Founded in 1962, the CIHEAM is a Mediterranean intergovernmental organization devoted to the sustainable development of agriculture and fisheries, food and nutrition security and rural and coastal areas.
It is composed of  13 member States (Albania, Algeria, Egypt, France, Greece, Italy, Lebanon, Malta, Morocco, Portugal, Spain, Tunisia and Turkey) and operates through its 4 Institutes based in Bari (Italy), Chania (Greece), Montpellier (France) and Zaragoza (Spain) and the Headquarters based in Paris.