Climate change causes and worsens environmental stresses such as drought, heat, and salinity, which are strictly interconnected lower the amount of water available for crops. In the Mediterranean area, increased temperatures are being recorded, together with a general decrease and discontinuity in rainfall. Long hot and dry periods are posing severe limits to non-irrigated crops and, in the case of irrigated vegetable crops, water resources may become insufficient to successfully grow commercial élite varieties. A further problem induced by climate change is a higher risk of salt stress, brought upon by reduced irrigation and rainfall and heat-driven evaporation, which may force farmers to use low-quality salty water for irrigation.

Tomato, pepper, and melon are major fruit vegetable crops in the Mediterranean. Collectively, these crops are the major providers of fruit to the Mediterranean countries, with a total yield reaching 45 million tonnes in 2016. These vegetables have carotenoid- rich fruit, significantly contributing to the dietary uptake of antioxidants in the Mediterranean population, and their consumption is estimated to 40 kg per capita and year collectively.