The 13 member countries of the MED-Amin network account for just 6% of the world’s population, yet represent a substantial share of global cereal imports: 80% for durum wheat, 25% for soft wheat, 22% for barley and 21% for maize (average for the 2021–2024 period).

Most of these countries are therefore heavily reliant on imports to meet their supply needs, leaving them exposed to fluctuations in international markets. The importance of cereals in diets, population growth and ongoing urbanisation in several countries, combined with mounting pressure on water resources and climate change, make this dependence all the more critical.