CENTRO INTERNAZIONALE DI ALTISTUDI AGRONOMICI MEDITERRANEI

Their core work

CIHEAM-IAMB is an international agronomic research and higher education institute based in southern Italy, specializing in Mediterranean agriculture, food systems, and sustainable land and water management. They bridge European and African/Middle Eastern agricultural research, with deep expertise in plant health (notably Xylella fastidiosa containment), organic farming systems, and food security across arid and semi-arid regions. Their work spans from applied field research — smart farming, irrigation, agroecology — to policy support and capacity building for EU-Africa agricultural partnerships. They also train early-stage researchers and run knowledge networks that connect organic and conventional farming practices across the Mediterranean basin.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In the early H2020 period (2015–2018), CIHEAM-IAMB focused on smart farming technologies, water management, science diplomacy with the Middle East, and the urgent Xylella fastidiosa crisis affecting southern Italian olive groves. From 2019 onward, their work shifted decisively toward food system transformation, agroecological transitions, EU-Africa partnerships, and capacity building — with growing attention to organic farming knowledge networks, climate adaptation, and digital tools for insect farming and aquaculture. The trajectory shows an organization moving from reactive problem-solving (plant disease, water scarcity) toward proactive systemic work on sustainable food systems at a continental scale.

CIHEAM-IAMB is positioning itself as a bridge institution for EU-Africa sustainable agriculture and food system transformation, increasingly integrating digital tools with agroecological approaches.

How they like to work

CIHEAM-IAMB overwhelmingly operates as a consortium partner (18 of 23 projects) rather than a leader, having coordinated only once — the CURE-XF project on Xylella, which aligns with their strongest regional expertise. With 465 unique partners across 60 countries, they function as a highly connected node in the Mediterranean agricultural research network, bringing geographic reach and cross-cultural expertise rather than project management. Their four third-party roles suggest they are also valued as a specialist contributor brought in by other institutions for targeted expertise.

Exceptionally broad network of 465 unique partners across 60 countries, reflecting their role as an international Mediterranean institute that connects European, African, and Middle Eastern research communities. Their geographic spread is unusually wide for an organization of their project count, suggesting they bring unique regional access to consortia.

What sets them apart

CIHEAM-IAMB occupies a rare niche as an intergovernmental Mediterranean institute with direct operational links to North and West Africa — a capability few European agricultural research centers can match. Their combination of plant health emergency response (Xylella), organic farming knowledge networks, and EU-Africa food security partnerships makes them a three-in-one partner for consortia needing both scientific depth and geographic reach into Mediterranean and sub-Saharan regions. For any project targeting climate-resilient agriculture in the Euro-Mediterranean zone, they bring institutional credibility, established African partnerships, and hands-on field research capacity that university departments typically cannot offer.

Highlights from their portfolio

• CURE-XF
  Their only coordinated project (EUR 463K) — positions them as a European authority on Xylella fastidiosa containment and awareness.
• SustInAfrica
  Largest single funding (EUR 526K) — sustainable intensification across Ghana, Burkina Faso, Niger, Egypt, and Tunisia, showcasing their Africa reach.
• IoF2020
  Large-scale IoT pilot for agri-food (EUR 397K) — demonstrates their capacity to work on digital agriculture at industrial scale.