The BLUMI-Med Project

Boosting Local Urban Markets in the Mediterranean: a PRIMA-funded consortium researching food, communities, and resilience.

Researching the heart of Mediterranean food culture

BLUMI-Med — Boosting Local Urban Markets in the Mediterranean — is an international project that aims to strengthen the sustainability of local urban and peri-urban markets in the Mediterranean.
Local urban markets are often considered an important factor in making food systems more sustainable, while improving urban food security and strengthening local production. BLUMI-Med aims to understand the challenges and potentials of these markets in a context-sensitive manner.

Project Information

Project duration: September 2025 - September 2028
Budget: 4.019 million EUR

Funding: European Union PRIMA Programme, Grant Agreement No. 763899, within the Innovation Action.

Researching the heart of Mediterranean food culture
Researching the heart of Mediterranean food culture

Four goals shaping the future of urban food markets:

01
Develop a Framework

Developing a conceptual framework and methodology that can be applied to the study of local urban markets.

02
Identify Market Types

Identifying different types of peri-urban local markets in the Mediterranean and their related sustainability issues.

03
Classify Success Factors

Providing a context-sensitive classification of success factors related to policy, infrastructure, and business models.

04
Develop ICT Tools

Developing ICT tools that can help address challenges, support innovative solutions, and create opportunities for stakeholders in peri-urban local markets.

A connected Mediterranean network

1 Coordinator

The University of Kassel leads the consortium and provides scientific direction.

01
14 Research Partners

Partner institutions across the Mediterranean and Europe co-design the methodology and field studies.

02
8 Mediterranean Countries

Field research spans 8 countries across the Mediterranean region.

03
16 Local Urban Markets

The project studies 15 diverse local urban and peri-urban markets, reflecting different social, economic, and environmental contexts.

04
Collaboration Structure

Stakeholder workshops, co-creation activities, and policy dialogue connect research to action.

05

Research Partners

BLUMI-Med brings together universities, research institutions, and organizations from across the Mediterranean and Europe. The project is coordinated by the University of Kassel and includes partners from Algeria, Croatia, France, Jordan, Portugal, Spain, Tunisia, Turkey, Germany, and Lebanon.

Project Coordinator
University of Kassel

The project coordinator, leading the consortium and providing scientific direction on local urban markets and sustainable food systems.

Contact: Ariane Götz
Email:
uni-kassel.de/uni/en
American University of Beirut (AUB)

A leading university in Lebanon contributing research expertise and regional insight into Mediterranean food systems and local urban markets.

Contact: Ali Chalak
Email:
aub.edu.lb
Associação Portuguesa de Agricultura Biológica (AGROBIO)

A Portuguese association supporting organic agriculture, sustainable production, and practical engagement with producers, consumers, and market stakeholders.

Contact: Jaime Ferreira
Email:
agrobio.pt
Eskişehir Osmangazi University (ESOGU)

A Turkish university contributing academic expertise and case study knowledge on local markets, sustainability, and regional food systems.

Contact: Fatma Handan Giray
Email:
en.ogu.edu.tr
INRAE

France’s national research institute for agriculture, food, and environment, supporting scientific knowledge on sustainable food systems and market development.

Contact: Esther Sanz Sanz
Email:
inrae.fr/en
Institute for Ethnology and Folklore Research Zagreb (IEF)

A Croatian research institute contributing expertise on culture, social practices, and the everyday meanings of local urban markets.

Contact: Olga Orlić
Email:
ief.hr/en/home
Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique de Tunisie (INRAT)

A Tunisian agricultural research institute supporting knowledge on production systems, sustainability challenges, and local market development.

Contact: Mustapha Jouili
Email:
inrat.agrinet.tn
NOVA School of Science and Technology

A Portuguese science and technology school contributing research expertise on sustainability assessment, systems thinking, and Mediterranean market analysis.

Contact: Paula Antunes
Email:
fct.unl.pt/en
NOVA University Lisbon

A Portuguese university supporting research, knowledge exchange, and interdisciplinary approaches to sustainability, innovation, and local food systems.

Contact: Paula Antunes
Email:
unl.pt/en
Research Center in Applied Economics for Development (CREAD)

An Algerian research centre contributing applied economics expertise on development, local markets, and socio-economic dimensions of sustainability.

Contact: Amine Oulmane
Email:
cread.dz/en/home-2
Royal Scientific Society (RSS)

A Jordanian science institution contributing expertise in applied research, stakeholder engagement, communication, and sustainability-focused project work.

Contact: Almoayied Assayed
Email:
rss.jo
SEECON impact gGmbH

A sustainability-focused organization supporting innovation, ICT-related business models, and practical solutions for sustainable development.

Contact: Cedric Lehmann
Email:
seecon-impact.de
Universidad de La Laguna (ULL)

A Spanish university contributing research and methodological expertise on stakeholder engagement, sustainability assessment, and local market systems.

Contact: Serafin Corral
Email:
ull.es/en
Universidad de Seville

A Spanish university contributing academic expertise and case study knowledge on local urban markets, sustainability, and Mediterranean food systems.

Contact: David Sampedro
Email:
us.es