The Coordination of Agricultural Research
in the Mediterranean
and its e-infrastructure tool
Presented by WP1 Leader Mipaaf-IT, Annamaria Marzetti & Serenella Puliga
ARIMNet NETWORK
An European project coordinated by France
(INRA) and Tunisia (IRESA) including as full
members:
•6 EU members (Italy, Portugal, Spain,
Greece, Cyprus and France)
•2 associated countries (Turkey and Israel)
•4 Mediterranean Partner Countries (Egypt,
Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria)
•CIHEAM and ICARDA are associated to the
project to benefit by their expertise and better
coordinate the activities in the Mediterranean
area.
A project supported and funded by the
European Commission in the framework
of ERANET Actions to:
• reinforce the scientific cooperation
between countries of the Mediterranean
area, creating a research community
through the coordination of national
programmes in agricultural research;
• address jointly the common key issues
for Mediterranean agriculture such as:
sustainable development, management
of natural resources and mitigation of
threats resulting from global change;
•better fulfil the expectations of decision
makers, stakeholders and Mediterranean
people
MIPAAF-IT
Challenges
Food security and food safety
Climate change
Natural resources management (water and soil energy)
Use of genetic resources
Emerging/invasive diseases
Health and nutrition
Urbanisation and rural development
Strategy
need-driven approach based on four steps each one contributing on its own to
strengthen the cooperation, and providing the basis for the design of the next stages:
•Information exchange and mapping to improve mutual acquaintance and share of
best practices (country & global reports)
•Strategic orientation of research programmes to eliminate overlapping and open
novel issues (stakeholders conference Valencia October 2010)
•Joint activities to consolidate and harmonise partnership, outline common vision and
agenda
•Calls for proposals to expand the structuring impact of the network (2011).
MIPAAF-IT
Structure and activities
WP 1
Mapping and information
exchange
WP 2
Analysis of gaps
and overlaps in
current research
activities
COMMON
DATABASE
WP 4
Calls for proposals
Funding
WP 3
Implementation
of joint activities
MIPAAF-IT
COMMON DATABASE
Mediterranean Internet Portal
on agricultural research
Information System on Mediterranean Agriculture Research (ISMAR)
improve efficiency and strengthen agri-Med research potential
STEPS:
• Development of a web site: internet and intranet (intranet as
working place for project partners to exchange documents and
information)
• Development of a discussion forum open to all stakeholders
• Development of a dynamic database : overview of the programmes
and map of the research capacity involved with Mediterranean
agriculture (“assisted search" interface)
• Interaction with other ICT tools dealing with Mediterranean
agriculture.
MIPAAF-IT
Database Features
Standards (adopting and/or adapting existing standards):
•AiDA metadata set (Development Gateway Foundation, Inc.)
•Common European Research Information Format (European Commission)
•Web based Information Services for Agricultural Research for Development
(Wageningen International)
•ISO 639 standard for language (two letter code)
•ISO 3166 standard for country (two letter code)
•ISO 4217 for currency (three letter code)
Classification schemes based on:
•Enumerated List ( source: Euro CRIS , current research information systems)
Search by keywords: AGROVOC Thesaurus
AGROVOC is a multilingual, structured and controlled vocabulary designed to cover
the terminology of all subject fields in agriculture, forestry, fisheries, food and related
domains.
Tools: open source
MySql ( database), PHP, Linux
MIPAAF-IT
Database architecture
MIPAAF-IT
Thank you for your attention
www.arimnet.net
michel.dodet@paris.inra.fr Coordinator
m.montedoro@politicheagricole.gov.it WP 1 Leader
benrayana.aniss@iresa.agrinet.tn Information System Manager
moshen.krichi@iresa.agrinet.tn Database Manager