Press and News The Alliance and CIHEAM Bari formalize a strategic partnership to scale impact on sustainable agri-food systems
The Italian headquarters of the International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM Bari) and the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT (Alliance) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen collaboration in advancing food security, nutrition, and sustainable agri-food systems.
The partnership places particular emphasis on international cooperation fostering local development and community empowerment, while promoting innovation knowledge exchange and capacity development across the Mediterranean and Africa.
Past collaboration and projects
The signing ceremony marks an important milestone in reinforcing international agricultural research and cooperation for a food-secure future. The MoU builds on a Partnership Agreement in place since January 2020 and on years of successful joint engagement across Africa and the Mediterranean.
During this period, the two institutions have collaborated on multiple initiatives, including the SUSTLIVES project in Burkina Faso and Niger, promoting climate-resilient agri-food systems through enhanced local agrobiodiversity and strengthened research capacities for neglected and underutilized species. They have also advanced initiatives such as the AgriTech4Tunisia Innovation Challenge, supporting innovators in developing and scaling science-based solutions to enhance food security in Tunisia.
In parallel, CIHEAM Bari and the Alliance are jointly designing an important regional initiative – the Integrated Soils and Opportunity Crops Value Chain Development Initiative - covering Kenya, Ethiopia, and Uganda. This initiative promotes diversified and regenerative production systems aimed at strengthening climate resilience, improving livelihoods, and enhancing market integration across East Africa.
A platform for future collaboration
The MoU strengthens cooperation across four core areas:
- Capacity development: joint training, exchanges, and shared learning tools.
- Outreach and cooperation: joint donor engagement, policy outputs, and resources mobilization efforts.
- Research and innovation: co-designed research, technology transfer, and scalable solutions for sustainable food systems.
- Entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystems: support to startups, youth-led innovation, and access to finance.
Building on past and ongoing collaboration, the two Institutions will continue to explore new areas of collaboration in the Mediterranean, including Algeria and the rest of Africa, to support joint research and innovation initiatives, capacity development, and inclusive agri-food system transformation.
“This agreement further strengthens and amplifies a partnership that has already delivered tangible results and creates a stronger platform to scale innovation and accelerate food systems transformation across regions,” said Juan Lucas Restrepo, Director General of the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT.
Juan Lucas Restrepo
Director General, and Trustee, Bioversity International UK/USA“Through this renewed partnership, CIHEAM Bari and the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT are consolidating years of successful collaboration into a stronger framework for joint action,” said Biagio Di Terlizzi, Director of CIHEAM Bari. “Together, we aim to bridge research, innovation, and capacity development to deliver tangible impacts for communities and agri-food systems.”
The MoU also reflects Italy’s strategic role as host country for both institutions and its continued commitment to supporting international agricultural research and cooperation.
Biagio Di Terlizzi
Director of CIHEAMAbout the Alliance
The Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) delivers research-based solutions that harness agricultural biodiversity and sustainably transform food systems to improve people’s lives. Alliance solutions address the global crises of malnutrition, climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental degradation.
The Alliance is part of CGIAR, a global research partnership for a food-secure future.
About CIHEAM Bari
CIHEAM Bari is the Italian headquarters of CIHEAM (Centre International de Hautes Études Agronomiques Méditerranéennes), an intergovernmental organization gathering 13 Mediterranean countries.
It delivers education, applied research, and international cooperation initiatives to promote sustainable agriculture and resilient food systems across the Mediterranean, Africa, Latin America, and Asia.
