Author: natae_admin

RIAM is hosting a webinar on the Systéme Participatif de Garantie (SPG)

History, Objectives, Tools, How It Works, Farmers’ Testimonies, Consumers’ Testimonies.

RIAM (the Network of Agroecological Initiatives in Morocco) is hosting a webinar on the Systéme Participatif de Garantie (SPG) under the NATAE project, funded by the European Union and led by CIHEAM IAMM. This initiative aims to connect agroecology and ecological transition stakeholders in Morocco.

Given Morocco and North Africa’s agricultural challenges due to climate change and food import dependency, agroecology presents a viable solution for sustainability and resilience.

Since 2018, RIAM has been developing the “Participatory Guarantee System” Label with support from institutional partners and civil society. Currently, about 60 farms in Rabat-Salé-Kénitra, Marrakech, and Casablanca are certified under this system, which promotes local quality assurance through active stakeholder participation, trust, networking, and knowledge exchange.

This webinar will guide farmers through the SPG Agroecology Morocco implementation process, fostering a participatory approach to drive an inclusive transition towards sustainable agricultural practices while ensuring economic viability.

PROGRAME

Presentation of the history of the SPG
Presentation of the objectives and tools
of the SPG
Testimonies from farmers and
consumers

13 FEBRUARY 2025

10:00 - 12:30 (CET)

Webinar Medae: What are the prospects for supporting the deployment of agroecology in public policies in North Africa?

MEDAE will implement a webinar that will present the results of a cross-sectional analysis of public policies in North Africa, as well as an examination of the place of agroecology in international conventions, and will look at the extent to which these policies provide a favourable or unfavourable framework for the agroecological transition. There will be time for discussion on the prospects for supporting agroecology and ways of encouraging the agroecological transition in North Africa.

Program (CET)

• 14:00 – Welcome
• 14:05 – Presentation of the MEDAE network (MEDiterranean multiactor network on AgroEcology).
Marion Comptour, MEDAE Network Coordinator – CARI Association

• 14:20 – Discussion
• 14:30 – Agroecology in the national public policies of North African countries.
Rita Jalkh, post-doctoral fellow and project manager NATAE– CIHEAM IAMM

• 15:00 – The place of agroecology in farmer practices: the case of Algeria.
Adel Moulai, researcher and project coordinator – El-Argoub Association

• 15:20 – International conventions as possible levers for a better integration of agroecology into national public policies.
Manon Albagnac, in charge of the follow-up to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification – Association CARI

• 15:35 – Discussion
• 16:00 – End of webinar

The registration is mandatory, so sign up now here

More information to come on https://www.medae-agroecology.eu

Developing promising agroecological practice combinations in the semi-arid and mountainous Living Lab of Skoura M’Daz, Boulemane, Morocco (Skoura-MA)

landscape of a village, with mountains in the background

Rich insights into the potentials and challenges of an agroecological transition in the Living Lab Skoura-MA have been gained during an extensive territorial diagnosis and the official Living Lab launch activities in 2023. Learning from that, researchers proposed an initial set of agroecological practices (AEP) to be explored in the Living Lab and to be discussed with farmers in more detail: the 1) association of olive trees and medicinal and aromatic plants (MAP), 2) traditional gravity irrigation and improvement options, 3) drip irrigation, 4) use of manure, and 5) use of shredded tree pruning residues.

Three farmer focus group discussions took place in February 2024 bringing together eight women of the local women cooperative processing MAP, four and six farmers respectively. Farmers exchanged on the advantages and disadvantages of the proposed AEPs and were subsequently asked to rate those AEP in an individual rating activity. The idea is, that suitable AEP combinations can increase positive and minimize negative effects of single practices in a synergistic way.

*`Figure 1: One focus group discussion was held with the local women cooperative processing MAP in their workshop`*

Concerns emphasized by farmers were among others the effect of practices on water use, crop development and yields, soil fertility and erosion, pest and disease development, as well as implementation constraints regarding equipment (e.g, wood shredders, processing equipment for MAP) and infrastructure (e.g., water storage basins) requirements.

*`Figure 2: A flip chart with two columns was used to summarize the discussion on advantages and disadvantages of agroecological practices`*

Farmers’ concerns were taken up by the representative board on the 20^th of February 2024 gathering 9 stakeholders including farmers and cooperative members, representatives of regional and provincial agricultural governance institutions, elected municipality officials, and researchers of the National School of Agriculture in Meknes. Representative board members explored promising activities at Living Lab level that could help to address farmers’ concerns, such as training and farmer organization.

Next steps in the Living Lab aim to set up initial on-farm experimentation plots to explore the effects of promising AEP combinations and to organize farmer field schools facilitating the knowledge exchange among farmers and researchers.

*`Figure 3: View on the town of Skoura M'Daz and surrounding mountainous environment`*

NATAE Consortium Meeting and General Assembly held in Tunis

From April 28 to May 4, the Consortium Meeting and General Assembly within the scope of the North Africa Transition to Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems (NATAE) project took place in Tunis, Tunisia. The event brought together the 20 partners from the distinct scientific expertises to address pressing challenges in North Africa’s food systems.

The primary aim of NATAE is to engage the high-level of Research and Education institutions, international organizations, and specialized NGOs to showcase that agro-ecological approaches, tailored to the region’s diverse farming systems, can further provide effective solutions to food system challenges in North Africa.

The agenda included insights on the capitalisation process over agroecological practices, presentations for each Agrosystem from Living to Replicant Labs, some news shared about the launch of the MEDAE network to reporting of Communication and dissemination actions.

A visit to the Field of the Siliana Living Lab was further organized by Institut National Agronomique de Tunisie. A great experience in firsthand where NATAE partners were exposed to the innovative agricultural practices and sustainable solutions that are underway.

