Med4Waste organizes and online webinar titled "A better urban organic waste management for a more resilient Mediterranean agriculture"

Rural Mediterranean regions are characterised by low soil fertility and erosion implying land degradation, thus more climate change impact and vulnerability. Nevertheless, if agricultural soils are appropriately managed, they have a large potential to become resilient, productive, and enhance soil health by maintaining soil organic carbon, improved water retention and increase biodiversity. In turn, in urban ecosystems, there is a great opportunity to recover high quality compost through municipal organic waste to enrich agricultural soils and therefore, closing the loop.

Following the 2023 International Compost Awareness Week under the specific thematic of “Healthier soil, healthier food...Compost!” and as the largest education initiative celebrated in many countries, this webinar aims to showcase and bring a virtual space to exchange Mediterranean good practices related with urban organic waste management for a more resilient Mediterranean agriculture. Connecting these challenges, you will discover how problems can become opportunities!

Supported by UfM, ENI CBC MED and PRIMA programmes and proceeding the 4th UfM Working Group on Environment and Climate Action, this event organised by the Med4Waste capitalisation project is a great opportunity to learn about urban and rural ecosystems challenges and potential joint solutions contributing to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals in the Mediterranean.

This webinar also promotes capacity building initiatives directly contributing to key 2030 GreenerMed Agenda actions such as the implementation of food waste reduction strategies and the reinforcement of rural circular business models, improve agricultural soil quality, and restore degraded land. In turn, Water-Energy-Food-Ecosystems Nexus approach within the UfM Water Agenda will be presented to showcase the importance to have a cross-sectoral integrated perspective and improving governance to tackle transversal common issues.

Through ENI CBC MED projects, this webinar will reveal how to recover compost and achieve a better waste management in municipalities. In turn, through PRIMA projects, the interventions will show the potential to use compost and revalorised by-product to enrich agricultural soils in Mediterranean rural environments. In addition, the link to policy areas and other transversal initiatives such as the Sustainable Food Systems in the Mediterranean (SFS-MED) will also be showcased as key elements of action to jointly move towards more sustainable agri-food systems in the Mediterranean region.

Webinar details:

• Title: A better urban organic waste management for a more resilient Mediterranean agriculture
• International Compost Awareness Week footprints
• Back-to-back event to the 4th UfM Working Group on Environment and Climate Action
• Tuesday 23rd of May, 10:00 AM – 13:00 PM (CET)
• Live interpretation in French and Arabic
• Click here to register for this event. (A link to join the webinar will be sent closer to the event date)
• Link to download the agenda