FAO and PRIMA Foundation: new partnership will promote innovation

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Foundation for the Partnership on Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area (PRIMA Foundation), a network of research and innovation institutions in 19 participating Mediterranean countries*, are joining efforts to foster innovation, research, technology transfer and capacity development. Together, the two organizations will address challenges related to climate change, urbanization and sustainability, both in the Mediterranean region and beyond.

The agreement formalizes collaborations between the two organizations in the field of e-learning, digital education, and capacity development as concerns the agro-food systems in the Mediterranean area. It also provides a legal framework for the co-organization of joint initiatives, workshops and opportunities to scale-up successful cases of innovation and research results. Both PRIMA Foundation and FAO have developed materials that will benefit from mutual integration and greater dissemination, including through online learning platforms.

Calling the agreement “a key moment for the PRIMA Initiative and a concrete example of its potential role for the Mediterranean region” Mr. Angelo Riccaboni,Chair PRIMA Foundation welcomed the chance for closer collaboration between the two organizions. “The partnership with FAO is an honor for PRIMA Foundation and the recognition that the Mediterranean region is a hot spot, promising yet vulnerable area, which requires strong commitment, large investments and strategic partnerships”. Mr. Mohamed El-Shinawi Co-Chair PRIMA Foundation added ”We hope that the signature of today is only the first step of a long-term cooperation, with concrete impacts on the food-related challenges, that both PRIMA Foundation and FAO are willing to address.”

Mr. Roberto Ridolfi, Assistant-Director General of FAO’s Programme Support and Technical Cooperation Department, also welcomed the agreement, describing PRIMA Foundation as “a strategic partner that is joining FAO’s efforts to improve sustainable food systems, in a region affected by climate change, urbanization and population growth. He referred to the partnership as “an opportunity to promote SDG compliance as a powerful tool to mainstream sustainability in the Mediterranean Region”.

PRIMA Foundation and FAO will collaborate on capacity development initiatives on Sustainable Food Systems which are aligned with the SDG framework. Cristina Petracchi, Head of the FAO elearning Center expressed hope that future initiatives would capitalize on the existing FAO e-learning courses, adding that PRIMA Foundation and FAO would also explore opportunities of digital certification of the acquisition of competences, using online badges.

 * Algeria, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Malta, Morocco, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Tunisia and Turkey. 

FAO e-learning courses are available through FAO e-learning Center: http://www.fao.org/elearning/#/elc/en/home