The ENAM team recently welcomed two master’s students from Wageningen University as part of the NATAE project. One of the students, Luigi Lugaresi, worked on the technical aspects and experimentation of associating fenugreek, an aromatic and medicinal plant, with olive trees in Skoura. The other student, Fay De Beer, focused on studying and conducting surveys with male and female farmers, both within and outside of cooperatives in the Skoura Living Lab. For her work, she needed to organize a focus group with the women of the Safirat Al Aachab cooperative, so Safa Aatig who is part of the ENAM team organized this session and participated as an animator, facilitator, and translator during the focus group. The aim was to gather insights from the women about their vision for the future development of the cooperative and the techniques they believe are necessary to make this vision a reality.
Held on March 1, 2025 in Skoura M’daz, the Safirat Al Aachab cooperative members in the focus group discussion shared their vision for the future. In 2035, the three participating members aimed to cultivate 100% of their raw materials, growth from the current 70% purchased externally. It also includes the expansion of the cultivation of medicinal and aromatic plants such as saffron, lavender and oregano, which they started in 2024 and 2025.
The members of the cooperative emphasized their willingness to maintain the cooperative’s small and close-knit structure and do not want to admit new members. They visualize cultivating approximately 10 hectares by 2035 with both owned and rented land and concentrating on sustainable practices like drip irrigation. Besides, they showed an interest in obtaining ONSSA certification that would help in applying for government grants as well as to improve their products. However, they continue to reaffirm their commitment to reinvesting all profits back into the cooperative and not taking personal income.