The eight partners of the project “Sustainable management model for Mediterranean Artisanal Salinas (MedArtSal)” gathered in Rome (Italy), on 18 January 2019, for the kickoff meeting of this initiative funded by the European Programme ENI CBC MED 2014-2020.

Artisanal salinas across the Mediterranean are today facing many pressures due to profound socio-economic changes that have affected productive activities. The MedArtSal project aims to promote the multifunctional use of the artisanal salinas to diversify the socioeconomic activities generating revenues in terms of good quality salt production, but also by obtaining other products that can be commercialized, as well as by exploring their potential for tourism, while respecting the natural values of the sites.

Photo: © Monica Guizzardi

The project will address common challenges for artisanal salinas in four Mediterranean countries (Italy, Lebanon, Spain and Tunisia), with 10 pilot actions for the development of new products and services in selected salinas and two demonstration projects on the diversification of salinas products (i.e., food and cosmetics) and services (i.e., HO.RE.CA, the Hotel/Restaurant/Café sector) carried out in La Esperanza, Cádiz (Spain) and Sidi Al-Hani (Tunisia).

“Investing in artisanal salinas means preserving our cultural heritage and landscape, local development and biodiversity. The final aim is to develop a sustainable and adaptable management model fostering the territorial valorisation of artisanal salinas in the Mediterranean region”, says Gaetano Zarlenga, General Manager at University Consortium for Industrial and Managerial Economics (CUEIM), Italy.

The main beneficiaries of this project will be artisanal salinas and salt producers, the small and medium enterprises around these sites, and the local communities in the Mediterranean region.

The project has a duration of three years and is led by CUEIM – University Consortium for Industrial and Managerial Economics (Italy). It involves the following partners: the Association for the Development of Rural Capacities (Lebanon), Fair Trade Lebanon (Lebanon), the IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation (Spain), the Mediterranean Sea and Coast Foundation (Italy), the Saida Society (Tunisia), the University of Cádiz (Spain), and the Tuniso-Italian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Tunisia).

MetatArSal kick off meeting in Rome. Photo: ©IUCN-Med

More information:

Website of the project: http://www.enicbcmed.eu/projects/medartsal

Contact

Email: Medartsal.project@gmail.com