EFI Mediterranean Network Forum 2026: strengthening forest resilience across the Mediterranean
From 23 to 27 March 2026 in Valencia, Spain, the EFI Mediterranean Network Forum will gather researchers, policymakers, practitioners, and civil society actors to address shared challenges for Mediterranean forests, advance dialogue and cooperation on finding common solutions.
The EFI Mediterranean Network Forum is an international event bringing together experts from across the Mediterranean region to foster interdisciplinary dialogue, knowledge exchange, and international cooperation in response to shared global challenges such as climate change, sustainable forest management, biodiversity loss and landscape resilience. This edition will be hosted at the Universitat Politècnica de València and the Jardín Botánico de Valencia. The choice of location reflects not only the region’s emblematic Mediterranean landscape, but also Spain’s longstanding commitment to Mediterranean forestry, as the Spanish government has played a fundamental role in supporting EFIMED since its establishment in 2007.
From ecosystem services and the bioeconomy to biodiversity, resilience, and forests as tools for diplomacy, the Forum will feature interactive sessions and high-level policy dialogues exploring how forests can foster cross-border cooperation in the Mediterranean, and how development cooperation funding can play a key role in financing environmental projects.
“Beyond its academic and scientific value, the Forum creates meaningful opportunities for networking and collaboration, connecting universities, research centres, international organisations, industries, and businesses committed to strengthening the resilience of Mediterranean forests,” says Professor Magda Bou Dagher Kharrat, Lead of EFIMED and one of the Forum’s organisers.
Highlights of the programme: carob at the centre, field visits and youth engagement
As part of the agenda, the Forum will host the Carob Days (25–27 March), a dedicated three-day workshop focused on the ecological, cultural, and economic relevance of the carob tree (Ceratonia siliqua), organised in partnership with the Centre for Forestry Research and Experimentation (CIEF), from Valencia. As carob gains renewed attention in global markets – driven by its recognition as a nutrient-rich superfood, its potential for the pharmaceutical and food industries, and its exceptional resilience to climate change – the challenges of building a sustainable and inclusive carob value chain are crucial.
A collaborative, solution-oriented hackathon will take during the workshop. Designed to connect growers, harvesters, traders, processors, researchers, innovators, and industry representatives working on carob-related challenges, it aims to co-develop practical solutions for strengthening the carob value chain.
“Valencia, with its monumental carob trees, is the perfect place to host the Carob Days, bringing together actors from across the region, aiming to reposition carob as a key species for agroforestry, conservation, and sustainable value-chain development-turning shared knowledge into concrete action for the benefit of Mediterranean communities and beyond”, comments Guillermo Casanova, technical chief at CIEF.
The programme also includes field visits: one focusing on watershed management, highlighting the critical role of natural spaces and vegetation in regulating runoff following extreme weather events, such as DANA which hit Valencia in 2024; and the second focusing on carob agroforestry systems, including a tour of a modern carob production site, an overview of key cultivation methods and varieties, and a visit to a monumental carob tree in Chiva, highlighting its ecological, cultural, and historical significance.
Registration for the Forum is closed.
Free webinars on forest health, forest therapy and forest fires ahead of the Forum
Ahead of the in-person Forum, a series of free online webinars offers scientists, researchers, practitioners and students a unique opportunity to exchange knowledge, gain new insights, and connect with peers in advance of the Forum in Valencia.
The upcoming webinar on 4 March titled “From suppression to governance: Towards integrated fire management in the Mediterranean,” focuses on the increasing challenge of forest fires in the Mediterranean, highlights governance and management within sustainable forest management and introduces approaches to assess fire management effectiveness through evidence-based indicators. Led by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the session will also introduce the proposed Mediterranean Indicator on Forest Fire Management Effectiveness (StrategyMedFor). You can register for the webinar here.
You can watch the recordings of the two previous webinars via the links below.
Forest health: an essential pillar for the resilience of forest ecosystems
Forest therapy: integrating environmental science, medicine and economics
Photo: Centre for Forestry Research and Experimentation (CIEF)
