As part of the official visit to Italy by the Minister of Food and Agriculture of Ghana, H.E. Eric Opoku; the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries of the Republic of the Congo, H.E. Paul Valentin Ngobo; and the Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Livestock of Senegal, H.E. Mabouba Diagne — organised within the AREA Africa Programme – “Strengthening Agri-food Ecosystems in Ghana, the Republic of the Congo and Senegal, in Partnership with the Italian Private Sector” — CIHEAM Bari took part in the Third General Assembly of the World Farmers Markets Coalition (WFMC), held in Rome on 10 October at FAO Headquarters.

The event, marking the 80th anniversary of FAO, brought together farmers and market representatives from over 80 countries to discuss key topics related to food sovereignty, biodiversity, and the development of local food chains as a path towards resilience and sustainability.

CIHEAM Bari joined the event, with Director Biagio Di Terlizzi reaffirming the Institute’s commitment to fostering cooperation and dialogue between Mediterranean and African agri-food systems, and to advancing the objectives of the #MatteiPlan for Africa by promoting inclusive, sustainable, and locally driven development models through international cooperation and public–private partnerships.

Within this framework, a collaborative pathway was established for activities under the AREA Africa Programme, providing a platform for sharing and listening to the priorities and needs of the three partner countries.

CIHEAM Bari is a long-standing partner of the World Farmers Markets Coalition and Fondazione Campagna Amica through the “Mediterranean and African Markets Initiative (MAMI)”, funded by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI).

AREA Africa is part of the Italian international cooperation initiative developed within a balanced public–private partnership framework under the Mattei Plan for Africa. It specifically falls within  the Action for the Strengthening of Agro-Food Ecosystems in Africa (AREA), co-financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI), with CIHEAM Bari serving as the knowledge partner and implementing body for the public component, and BFI acting as the private partner.