Limits and perspectives of sea shipping of agro-food products in the Mediterranean basin. The role of Sicily

Abstract

In the process of the Euro-Mediterranean integration , and in prospect of the realization of the free trade area (FTA), motorways of the sea are one of the most ambitious initiatives. The agro food sector is worrying us in order to realize the free trade area. It offers many opportunities for the strong complementarity among the coastal countries’agriculture, that could see the countries of the Southern and Northern work together in a spirit of complementarity and cooperation. Sicily, in the middle of Mediterranean basin, is only marginally concerned by the agro food trade and by direct maritime trade between the two sides, due to the inadequacy of port logistics infrastructures. These, without doubt, are the main obstacles to the implementation of the project. This work, in addition to include an analysis of agro-food trade and shipping of Sicily with the Mediterranean non-member countries, highlights the benefits that the implementation of Motorways of the sea could provide, but, of course, it is necessary the adaptation of existing infrastructures and logistic services offered by the region.