Exploring Cereal Supply Chain Resilience in the MENA Region at Politecnico di Milano

Politecnico di Milano – Polo Territoriale di Cremona
September 2026

On 29 September, Marta Caterina Vignali (Politecnico di Milano) gave a lecture at the Politecnico di Milano’s Polo Territoriale di Cremona, addressing a joint class of Master’s students in Agricultural Engineering enrolled in Agricultural Supply Chain Management, taught by Prof. Andrea Rizzuni, and Bachelor’s students in Management Engineering attending Data, Territories and Business Decisions, taught by Prof. Marianna Marra, PhD.

The event brought together Master’s students to explore the resilience of cereal value chains in the MENA region, drawing on research conducted within STAPLES Project.

The discussion focused on the importance of cereal supply chains for food security, particularly in Egypt and Morocco, where bread has significant social importance and both countries rely heavily on imported wheat.

Resilience was examined at two levels: country-level indicators assessing the diversification and security of grain imports, based on FAOSTAT, World Bank and BACI data, and firm-level strategies for managing shocks, drawing on preliminary survey results from Morocco and Egypt.

The lecture also offered an opportunity to exchange ideas with students and discuss the broader importance of supply chain resilience across sectors, highlighting its crucial role in ensuring food security.