The Mediterranean Forum - MEDFORUM - is a bi-annual meeting point launched by CIHEAM in 2016 for PhD students and young researchers from the Mediterranean area. MEDFORUM aims to foster communication, dialogue and co-publications between various institutions conducting scientific research in the field of agri-food production and rural development in Mediterranean countries with focus on dry and arid regions. After its previous versions in 2016 in Montpellier, France and 2018 in Bari, Italy, CIHEAM Montpellier organized a virtual MEDFORUM on 6 and 7 July 2021 due to the context of the global COVID-19 pandemic.