Master of Science in MEDITERRANEAN ORGANIC AGRICULTURE

The Master programme provides a one academic year curriculum the main objective of which is to direct students towards professional and academic careers thereby promoting the development of organic agriculture, with an emphasis on Mediterranean contexts.

The programme proposes a holistic view of the organic sector development presenting theoretical and methodological approaches to sustain the transition to organic agriculture through agroecological principles, and with a perspective of sustainable food systems development. The course provides deep insights into organic farming and the food regulatory framework. Special emphasis is given to the range of on-farm technologies and practices to improve soil health and fertility and manage pests and diseases. Economic and marketing issues are also presented leading students through an understanding of food value chains sustainability.

Courses are addressed to graduate students and young professionals with a university background related to agronomic, horticultural, agricultural marketing, and socio-economic issues.

At the end of the course students will have the following skills and competencies:

Understand the importance of sustainable production and advocate for ecologically sound solutions at different levels;

Know the organic legislative and policy frameworks and be able to drive farms to a transition towards organic farming and agroecological principles;

Know how to produce safe, high quality and sustainable organic food;

Understand economic and market issues being able to analyse and design organic food value chains;

Facilitate multi-actors networking for the organic sector development;

Have the expertise to assess agricultural, environmental, and socio-economic opportunities and constraints of organic agriculture in different Mediterranean areas.

CIHEAM Bari is a Centre for post-graduate training, applied scientific research, and design of in loco partnership actions within the framework of international research and cooperation programmes.

The Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari and the Institute of Montpellier were the first to be established by CIHEAM.

CIHEAM Bari enjoys the privileges of extra-territoriality granted to international organizations by the Republic of Italy through the Establishment agreement signed to the Italian Government in 1962, ratified in Italy with law N. 932 of 13 July 1965 and with the supplementary protocol to the Agreement ratified with law N. 159 of 26 May 2000.

The building of CIHEAM Bari campus started in 1970 near Valenzano. The current headquarters were inaugurated on 27 October 1972.

In line with CIHEAM’s Action Plan 2025 for the Mediterranean (CAPMED 2025), CIHEAM Bari is involved in a number of activities that provide a platform for institutions and organizations wishing to cooperate across the Mediterranean area. Furthermore, the experience gained may often be transferred to other regions of the world. Special attention is paid to the involvement of CIHEAM Bari Alumni, especially in their countries of origin.

Cooperation and research actions concern important issues such as food security, poverty alleviation, capacity building at the institutional level, more efficient use of natural resources, improvement of agricultural production and productivity, promotion of organic farming, development of sustainable food systems, resilience to climate change, integrated management of coastal areas, gender empowerment, fisheries, and aquaculture, etc.

The networking activities conducted by CIHEAM Bari involve hundreds of institutions located in several countries, consolidating professional contacts, institutional and multi-stakeholder partnerships, country-to-country relationships, and joint initiatives with the private sector. This paves the way to self-generating exchange of information, technical and professional expertise, publications, innovative research and educational activities, conferences and seminars, harmonization of methodological guidelines, etc.

Maurizio Raeli is the Director of CIHEAM Bari since January 2017.