An olive tree and the Mediterranean Sea drawn in its foliage. In the logo of the Shared Mediterranean Conservatory (CMP), everything is there.
The tree, symbol of longevity and peace, and the territory. Because, if it has its roots in the Var, the conservatory deploys its ramifications well beyond – up to Italy, in particular – with the same objective: to find and conserve ancient and/or neglected species to respond to ” the erosion of cultivated biodiversity » linked, according to Claire Mignet, environmental engineer and urban planner, specialist in local development and director of the CMP, “ to globalization, to the sizing of products, to transport.”
So many parameters which forced “generally limit the number of varieties of species cultivated. We have fewer varieties per species. We are getting poorer. And in the face of climate change, we must be better armed, that is to say, have a wider range of genetic diversity to be able to adapt to conditions of water and thermal stress, emerging diseases or pests. This is the heart of our cause.”
And it is this observation that motivated a collective of actors, private and public, from the world of agriculture and conservation to create the CMP in 2018.
Study and disseminate knowledge
Neither quite a museum nor an open-air scientific observatory, therefore. The CMP is a bit of all that with a zest of pedagogy and “concern for beauty” as a bonus.
Above all, it has an economic dimension with the stated ambition of relaunching micro-sectors and encouraging crop diversification. For Jérémy Giuliano, president of the association since May 2024 and mayor of Val, this is the condition for succeeding in ensuring conservation.
“For example, we will only be able to preserve the Brignoles plum well if it is part of a gastronomic heritage. »
Nurseries for old varieties
For this, “there is a real need to network, to make duplicates, to organize conservation,” notes Claire Mignet.
Three main areas have been defined: arboriculture, viticulture and horticulture.
Once the trail of a variety has been traced, specimens can be entrusted to professionals, to private homes or on municipal land, in so-called conservation orchards (read below). There are around fifteen in the region under the name “orchards of the future”.
Another flagship program of the conservatory: ancient grape varieties. “ We are going to study them, in particular with the Var Chamber of Agriculture, to possibly say in 10 years which grape varieties respond best to climate change. », specifies Jérémy Giuliano. The program was launched in 2021 and the CMP found the Escarelle estate, in La Celle, the ideal location for both scientific monitoring and transmission actions (read elsewhere).
These programs are recognized by the Ministry of Agriculture, in particular by “ its plant genetic resources conservation section which needs to have a clearer reading of who conserves what », underlines the director for whom conservation is also interesting from a tourist point of view. “ People want to discover landscapes, know-how, live experiences and we have lots of things to tell », she concludes.
-“We take on millennia-old stories”
He did not hesitate for long when taking over the presidency of the CMP. Already a member since 2019 with his commune of Val and member of the board of directors, Jérémy Giuliano succeeded Nicole Rullan, mayor of Correns, last May.
What are your missions as president?
Above all, it means supporting all projects. The director will manage and coordinate the different partners, the president will make decisions and decide if necessary. But within the board of directors, we are always in phase. The president also has a representative role. He is the guarantor of the board of directors.
You were elected in May 2024, what are the challenges of this new mandate?
We need to consolidate and develop our technical and financial partners. The challenge is also there: being able to take a step forward to work more comfortably.
Also at the CMP, we do what is not done. We are filling a void. This is also the public interest mission of the conservatory. We will share knowledge, practices, knowledge, equipment. This is what gives all the meaning to the CMP. Its strength is to bring together the commitment of everyone. The more plant biological diversity we offer, the more favorable conditions we will have to succeed in this climate transition and the transformation of the profession.
Being elected is an advantage?
Being elected means being aware of the long term, we understand that we have to go through phases of studies and land acquisition.
You have been part of the CMP since the beginning, what motivates you?
It’s super exciting. There are areas that I know a little better than others, particularly on the agricultural side, but I learn every day, especially on flowers. This is also what I expect from this mandate. The problems are repeated, are identical, but it is interesting to understand the mechanisms and to discover other environments on the scale of the Var and well beyond because the programs go much further.
The heritage aspect is also important. In different territories, we can manage to revive traditions, to understand gestures, culture. If we also develop micro-sectors behind, for me, we have won everything. Finally, we take millennia-old stories into contemporary life. It’s a story between men and agriculture brought up to date.