The NATAE partners were also able to enter in contact with the innovative agricultural practices and sustainable solutions underway for the successful Agroecology transition. The programme included some interactive workshops, presentations, and insightful discussions in topics related to Agroecology as a mode of production and sustainable food system to the Crop production specifications of the Participatory Guarantee System (PGS).

On the last day, an immersive experience was provided to the partners through the visit to the Permaculture Farm L’Heridium in Tunis along with nteractive workshops that involved the simulation of a PGS survey at the Heridium farm.

NATAE Consortium Meeting and General Assembly in Tunis

We are excited to announce that the NATAE Consortium Meeting and General Assembly is scheduled to take place in Tunis, Tunisia from April 28th to May 3th, 2024. This significant event marks a crucial moment for our Consortium as we gather to deliberate on key initiatives aimed at fostering a successful Agroecology transition in North Africa.

During this Meeting, NATAE partners will convene to exchange insights, discuss ongoing projects, and chart the course for future collaborations. With a focus on advancing sustainable agricultural practices and promoting environmental stewardship, the Consortium Meeting and General Assembly will serve as a platform for robust discussions, knowledge sharing, and strategic planning.

Stay tuned for updates from the event as we work together towards a more sustainable and resilient future for North Africa! For more information about NATAE and our initiatives, follow our updates at our social media channels.

Webinar: Climate change: a catalyst for the agro-ecological transition of cereal cultivation in North Africa?

The forth of the 5 webinars to be implemented as part of the MEADE network, will take place on the 7th December 2023 (10:00 -12:00 CET) and the topic “Climate change: a catalyst for the agro-ecological transition of cereal cultivation in North Africa?” will be discussed. Access the agenda of the event in English or in French to have more information and to be able to register to participate.

Webinar: Between traditional and scientific knowledge, how can we improve the resilience of peri-oases systems?

The third of the 5 webinars to be implemented as part of the MEADE network, will take place on the 23rd November 2023 (10:00 -12:00 CET) and the topic “Between traditional and scientific knowledge, how can we improve the resilience of peri-oases systems?” will be discussed. Access the agenda of the event in English or in French to have more information and to be able to register to participate.

Laghouat Living Lab launch day

The Laghouat LL launch day took place on 26 October 2023 and was attended by 29 stakeholders from the agricultural community in the oasis and peri-oasis system.

The NATAE project team from the Laghouat Living Lab warmly welcomed all the invited participants. After a brief presentation of the NATAE project, the participants were divided into two groups who successively visited three farms dedicated to date palm cultivation, arboriculture, viticulture, fodder and cereal crops, as well as various livestock such as dairy cattle, sheep and goats. Visiting these farms enabled participants to appreciate the diversity of the landscape and to discuss the opportunities and challenges specific to each type of farming activity, particularly with regard to irrigation.

This was followed by a plenary session, during which questions and answers were exchanged, highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of each production system from different angles: agricultural and agro-ecological practices, socio-economic and environmental performance.

The meeting ended with a convivial, good-humoured lunch, and a rich exchange of ideas and contacts for possible future meetings.

Webinar: How can we promote the development and marketing of agro-ecological products in peri-urban areas?

The second of the 5 webinars to be implemented as part of the MEADE network, will take place on the 9th November 2023 (10:00 -12:00 CET) and the topic “How can we promote the development and marketing of agro-ecological products in peri-urban areas?” will be discussed. Access the agenda of the event in English or in French to have more information and to be able to register to participate.

The Horizon Europe Natae project launches a call for a service provider for living labs’ organisation in Egypt

NATAE (Fostering agroecology transition in North Africa through multi-actor, evaluation, and networking) is an awarded project under the Horizon Europe programme. Set in motion in December 2022, NATAE will run for the next three years with aim to foster the adoption of science-based, locallytailored and co-designed agroecology strategies in North Africa. This is planned by creating a comprehensive and quantitative baseline on agroecology, providing a shared understanding, multidimensional performance measures, and analyses of agroecology potential for meeting consumers demand on the market. Coordinated by CIHEAM Montpellier, NATAE gathers 22 partners including research and education institutions from around the Mediterranean, international organizations, specialized NGOs and local associations with the participation of the private sector1 […]

Description of the work package and tasks
Under NATAE’s Work Package 4, a Living-Lab is set up in Egypt in the area of Luxor in order to identify
and evaluate, through a multi-actor participatory approach, the most suitable AE strategies for various
farming systems. Using the framework developed in WP1 and methodology defined in WP2 and WP3,
WP4 will identify most promising combinations of AEP and AE strategies, in representative farming
systems in Luxor, through an interactive multi-actor approach.

The Living-Lab will gather actors from a range of complementary profiles and perspectives on
agroecological transition, including farmers, farm household members, industries, administrations,
NGOs, consumer organisations, research institutions and local advisory services. The governance of
the Living Lab will include a Representative Board consisting of 8-12 people who represent the
diversity of actors in the Living-Lab, and a number of stakeholder groups, as locally relevant.
Under WP4, an entity (hereinafter ‘Service provider’) specialized in multi-actor group organization
and moderation, with focus on North Africa, is needed to implement and monitor the Living-Lab in
Luxor and to join efforts with the WP leader (Wageningen University) and project coordinator (CIHEAMIAMM).

Deadline for submission: the 15th. November 2023 at 12 pm (Paris time)

Proposals should be submitted in English by email with the subject “NATAE Living-Lab Egypt.

Proposal” addressed to:
Hatem BELHOUCHETTE, NATAE Scientific Member: belhouchette@iamm.fr
Georgios KLEFTODIMOS, NATAE Scientific Member: kleftodimos@iamm.fr

🔎 Here is the Term of reference.