CERERE - CEreals REsiliency REvolution for agile supply chain management in the Mediterranean

The global agri-food system has transformed significantly in recent decades. Supply chains (SCs) have evolved from linear structures into complex networks with dynamic roles and behaviors. These changes have consolidated power among major food processors and retailers, leaving farmers with a smaller share of the added value of their produce. This economic landscape discourages newcomers who see limited growth opportunities. Factors like climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, and geopolitical events have exposed the vulnerability of Mediterranean food systems, impacting consumers' purchasing power and prompting discussions about policies for more resilient supply chains. This has reinvigorated national dialogues concerning how to best frame our policies and regulatory environment to create more diversified and resilient food SCs. In this context, many rural agri-food economies, especially in MENA countries, struggle due to low incomes, unfavourable environmental conditions, ageing farmers, inefficient agricultural practices, low interest of the younger generation in agriculture, lack of manpower, and limited digital education. These issues affect their livelihoods and lead to land abandonment and degradation. Furthermore, operators located in MENA countries often work under extremely challenging conditions, with inadequate infrastructure, complicated access to credit, limited business growth opportunities, and underdeveloped policy conditions. As the frequency and magnitude of disruptions increase, food organizations of any size and individuals, particularly farmers and smallholders, need to consider a novel range of options and adopt a comprehensive strategy to build resilience and ensure the viability of their businesses and cereal SCs.

To enhance the resilience and long-term competitiveness of agri-food supply chains (SCs) in the Mediterranean region, the CERERE project emphasizes the urgent need for digitalization, addressing the sector’s historically low technology adoption rates. The project is designed to increase the resilience of cereal supply networks (C-ISNs) by integrating advanced technologies while remaining sensitive to the socio-cultural context of the region. Inspired by the acatech RAMI 4.0 architecture, CERERE’s conceptual framework is structured around four key pillars: technology, process, product, and people, each playing a critical role in building a resilient and viable agri-food SC. Technology Pillar: Central to CERERE's approach, this pillar involves the development of a software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform using FIWARE, an open-source integration middleware and data model tailored for smart agriculture. This platform will feature two main components: an early warning system for predicting supply network vulnerabilities and an AI-based intelligent nerve center. The early warning system, powered by data fusion from real and simulated sources, will provide SC actors with advanced situational awareness, enabling them to anticipate and mitigate potential disruptions. It includes IoT-based tools to integrate smallholders and new farmers into the digital network, ensuring that even those with low digital literacy can participate. The AI-based nerve center, working alongside a simulation-based digital twin, will orchestrate the C-ISN with agility and flexibility, offering equitable and ethical recommendations through a cognitive human interface. Process Pillar: This pillar focuses on leveraging SC knowledge to identify and map risk factors that affect cereal SCs. By designing and implementing an automated system for detecting disruptions and vulnerabilities, CERERE ensures that SC processes are optimized for resilience. This knowledge-driven approach informs the foundational logic of the technological systems, guiding the development of actionable mitigation plans and rules that are crucial for maintaining SC viability during and after disruptions. Product Pillar: This pillar is dedicated to providing the agronomic knowledge necessary for developing resilient farming practices. By focusing on specific crops and their adaptability to various environmental stressors, CERERE ensures that farming systems are robust and capable of sustaining productivity in the face of challenges such as climate change or economic shifts. The project aims to tailor these practices to the specific conditions of the Mediterranean region, ensuring that they are both effective and sustainable. People Pillar: Recognizing that technology alone cannot build resilience, CERERE emphasizes the importance of cultivating a resilience-minded culture. This involves designing education and upskilling programs targeted at various stakeholders, including farmers, food manufacturers, consumers, and policymakers. By enhancing digital readiness and knowledge maturity, particularly in the MENA region, CERERE aims to create a socio-cultural environment that supports and sustains resilient C-ISNs. The CERERE framework not only addresses the immediate need for resilience in agri-food SCs but also ensures that these systems remain viable in the long term. It supports organizations and individuals across three critical phases of disruption management: preparation, response, and recovery. By adopting a multi-actor approach, CERERE engages all participants in the cereal ISN—from farmers to retailers—equipping them with the tools and knowledge needed to adapt, respond, and thrive amidst a range of disruptions, including prolonged crises like pandemics or geopolitical conflicts. Ultimately, CERERE's holistic approach fosters a sustainable, resilient, and competitive agri-food sector in the Mediterranean.

The CERERE project aims to generate significant impacts on the cereal supply chain (SC) in the Mediterranean and MENA regions through a series of targeted efforts. First, it enhances understanding, transparency, and predictability of SC performance by disclosing dependencies and leveraging technologies like IoT and digital twins to identify vulnerabilities and manage risks. Second, CERERE promotes a risk-based approach to SC management using predictive analytics, ensuring timely threat detection and mitigation, thus reducing economic impacts and enhancing risk awareness among SC actors. Third, it supports the adoption of successful management practices tailored to the sociocultural and economic contexts of local food environments in the MENA region, fostering community engagement and collaboration. Fourth, the project aims to create an agile cereal SC in the Mediterranean by providing real-time information for disruption management, promoting local sourcing, and reducing the carbon footprint. Fifth, CERERE reduces uncertainty in SC risk management by enabling SC actors to reorganize and mitigate crises effectively, improving overall SC performance. Sixth, the project accelerates technology and innovation uptake among smallholders, enhancing their competitiveness, reducing land abandonment, and improving livelihoods in rural areas. Beyond these specific impacts, CERERE fosters broader societal benefits, such as sustaining innovation capacity, promoting sustainable farming practices, enhancing food security, and supporting rural economies. Additionally, it contributes to the growth of the AgTech industry, optimizes operations in the agri-food sector, and sets a precedent for ethical AI adoption, enhancing trust and transparency in technology use.