Report of the 1st Mediterranean Agroecology Congress – AEMED2025
Report of the 1st Mediterranean Agroecology Congress – AEMED2025
The 1st Mediterranean Agroecology Congress – AEMED2025 – held in Agrigento (Italy) from 9 to 12 June was a key event in the approach to agroecological models of global agro-food systems and in particular of the Mediterranean.
During the Congress, the following were also celebrated:
– The 4th AIDA National Congress;
– The 2nd AIAF Italian Agroforestry Forum.
The entire event was focused on the theme of Agroecological and Agroforestry Approaches for a Sustainable Future.
The congress brought together around 500 participants from Mediterranean countries and beyond (USA, South America, Asia), and was structured around the three fundamental souls of agroecology: Science, Movement and Practices.
An innovative format that included, among its communication methods, the Agroecology Open Space, an area where farmers, researchers and artists shared experiences, seeds, methods and visions for territorial regeneration.
On June 12, three shared documents were also announced and put into production, the result of a participatory process with contributions from communities and institutions:
– Scientific guidelines – orientations for applied research in Mediterranean areas.
– Technical addresses – concrete solutions for agroecological practices, short supply chains and sustainable land use.
– Political proposals – recommendations to the institutional world to promote agroecological transitions and enhance sustainable models.
The congress consolidated alliances between AIDA, AIAF and the Coordinamento Agroecologia Sicilia, a member of Agroecology Europe. It also promoted protocols as a tangible sign of the commitment to institutional agroecology in Sicily and the Mediterranean, launching a virtual bridge to the Agroecology Europe Forum to be held in Malmö from 2 to 4 October 2025.
During the Congress, 5 pilot companies in the province of Agrigento were visited, which have long since started a journey towards agroecology and agroforestry.
Another important event, also within the days of the Congress, was the
Lyric-symphonic concert at the Teatro Pirandello, a moment of celebration and reflection, where, preceded by interventions on the more complex theme of the relationship between humanity and nature, the need for a cultural change in the entire future society was made perceptible, also through the harmonies of music, which is now more than ever in need of a new and inclusive dialogue between all peoples.
In general, therefore, the Congress marked a milestone for Mediterranean agroecology. During the four days in Agrigento, solid foundations were laid to:
– promote concrete and experiential agroecological practices;
– refine policy and research tools;
– build networks between farmers, scientists, artists and institutions;
– celebrate agriculture as a common good, linked to the landscape, culture and the future.
A strong message emerged in the closing speech: agroecology as a common thread between traditional identity and innovation, with a community and systemic approach towards sustainability.
Guido Bissanti