Representatives from artisanal salinas, partners and experts on marketing and European agricultural policies analysed how to support and promote sustainable production practices to ensure a transition to a more sustainable food systems.

This event was also an opportunity to present the new e-commerce platform of MedArtSal and also the umbrella brand that brings together artisanal salinas owners from different Mediterranean countries. This presentation was done by Juan José Mier Terán from the University of Cadiz who also highlighted that “the artisanal gourmet salt market is an interesting niche that has grown significantly in recent years and where the business opportunities are encouraged by the fact that the control of the distribution channels is much lower than the industrial salt one”.

The participation of Sabina Limón from the Salina del Alemán in Huelva (Spain) brought her story on how her family is maintaining one of the few artisanal Salinas, which is still operating in the South of Spain. “It is nice to know we can keep working on our family’s salina, we can change the vision, use new marketing tools to position our products in a better way but at the same time producing in the traditional and sustainable way”, commented Sabina Limón from the Salina del Alemán in Huelva (Spain)

From Lebanon Fair Trade, Maya Masri explained how they are supporting local farmers and now also salinas owner to enhance their production while preserving the environment, promoting traditional ways of production combined with more efficiency use of energy and water and improving eco-friendly packaging.

“Food systems do not have to be negative for biodiversity. They are many approaches and practices that helps to protect and enhance biodiversity, and traditional salinas are a very good example of it”, commented Ana Prieto, IUCN European Regional Office. Brussels, Belgium. She also highlighted that it is very important that policies at European and national level are supporting all actors involved to make the ecological transition towards more sustainable food systems.

MedArtSal is one of the good practices supported by the ENI CBC MED programme which is contributing to the discussion on sustainability of food systems, but not only in terms of achieving food and nutritional security but also in relation to social, economic and environmental sustainability in the Mediterranean Sea.

This event was organised by the IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation in collaboration with the University of Cadiz and the Lebanon Fair Trade.

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