [Read more]
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Network on Sustainable Mediterranean Livestock Systems | The international seminar ‘Mediterranean Livestock Systems: Challenges and Strategies for Sustainability’ was held in Madrid and organised by CIHEAM Zaragoza, with the collaboration of FAO and the support of AECID as part of the celebrations of the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists. The seminar has laid the foundations for the creation of a network on sustainable Mediterranean livestock systems [Read more]
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Agricultural risk management and insurance to face climate change | Twenty-seven professionals from 10 countries strengthened their expertise in agricultural risk management and insurance to improve climate resilience in the Mediterranean region. The course combined policy, technical and practical approaches, including remote sensing, climate projections and index-based insurance for managing emerging agricultural risks. [Read more]
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Challenges facing fruit growing and citrus production | More than three days of scientific and technical exchange focused on the main challenges facing fruit growing and citriculture, with particular emphasis on climate change, sustainability and innovation. The programme combined keynote presentations, scientific posters and technical field visits to bring the latest research advances closer to agricultural practice and strengthen collaboration between the scientific community and the sector. [Read more]
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Recent technologies in Precision Livestock Farming | CIHEAM Zaragoza, CSIC, UPV, and Re-Livestock and Digi4Live Horizon Europe projects, in collaboration with ILVO jointly organised an advanced course to provide a comprehensive understanding of PLF technologies. This training course enabled participants to gain insight into the concepts, technologies and practical applications of precision livestock farming.
[Read more]
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Integrated fire management as an approach to building wildfire resilience | Over 65 international experts, researchers, and fire service practitioners gathered at CIHEAM Zaragoza for an advanced course on integrated wildfire management, bringing together participants from over 16 countries across the Mediterranean and beyond. The course was jointly organised by CIHEAM Zaragoza, CTFC, and PCF, with the collaboration of the EU FIRE-RES project and AECID. [Read more]
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Low-impact aquaculture production systems | Twenty-three aquaculture professionals from ten countries gathered at IRTA La Ràpita (Tarragona, Spain) from 25 to 28 May 2026 for an advanced course on low-impact aquaculture production systems. The programme examined three key systems at the forefront of low-impact production: Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS), Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA), and aquaponics. [Read more]
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CIHEAM Zaragoza and IOC co-organise a regional course on future strategies for the olive sector in Eurasia | Fifty participants from 13 countries gathered in İzmir to discuss future strategies for the olive sector across Eurasia. The course combined technical sessions and field visits covering the entire olive value chain, from cultivation and processing to quality, marketing and cooperation models. [Read more]
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CIHEAM Zaragoza and IOC in Tunisia for a course on sensory analysis for the improvement of virgin olive oil quality | Nineteen professionals from the olive oil sector gathered in Tunisia to strengthen their technical and sensory analysis skills in virgin olive oil quality assessment. The course combined theory and practice in oil tasting based on official IOC methodology, oil classification and quality assurance in tasting panels. [Read more]
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From analysis to action: CIHEAM Zaragoza advances the INSIST-VAT project in Kosovo |
CIHEAM Zaragoza took part in the Second Steering Committee Meeting of the INSIST-VAT project, held on 2–4 June 2026 at the University of Prishtina (Kosovo), marking a key transition in the project as needs assessments and benchmarking work are now translated into concrete vocational training plans for farmers, advisors and agricultural institutions in Albania. In parallel to the meeting, CIHEAM Zaragoza signed an MoU with the University of Prishtina, reinforcing bilateral cooperation in training, scientific research and rural development within European cooperation frameworks. [Read more]
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Green nudges in agriculture & forestry | In May CIHEAM Zaragoza joined the other ForestAgriGreenNudge project partners at the 2026 Green Nudges in Agriculture & Forestry Conference held in Brussels. The event gathered researchers, policymakers, farmers and foresters from across Europe and the Mediterranean region to explore how behavioural insights and green nudges can help accelerate the transition towards more sustainable agriculture and forestry.
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Annual meeting of the ActFast project in Hungary | CIHEAM Zaragoza has taken part in the annual meeting of the ActFast project (Actions for Climate Transition by developing Future Aquaculture Strategies and Technologies), an Innovation Action of Horizon Europe to promote solutions to face climate change in aquaculture, held on 9 and 10 June 2026 in Szarvas, Hungary.
