Dans l'actuelle tendance vers la globalisation et la régionalisation de l'économie sur le plan mondial, la Méditerranée se pose comme un ensemble relativement intégré propre à établir un partenariat qui favorise le dialogue, les échanges et la coopération entre les États qui la bordent. En ce qui concerne le secteur agricole, il convient cependant de souligner que, s'il subsiste parmi tous les pays du bassin méditerranéen des similitudes au regard des types et des secteurs de production, il n'en demeure pas moins de considérables différences structurelles entre les pays européens de la rive nord et les pays tiers méditerranéens2(PTM), c'est-à-dire ceux qui bordent les rives méridionale et orientale. Ces derniers constituent en effet une des zones dont la balance agro-alimentaire présente les déficits structurels les plus élevés. Non seulement les cultures fruitières de ces pays ont vu se réduire leurs débouchés dans l'Union européenne, mais la diversification des exportations agricoles demeure difficile à cause du déficit en céréales, de la médiocre transférabilité des ressources et des facteurs entre les secteurs exportateurs et les secteurs destinés à satisfaire la demande intérieure et enfin du fait de l'insuffisance des technologies appliquées à l'agriculture. Il apparaît donc important de conduire une enquête sur les modalités de coopération économique possibles dans le domaine agricole et agro-alimentaire avec les PTM. L'objectif d'une telle analyse sera de cerner les hypothèses présentes de complémentarité entre des systèmes agro-alimentaires méditerranéens appartenant à des zones régionales différentes, en vue de les traduire en situations concrètes de coopération en phase avec les tendances actuelles à la création de réseaux de production internationaux. Dans un tel contexte, un rôle précis peut être joué par l'Italie, sinon par le midi de l'Italie, le Mezzogiorno, qui, fort de sa tradition en la matière, de son patrimoine de connaissances et de sa situation géographique, peut aspirer à être l'interface naturelle entre l'Union européenne et les pays tiers méditerranéens.
The starting point of the present paper is the idea that to ensure a sustainable development among the Mediterranean countries both of the North and south-east shores, it is necessary to exploit the potentialities of each country and use them in terms of co-development rather then competition. The study area encompasses on the one hand the countries of Central Maghreb and on the other hand the regions of Southern Italy. This choice is originated by the fact that both these regional groups show similarities and complementarities. The paper analyses the agricultural sector which still has a very dominant position in the socio-economic structure, of both Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria and in the Southern Italian regions, although at a different degree. Therefore that seems to be the sector on which to focus in order to obtain both economic and social improvements. However it is not possible to look at the Mediterranean agricultural sector development only from a free market point of view, for the presence of the same patterns of production activities in the two groups. In order to avoid clashes, it is necessary, instead, to create a production network able to develop a typical Mediterranean product with which to compete in the international markets. In this context Italy, particularly Southern Italian regions, due to its tradition, knowledge and geographical position can play a well defined role of a bridge between the European Union and the third Mediterranean countries. In the first part, we address the question of the existence of a direct relationship between liberalisation and economic growth through the analysis of the commercial flows, in particular the agricultural ones. In the second part the complementarities in the agricultural sector of both the Central Maghreb countries and the Southern Italian regions are identified, while in the third and last part, an attempt is made try to specify how those complementarities can be transformed in concrete co- operation activities
Co-operation in the Mediterranean Agricultural Sector, Maghreb and Southern Italy: A working Hypothesis
Venditto Bruno
2001-01-01
Abstract
The starting point of the present paper is the idea that to ensure a sustainable development among the Mediterranean countries both of the North and south-east shores, it is necessary to exploit the potentialities of each country and use them in terms of co-development rather then competition. The study area encompasses on the one hand the countries of Central Maghreb and on the other hand the regions of Southern Italy. This choice is originated by the fact that both these regional groups show similarities and complementarities. The paper analyses the agricultural sector which still has a very dominant position in the socio-economic structure, of both Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria and in the Southern Italian regions, although at a different degree. Therefore that seems to be the sector on which to focus in order to obtain both economic and social improvements. However it is not possible to look at the Mediterranean agricultural sector development only from a free market point of view, for the presence of the same patterns of production activities in the two groups. In order to avoid clashes, it is necessary, instead, to create a production network able to develop a typical Mediterranean product with which to compete in the international markets. In this context Italy, particularly Southern Italian regions, due to its tradition, knowledge and geographical position can play a well defined role of a bridge between the European Union and the third Mediterranean countries. In the first part, we address the question of the existence of a direct relationship between liberalisation and economic growth through the analysis of the commercial flows, in particular the agricultural ones. In the second part the complementarities in the agricultural sector of both the Central Maghreb countries and the Southern Italian regions are identified, while in the third and last part, an attempt is made try to specify how those complementarities can be transformed in concrete co- operation activitiesI documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
