Mediterranean countries work to improve citrus sector
Mediterranean citrus growers rank amongst the world’s top producers and Europe is one of their largest markets. The Euromedcitrusnet project enabled the EU and Mediterranean Partner Countries (MPCs) such as Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia to work together to improve the quality and safety of citrus supply chains. Consortium members examined current policies and procedures and drew up recommendations and an action plan for proposed research projects. Improvements in the citrus fruit sector reflect the move towards increased safety throughout the food industry. Citrus plays an important role in the economies of all the countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea. The Euromedcitrusnet initiative has led to higher quality citrus fruits with increased safety. It has also resulted in the exchange of information ranging from water management to pest resistance to increased tolerance of harsher climates. the networking initiative was established to kick-start international cooperation and support policy development by building on current related research. The Euromedcitrusnet project also helped small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to participate in research by facilitating access to the knowledge, training and technology that they required. The outcome was better exploitation of research results and increased levels of innovation.