[Read more]
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Climate change poses growing risks for agricultural workers | CIHEAM Zaragoza co-organised the SafeHabitus Policy Workshop in Brussels in June, alongside the European Federation of Food, Agriculture, and Tourism Trade Unions (EFFAT) and the European Economic and Social Committee. The event brought together more than 120 participants on site and on line from EU institutions, research organisations, social partners and civil society. [Read more]
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PREMIERE and EU-FarmBook training on building stronger multi-actor proposals | In May CIHEAM Zaragoza hosted a two-day training organised by the PREMIERE (Preparing multi-actor projects in a co-creative way) and EU-FarmBook (Building an online reservoir platform, to gather agriculture and forestry knowledge) projects, bringing together professionals from universities and research centres across Europe to strengthen their skills in supporting Horizon Europe proposal development. [Read more]
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PEACE | On 28 April, the Director of CIHEAM Zaragoza, Raúl Compés, took part in the seminar on Lebanon held by the members of the Fundación Seminario de Investigación por la Paz (SIP), the Zaragoza-based Peace Research Seminar Foundation, alongside Dr Mahmoud Nasser, sharing his views and information about ongoing projects in the country, and prospects for future collaboration.
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COOPERATION | In June, CIHEAM Zaragoza took part in the international seminar "Spanish Cooperation in Action: Inclusion and Opportunities in Palestine and Jordan", held at Casa Árabe in Madrid. Director Raúl Compés took part in the round table on the role of international development cooperation and humanitarian action in promoting women's rights.
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CIHEAM Zaragoza MSc Programmes | This June marked an important milestone for CIHEAM Zaragoza as 75 students from 24 countries successfully completed the first year of our MSc programmes ‘Plant Genetics, Genomics and Breeding’, ‘Animal Nutrition’, ‘Olive Growing and Oil Technology’ and ‘Sustainable Fisheries Management’. Coming from Algeria, Argentina, Belgium, Bolivia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Ghana, Italy, Lebanon, Mauritania, Mexico, Morocco, Peru, Portugal, Senegal, Spain, Tunisia, Türkiye, Uruguay and Venezuela, this cohort embodies the international spirit and Mediterranean vocation that define CIHEAM's mission. After a demanding and enriching academic year, these students now look ahead to their second year, where they will deepen their expertise, develop their research projects and take further steps towards becoming the agricultural specialists and scientists of tomorrow. We wish them every success in the next stage of their journey.
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WEBINAR | Genomics and Animal Production: New Insights into Behaviour, Health and Resilience
CIHEAM Zaragoza, UPV and UAB hosted a webinar to discuss the role of genomics and multi-omic approaches, key tools for understanding and improving animal production systems, enabling progress towards more sustainable, efficient and animal welfare-friendly models.
[Watch the recording]
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WEBINAR | Health and Genetics Innovations for Sustainable Aquaculture
CIHEAM Zaragoza and the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria organised a webinar to explore how animal health and genetics are transforming modern aquaculture and contributing to more sustainable, resilient, and efficient farming systems.
[Watch the recording]
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Miguel Ángel Martínez-González reviews three decades of research on the Mediterranean diet [Read article]
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Izmir and Tunis: Hubs of international training in the olive oil sector
[Read article]
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CIHEAM Zaragoza and FAO establish the Mediterranean network for sustainable livestock systems. [Read article]
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The agri-food sector embraces multidisciplinary solutions to address climate change. [Read article]
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The Ambassadors’ Luncheon of CIHEAM
At the invitation of the Spanish Embassy, CIHEAM organised the second edition of the Ambassadors’ Luncheon in Paris, building upon the dialogue initiated in 2025.
This high-level meeting brought together 18 representatives from the diplomatic delegations in France of Mediterranean countries reinforcing the position of CIHEAM as a key actor for consultation and cooperation in the Mediterranean.
[Read more]
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Launch of the Regional Task Force on Women and Innovation
The UfM in partnership with CIHEAM, the FAO and the AECID has officially launched the Regional Task Force on Innovation for Women in Agri-Food Value Chains, a new coordination mechanism bringing together twenty-five representatives from regional and international organisations, development partners and technical institutions. The meeting marked a new step forward in promoting women's entrepreneurship in agriculture, food and rural areas.
[Read more]
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Strengthening Dialogue with Libya
The Secretary General of CIHEAM, Teodoro Miano, received at the Headquarters of the Organisation in Paris, Mr Mohamed Hamuda, Consul General of Libya, to continue the dialogue initiated in recent months and to explore new prospects for cooperation between the CIHEAM and Libya. This meeting follows several recent exchanges, notably the participation of Libya in the second edition of the Ambassadors’ Lunch organised by the CIHEAM in April in Paris.
