The International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM Zaragoza) will hold an international symposium on 11–12 November to explore new directions for agri-food development cooperation in the context of ongoing geopolitical crises.
The event will bring together experts from European agencies, international and local development NGOs, multilateral organisations, academia, and several Spanish administrations. Participants will examine the impact of current geopolitical challenges and discuss innovative models to shape the future of development cooperation.
Organised by CIHEAM Zaragoza with support from the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), the symposium is also part of the celebrations for the Day of the Mediterranean (28 November), declared by the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) to promote shared Mediterranean identity, cultural exchange, and cooperation.
International Cooperation in Agri-Food Systems
Ensuring food security remains a core goal of international development cooperation. Providing the necessary infrastructure, technical expertise, and professional resources to manage agri-food systems effectively is central to many initiatives worldwide.
Strategies must be tailored to the needs of each territory, ensuring sustainable management of resources for long-term impact. In today’s climate of humanitarian and geopolitical instability, reassessing current practices and future prospects for agri-food cooperation has become increasingly urgent, according to a press release.
The Zaragoza symposium will address these pressing challenges through keynote lectures, round-table discussions, and case studies, aiming to propose actionable models for more effective and resilient international cooperation in the agri-food sector.
The programme will be structured in plenary sessions:
- Session I: When the world changes: rethinking international development cooperation in the new geopolitics.
- Session II: Adapting for impact: the role of European development agencies in a changing world. Reshaping multilateral and bilateral agri-food cooperation.
- Session III: Development cooperation from the perspective of southern and eastern Mediterranean countries’ needs.
- Session IV: Round table – The role of NGOs in the new development cooperation architecture.
- Session V: Civil society in developing countries: perspectives on current and future development cooperation.
- Session VI:
- Part 1: Spain’s decentralised cooperation landscape: current status and emerging trends. The regional approach.
- Part 2: Spain’s decentralised cooperation landscape: current status and emerging trends. The local approach.
In-person participation is limited and upon invitation. All sessions will be open to online participation (subject to registration).
