Consortium

The Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA) is the leading public research organization in Italy dedicated to agri-food, with legal personality under public law, supervised by the Italian Ministry of Agriculture (MIPAAF). CREA has scientific expertise in the agricultural, forest, fish, nutritional and socio-economic sectors as well as full scientific, statutory, organizational, administrative and financial autonomy. CREA has 12 Research Centres located throughout Italy.

The Institut d’écologie de Paris laboratory, UMR 113 (hereafter referred to as the “Laboratory”) is a joint research unit of Sorbonne Université and CNRS. Sorbonne Université is a Public, scientific, cultural and professional establishment. iEES Paris objectives are to analyse and model the structure, functioning and evolution of ecological systems for predictive ecology and environmental sciences. The institute contributes to innovation in sustainable management of biodiversity, ecosystems and biological resource management.

CIRAD, the French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development, is an organization working for the sustainable development of tropical and Mediterranean regions. Its activities concern the life sciences, social sciences and engineering sciences, applied to agriculture, food, the environment and territorial management. Its work centres on several main topics: food security, climate change, natural resource management, reduction of inequalities and poverty alleviation. Research in partnership is CIRAD’s fundamental working principle and the keystone of its operations. CIRAD has a staff of 1800, including 800 researchers.

INRAA is the National Agronomic Research Institute of Algeria, depending from the ministry of agriculture, rural development and fisheries. Created in 1966 with the aim of contributing in the elaboration of all research programs; executing these programs and experimentations; coordinating agronomic research activities at national level in collaboration with sectorial and inter-sectorial structures; participating in the elaboration of training plans; valorising and diffusing research results. Main research domains: molecular biology; genetic resources; plant breeding; biotechnology; plant and animal sciences; agro-ecology and environment, agro-food technologies.

INRAT (National Institute of Agricultural Research of Tunisia) is a Tunisian public institution under the supervision of the Ministry of Agriculture and is affiliated to the IRESA (Institution of Agricultural Research and Higher Education). INRAT has internationally recognised experience in many disciplines and interdisciplinary research related to crop and livestock production and to biophysical and socio-economic research. The main missions of INRAT are the (i) Evaluation and upgrading of genetic resources in Tunisia, (ii), Selection of crop varieties and improvement of animal breeds, (iii) Improvement of techniques for crop and animal production, (iv) Performing agro and socio-economic research in relation with the rural environment, (v) Contribution to technology transfer and capacity building.

Abdelmalek Essaadi University (UAE) is a public institution under the Ministry of National Education, Professional Training, Higher Education, Scientific Research and Executive Training. The university is located in the north-western part of Morocco, spreading over three campuses in three cities (Tetouan, Tangier and Larache), it is made up of 15 institutions, of which 6 are open access and 9 are regulated. The UAE provides training, research and innovation missions under the best possible conditions, which is integrated into its socio-economic and cultural environment to support regional, national and international dynamics and development. The Polydisciplinary Faculty of Larache (FPL) is an institution of the UAE, based in the City of Larache and which brings together teachers from different disciplines.