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

NATAE logo

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.

Launch of Meknès Living Lab in Morroco

Group of peolple, posing for a photo

On the 5th of October, researchers, representative board members, farmers and representative of ICARDA gathered for the Living Lab launch in the peri-urban area of Meknes, in the valley of the river Ouislane. In this area farmers cultivate vegetables supplemented by tree crop cultivation and livestock rearing.

The launch meeting took place on a local farm offering outdoor environmental education activities for children and their families. Participants were welcomed with tea and breakfast and some opening words by professors of ENA and the regional representative of the National Agricultural Counsel Office (ONCA). He is engaged in the Association Nord de Plaisance (ANDPE), a local environmental organization, and emphasized the value of protecting the agricultural use in the valley.

The group headed out for a transect walk through farmer fields distributed along the river. The experience of the transect walk was appreciated by the farmers and it was considered very useful since it gave them an overall idea of what is happening in their valley rather than focusing on each one plots. Interactions evolved around the maintenance of available water sources and irrigation channels, the biological regulation of weeds and pests but also the usage of spontaneous vegetation in local dishes.

After the transect walk the participants gathered at the local agritourist farm below pavilions constructed using locally sourced reed sticks, a plant which grows vividly along the river. Sheltered from the hot sun, participants reflected on the observations made during the transect walk and discussed opportunities for action in the area. The participants showed interest in experimenting with crop association and agroforestry arrangements, organic fertilization with composts, and efficient water use techniques. A closer organization of farmers and developing touristic and culinary activities was also discussed. The meeting ended with a shared lunch and the exchange of ideas and contacts under the shadow.

Pictures from the Living Lab Launch in Ouislane, Meknès

Launch of Boulmane Living Lab in Morroco

People gathered outdoors in a rural setting with a backdrop of mountains

In the first week of October, our partner, the École Nationale d’Agriculture de Meknès (ENA), organized the launches of the NATAE Living Labs in Morocco. A small group of visiting researchers from Wageningen University and CIHEAM IAMM Montpellier appreciated the opportunity to participate during these two launches.

On the 4th of October the Living Lab launch took place in the mountainous agricultural community of Skoura M’Daz, where farmers cultivate tree crops (mainly olive, but also fruit trees) often in combination with fodder crops, vegetables and livestock keeping. The team of researchers and a number of around 10 interested farmers was welcomed by the local representative board with Moroccan tea and breakfast in the Community Centre. After this warm welcome and a introduction into the goals and scope of the NATAE-project by the Living Lab leader, Pr. Ghizlane Echchgadda, the group of participants headed out to the upstream plateau of the area, where the small village Tadoute is located. The well-acquainted farmers of the area guided the group to visit farmer’s fields partially following the track of local irrigation channels. This transect walk enabled lively interactions and discussion among participants around issues on irrigation water management and the distribution of water between upstream and downstream areas, and on valorizing the rich biodiversity resources of the area including diversified fruit (apple, cherry, quince and others) and olive orchards, and spontaneous and cultivated aromatic and medicinal plants.

During the hot hours of the afternoon, participants gathered in the house of one representative board member for a recapitulation of the observations made in the field and for sharing a traditional Moroccan lunch with Pastilla and Tajine. Stakeholders highlighted favorable aspects of the region during their discussions, such as the availability of water resources, diverse agroforestry arrangements, the absence of chemical inputs, and the presence of local know-how. The participants demonstrated a keen interest in experimenting with new crop associations, agroforestry with using aromatic and medicinal plants as intercrops, organic fertilization utilizing compost, integrated pest management and the efficient utilization of water.

Pictures from the LL Launch in Skoura M’Daz

Launch of Luxor Living Lab, in Egypt

A group people seated around a table in a meeting room.

On the 30th of September, the El-Boghdady Living Lab in Luxor, Egypt, organized its inaugural event, bringing together a group of 20 enthusiastic participants. This event united a diverse array of stakeholders, with 15 farmers, representatives from the University of Aswan, the Governorate of Upper Egypt, and two Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). Here, the farmers are cultivating mostly sugarcane, cereals for self-consumption and fodder for animal feed.

The event commenced with opening remarks delivered by Othman Elsheikh, a representative from the Egyptian Association for Sustainable Development. He address set the stage for discussions and underscored the significance of sustainable agriculture in the region. Subsequently, a briefing on the NATAE-project was delivered, accompanied by the introduction of the representative board members. This board is entrusted with the responsibility of facilitating discussions and making crucial decisions concerning agroecology within the broader context of the food system. At the farm level, farmers will play a pivotal role in influencing the selection and testing of agroecological practices, ensuring their active involvement and voice in shaping these practices.

