Officials from nine countries in southern Europe have committed to collaborate on the advancement of water-efficient technologies and practices for agriculture, informs Associated Press.
The MED9 nations — France, Greece, Italy, Croatia, Portugal, Malta, Spain, Slovenia, and Cyprus — gathered in Cyprus to discuss the growing threat of water scarcity in the Mediterranean, which is more severely impacted by climate change than other regions in the EU, and its impact on farming and food security.
In a Joint Declaration, the Ministers of Agriculture of the MED9 pledge “to implement sustainable water management practices in agriculture and adopt advanced irrigation techniques and water saving agricultural practices and technologies, including drought resistant crops and varieties”.
During the meeting, Spain’s Agriculture Minister Luis Planas emphasized the gravity of the situation, saying, "Climate change is a real threat to food production worldwide, and this risk is even more severe in the Mediterranean area." He stressed the dual necessity of fighting climate change while adapting agricultural practices to these new conditions.
Cyprus Agriculture Minister Maria Panayiotou noted that Europe experienced its worst drought in 500 years last year. She highlighted local examples of innovation, such as “smart” irrigation systems and solar power technologies, which help conserve water and reduce usage by 30%.
Portuguese Agriculture Minister Jose Manuel Fernandes urged the EU to provide more funding to support the development of water-saving technologies. He also called for new incentives to attract younger people to farming.
French Agriculture Minister Marc Fesneau discussed techniques that create crops capable of thriving in harsher climates, while Slovenia’s Agriculture Minister Mateja Čalušić stressed that "climate change adaptation must be placed at the heart of our common policies" to ensure the future of global food security.
In the Declaration, the ministers call for an integrated legislative approach to secure water availability, ensuring water storage, given the critical importance of water for the primary sector, as well as flexibility in the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) for water management measures. Additionally, they urge the European Commission to prioritize the European Water Resilience Strategy and ensure it considers agricultural and local specificities, future climate projections, and food security concerns.