[Read more]
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The CIHEAM at the 65th General Assembly of the SWG RRD
The Secretary General of the CIHEAM, Teodoro Miano, addressed the 65th General Assembly of the Regional Rural Development Standing Working Group in South Eastern Europe (SWG RRD). His participation represents a step further towards closer alignment between the Euro-Mediterranean region and the Balkans, united by a shared ambition to strengthen agricultural, rural and territorial cooperation in response to contemporary challenges.
[Read more]
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The Mediterranean as a Laboratory for Food Diplomacy
Interview in Le Figaro with Yasmine Seghirate and Roberto Capone explaining the role of CIHEAM in the face of global crises. CIHEAM is reinventing agricultural diplomacy in the Mediterranean. By transforming the region into a laboratory for sustainable innovation, the organisation is making food sovereignty and solidarity between the two shores of the Mediterranean a major lever for stability. In a context of geopolitical tensions and climate disruption, the question of food is becoming a concrete space for cooperation. [Read more]
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The BEANS Network
The BEANS Meta Network promotes legumes as a key part of sustainable Mediterranean food systems. By connecting research, policy, and practice, BEANS supports innovation, knowledge exchange, and capacity building to advance nutrition, climate resilience, and sustainable agriculture across the Mediterranean region. It operates as a meta-network, connecting international, regional, and national authorities, research institutions, experts, and private-sector actors.
[Read more]
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MED-AMIN
The MED-Amin initiative is a monitoring network for the markets of four cereals -soft and durum wheat, barley, maize and rice- which are a strategic component of food security within the Mediterranean region. This CIHEAM network is coordinated by CIHEAM Montpellier and aims at facilitating cooperation and experience-sharing within national information systems on agricultural markets. MED-Amin publishes a range of resources on cereals, including newsletters, forecast bulletins, reports, and statistics.
[Read more]
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Sharing knowledge, feeding the future
CIHEAM insights and publications
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Álvarez-Urdiola, R., Tomás Matus, J., González-Miguel, V.M., Bernardo-Faura, M., Riechmann, J.L. (2026). The non-conventional peptidome of Arabidopsis flower development. In: Plant Physiology, Volume 200, Issue 2.
Balduque-Gil J., Garcés-Claver A., Barriuso-Vargas J.J., Fayos O. (2026). Mejora de modelos predictivos para el manejo de plagas y enfermedades en la vid (Vitis vinifera L.) mediante nuevas metodologías: revisión bibliográfica. In: ITEA-Información Técnica Económica Agraria, 122(1): 2-19.
Balduque-Gil, J., Garcés-Claver, A., Pérez-Lamuela, I., Barriuso-Vargas, J.J., Fayos, O. (2024). Molecular Detection of the Grapevine Pathogens Plasmopara viticola and Erysiphe necator from Airborne Inoculum Collector Cyclones. Agronomy, 14, 2619.
CIHEAM Zaragoza (2026). Annual Report 2025.
Compés R., Moro C., Sotés V. (eds) (2024). Premium Wines in Spain. On the Road to Excellence. Cajamar Caja Rural.
Dernini S., Capone R. (eds) ( 2024). Sustainable food systems. Change of route in the Mediterranean. Valenzano: CIHEAM Bari.
Jones, A., Abril, I. (2025). Condiciones y riesgos laborales en el sector agropecuario. In: Ortiz Miranda, D., Atance Muñiz, I. (coord.). Sector agroalimentario y trabajo. Una relación en transformación. Cajamar Caja Rural.
Krause M.R. et al. (2025). Oregon Wolfe barley genetic stocks – Research and teaching tools for next generation scientists. Journal Plant Registrations, 2025;19:e70004
Muniesa A., Ruiz-Zarzuela I. Lamielle G., Von Dobschuetz S., Furones, D, Rodgers C., Basurco B. (2024). Applying the FAO surveillance evaluation tool (SET) to assess the fish farming disease surveillance system in Spain. Frontiers in Veterinary Science.
PASTINNOVA (2025). The White Paper on Pastoralism in the Mediterranean Area.
SafeHabitus (2025). Mental health and well-being of farmers. Policy Brief.
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GENDER | CIHEAM Zaragoza works to fulfill their obligations in terms of equality and gender, together with the rest of the Institutes and the CIHEAM General Secretariat. This commitment has led to the Institute’s Gender Equality Plan (GEP) that you can download here.
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SPACES AND FACILITIES | CIHEAM Zaragoza has a variety of workspaces, spread across two buildings, suitable for conferences, workshops, training sessions and meetings, with a total capacity of 635 persons. You can download the spaces and facilities brochure here.
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