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Project Topic
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Over the past years, supply chains (SCs) resembled less a line of dominoes and evolved into an intertwined supply network (ISN).
CERERE’s major goal is to increase the resilience and ensure the viability of the cereals ISN (C-ISN) and related food systems in
MENA countries through the achievement of 4 specific objectives:
1. To map and assess the resilience and viability of the Mediterranean cereal ISN to identify critical dependencies between
actors and detect, analyse and predict vulnerabilities.
2. To design and develop an intelligent nerve centre to be used for resilient network design space exploration via
experimentation and for the agile orchestration of the cereal ISN.
3. To cultivate a Mediterranean resilience-minded culture and localized experiences for creating fertile socio-cultural soil for
future disruption-proof C-ISNs.
4. To derive a list of good practices and evidence-based recommendations for organisations and policy-makers to build viable
and resilient agri-food ISNs in the Mediterranean region.
To achieve these objectives, CERERE will deliver solid scientific theoretical advances and increase of know-how and practical
knowledge. CERERE is inspired by the OECD principles for building resilient supply chains: open markets and collaboration, risk
anticipation and minimisation of exposure, and end-to-end (E2E) visibility and trust. Such aspects will be concurrently
investigated within four pillars (4Ps): products, processes, technology prototypes, people.
First, three specific cereal varieties will be analysed as focus of our case studies (product pillar): common and durum wheat, and
barley. Two pilots will be conducted in two Countries, one in the North Africa region (Egypt) and the other in the Middle East
(Turkey). Second, a structural and vulnerability analysis of the cereal supply chain in Egypt and Turkey (and, by large, in the
Mediterranean area) will be conducted to derive evidence-based policy recommendations and guidelines (process pillar). Third,
a Software as a Service platform prototype will be designed using a participatory approach and developed as a solution to
increase the resilience and/or ensure the viability of the cereal ISN (technology prototype pillar). It will include a number of
innovative models and solutions, including: 1) an open-source middleware and data model for smart agriculture; 2) a persistent
multi-scale and multi-paradigm simulation-based digital twin; 3) an AI-based intelligent nerve centre enriched by a cognitive
human interface for agile ISN orchestration; 4) an Internet of Things Starter kit for Smart Farming; 5) an early warning system for
supply network vulnerability prediction; 6) a web application to enable individuals and organisations to join the digital cereal
ISN; 7) a distributed data fabric architecture for connecting multiple data sources and a situation awareness module to process,
fuse and make sense of such data.
Finally, a report with business models and recommended organizational/socio-cultural changes required to sustain the CERERE
framework, a report about knowledge maturity and digital readiness of agri-food businesses in the MENA countries, as well as
education and training material will be developed (people pillar).
In line with PRIMA goals, CERERE will contribute to generate the following impacts: 1) increase understanding, transparency and
predictability of cereal SC performance; 2) promote a risk-based approach to cereals SC management; 3) promote successful
management practices in local food environments in the MENA region; 4) promote an agile cereal SC management in the
Mediterranean area; 5) reduce uncertainty in SC risk management and enable mitigation capability to SC actors; 6) accelerate
technology and innovation uptake by smallholders and farmers to gain competitive advantage and achieve better performance.
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