During this gathering, the primary focus was on discussing two key value chains: cereals for self-consumption and sugarcane sold directly to the state. These value chains hold great importance for the local agricultural economy and sustainability endeavours. Then, a visit to the to the farmers’ fields were performed, where valuable observations and discussions were emerged around the main issues they are facing, such as water shortage, low profitability, and soil salinity. Moreover, participants actively identified and discussed a range of agroecological practices essential for promoting sustainability in the El-Boghdady region. These practices encompass long crop rotations, soil moisture conservation techniques, and on-farm water storage and are pivotal in addressing the distinct agricultural and environmental challenges specific to the area. Thus, more discussions are foreseen in which researchers and local actors meet and exchange knowledge.

The involvement of various stakeholders, including farmers, academic institutions, government representatives, and NGOs, reflects a collaborative approach to addressing agricultural and sustainability issues in the Luxor region. This event likely marked the inception of a promising initiative poised to bring about positive changes in Luxor’s agricultural landscape.

MEDAE network organizes a series of webinars

The image is a promotional banner for the NATAE project

As part of the NATAE project, the MEDAE network (MEDiterranean multiactor network on AgroEcology) is organising a series of 5 webinars to enable researchers, farmers and development operators to discuss the obstacles, levers and challenges of agroecological transition in 5 representative agrosystems in North Africa: agroforests in mountainous regions, oases, cereal plains, peri-urban areas and irrigated valleys.

The calendar for the webinars is as follows: 

  • 24th October 2023 (10:00 -12:00 CET): How to enhance the role of women in mountain agroforestry systems in North Africa?
  • 9th November 2023 (10:00 -12:00 CET): How can we promote the development and marketing of agroecological products in peri-urban areas? 
  • 23d November 2023 (10:00 -12:00 CET): Between traditional and scientific knowledge, how can we improve the resilience of peri-oasis systems? 
  • 7th December 2023 (10:00 -12:00 CET): Climate change: a catalyst for the agro-ecological transition of cereal farming in North Africa? 
  • 14th December (14:00 -16:00 CET): The agro-ecological transition as seen by stakeholders in the field: between challenges and achievements. The case of the irrigated valley in Luxor, Egypt.

The participation is open to everyone that might be interested/is curious in learning more about the topics covered and it is totally free, you just need to register.

The events will be translated into English and French.

Additional information on the webinars in English and French.

We will publish detailed information about each of the webinars and how to register very soon.

The Horizon Europe Natae Project Launches A Call For Expert(S) On “Social Acceptability”

NATAE logo

NATAE (Fostering agroecology transition in North Africa through multi-actor, evaluation, and
networking) is a Research and Innovation project under the Horizon Europe programme funded by
the European Union. NATAE will run for four years (December 2022-November 2026) with the aim to
foster the adoption of science-based, locally-tailored 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.

Main tasks

The role of the Expert(s) will be to provide in-depth expertise in social acceptability at different stages
of NATAE project, ensuring the coordination and completion of T3.3, under the leadership of CIHEAM
IAMM.
The Expert(s) will be requested to:
1. Elaborate a tailored methodology to assess social acceptability in NATAE project.
2. Prepare detailed data collection tools, such as interviews or focus group guidelines.
3. Test and Implement the research, providing an in-depth focus on social acceptability, on
one or two of the abovementioned Living Lab(s) in agreement and close cooperation with
the Living Lab leader.
4. Refine the methodology and data collection tools based on the first implementation
phase
5. Train researchers designated by the Living Labs leaders in the implementation of the refined
research.
6. Oversee and support the implementation of the research on social acceptability for the
whole project. This includes:
• answering questions which may arise from the implementation of the research in any
Living Lab area;
• fostering collective work, partners dialogue and coherent implementation of the
overall task T3.3, in close coordination with CIHEAM-IAMM and WP3 leader
(University of Thessaly);
• ensuring the quality and consistency of the relevant contributions to project
deliverables as listed below in the section on “Deliverables”.
7. Review analyses on social acceptability developed in Living Lab areas
8. Produce transversal analyses necessary to the deliverables listed in the section below

