On March 25th and 26th, the kick-off meeting of the Capacity Building project FoSaMed – Enhancing Food Safety in the Mediterranean – was held online with the active participation of all the consortium members.
The FoSaMed project will provide a joint Master’s Programme, within the curricula of the Ecole Nationale d’Agriculture de Meknes, Ibn Tofail University, Institut Agronomique et Veterinaire Hassan II, University Mohammed I that will receive the support of the project coordinator the University of Évora (UEVORA) together with the University of Barcelona (UB) and the Mediterranean Universities Union (UNIMED). The associated partner Fédération Nationale de l’Agroalimentaire (FENAGRI) also took part in the meeting.
The specific objectives of the FoSaMed project include the qualification of the Moroccan academics on modern and innovative teaching methodologies, to support Moroccan HEIs in designing a Master Programme on food safety that is associated with the recovery and promotion of the traditional Mediterranean diet and associated to short food supply chains, and to contribute to inclusive higher education in Morocco, that integrates underprivileged groups, such as women, rural populations and refugees and gives them equal access to knowledge and the opportunities it brings.
The first day’s institutional greetings focused on the importance of a more sustainable ecosystem and food system, especially during this chapter of historical turmoil. The natural richness of Morocco was recalled, which makes the country a perfect territory to explore to enhance food safety in the region. Moreover, the relevance of research has been emphasized due to the uncertain times we are living for research opportunities and developments.
Valuable tips came from the National Erasmus Office to the consortium for a solid and fructuous implementation of the project, stressing some fundamental mantra, such as QUALITY, IMPACT, and SUSTAINABILITY.
On the second day, the partners had a fruitful discussion to agree on responsibilities and tasks for the implementation of the project and to start working concretely on the preparatory activities. The first steps to be moved have been collaboratively identified and the long-term action plan explored in detail.
Cheers to FoSaMed!
