As one of the PRIMA Partnership projects, the “Boosting Local Urban Markets in The Mediterranean (BLUMI-MED)” project was kicked off in Witzenhausen, Germany, on 29th Jan 2026. The project is led by the University of Kassel, Germany, and has a consortium of 13 international institutions and universities, from 10 European and Mediterranean countries: Germany, Algeria, Croatia, France, Jordan, Lebanon, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, and Tunisia.
The Project will investigate the differentiated nature of local markets in urban and peri-urban areas, their roles in the respective food systems and their sustainability. The project will also develop a conceptual and methodological framework relying on a Multi-Actor Approach (MAA) for capturing the characteristics, determinants, and sustainability of the diversity of local urban markets across the Mediterranean.
Over the course of two days, Dr Andreas Thiel facilitated collaborative discussions on the project’s key concepts and methods, work packages, action plan, and deliverables. Representatives from UNIKASSEL, SEECON, CREAD, INRAE, RSS, AUB, NOVA, AGROBIO, ULL, UNI SEVILLE, INRAT, ESOGU, and IEF further enriched the dialogue by presenting posters highlighting the targeted urban markets in their respective countries.
The BLUMI-MED project officially commenced in Witzenhausen, Germany, bringing together 13 partner institutions from 10 European and Mediterranean countries. During the two-day kick-off meeting, partners aligned on the project's objectives, methodology, work plan, and collaborative approach to advancing more sustainable, resilient, and inclusive local urban and peri-urban food markets across the Mediterranean.