Deadline for submission: 19 October 2023

Proposals should be submitted in English by email with the subject “NATAE Social Acceptability Expertise Proposal” addressed to:
Rita Jalkh, NATAE Project Manager: jalkh@iamm.fr and
Melanie Requier-Desjardins, NATAE Scientific Coordinator: requier@iamm.fr

For more information on the submission of proposals, please refer to the terms of Reference

Additional information on NATAE project can also be found on NATAE website: https://www.natae-agroecology.eu/ 

Launch of PK17, Riyadh, Nouakchott Living Lab, in Mauritania

A meeting or workshop in progress in a formal indoor setting

On 21 September, the first out of six NATAE Living Lab launches was organized by our partner organization GRDR in PK17, Riyadh, Nouakchott, Mauritania. In PK17, peri-urban farmers are growing vegetables and fruits for own consumption and local markets.

The launching event started with opening words from the representative of Riyadh and the representative of the Waliya (region) of Nouakchott. Next, an explanation on the NATAE-project was provided and the representative board members were presented. The representative board will serve as discussion and decision making group on agroecology at the food system level. At the farm level, it will be farmers having a strong voice on the type of agroecological practices to be selected and tested.

During the launch meeting, about 30 farmers were present. Most of which participated actively in discussing the crops that should be selected for further study. They indicated, for instance, that our initial proposition to study tomato and spring onion value chain, basically meant an emphasis on fragile crops. Instead, farmers proposed dry onions and potatoes, also because of market-related aspects. These crops are not exactly considered ‘robust’ crops from an agronomist perspective, as both are sensitive to pests and diseases. So more discussions are foreseen in which researchers and local actors meet and exchange knowledge.

After a, for Nouakchott very unique, heavy rain shower, we visited farmer’s fields which led to many interesting observations and discussions. Issues in the area revolve around poor soils, limited access to water, and legal issues related to access to land. Farmers indicated a strong interest in experimenting with compost making, adding manure and using (homemade) biobased crop protection products. All together a promising start with an enthusiastic group of local actors.

News from the Living Lab in Laghouat (Algeria): a series of territorial diagnostic workshops to understand, characterise and promote agroecological practices in the region.

A group of people engaged in a workshop or collaborative activity

The Local Multi-stakeholder Collective of the Laghouat Living Lab (Algeria), in close collaboration with the El Argoub association, a partner in the NATAE project, recently concluded a series of territorial diagnostic workshops.

The aim of these participatory workshops, which were held throughout July and involved around ten key stakeholders from the agricultural and agri-food sector, was to generate an in-depth, shared understanding of agroecological practices, while identifying the predominant practices and possible synergies within the study area. These workshops served as a dynamic platform for achieving several key objectives, including:

– Building a common and contextualised understanding of the concept of agroecology (AE);

– Exhaustive identification of the main AE practices specific to the region;

– Identifying the main obstacles and levers to the agroecological transition;

– Drawing up a participatory map of the Living Lab’s agricultural perimeters and characterising them according to the predominant types of agricultural production;

The results were presented at an extended feedback workshop attended by more than 25 professionals from the agricultural and agri-food sector (farmers, livestock breeders, professional agricultural organisations, institutional representatives, as well as key players in the value chains and a consumer association). This feedback workshop provided the opportunity for an interesting and stimulating debate, and enriched, consolidated and validated the various proposals.

The various workshops were fruitful moments of exchange and mutual discovery, testifying to the dynamism and commitment of all the participants. The NATAE project team at the Laghouat Living Lab is encouraged by these promising advances and looks forward to continuing its efforts to stimulate the agro-ecological transition in the area where the Laghouat Living Lab is based.

Laghouat Living Lab team: Association El Argoub and NGO CARI.

For further information, please contact: elargoub.association03@gmail.com or natae@cariassociation.org

Partner meeting in Paris

A group of individuals posing together in a formal setting,

NATAE partners got together in Paris, between 21st and 23rd march aiming to precise the general data collection methodology, such as the criteria to be selected and the data to be collected to define typical farms in the different living labs, to explore value chain and consumer behavior and also to describe the conceptual model and the main assumptions that define the structure and the functioning of the future NATAE modelling system.


More than 20 participants (including on-line participants) from WP1, WP2, WP3, WP4 and WP6 contributed to build a shared proposition over field activities, while connecting different methodologies, tools and disciplines. This meeting is also to be considered as a preparation for the project KickOff Meeting to be held in Bari from 26th to 28th April.