In response to climate change and other crises, CIRAD is working with its international partners in Morocco, between Africa and the Mediterranean, on engaged research geared towards the Sustainable Development Goals.
By means of systemic approaches, research and academic training, it is supporting sustainable management of natural resources, water, soils, livestock farming, forests and farming and food systems. The central aim is “One Health”: of humans, animals, plants and ecosystems.
“CIRAD has an open approach to science that leaves plenty of room for co-construction of research issues, taking account of national policy demands and of grassroots stakeholders’ concerns, including those of young people and women, with a view to generating rapid, impactful operational results”, says Sandrine Dury, CIRAD Regional Director for the Mediterranean, Middle East and Balkan countries. “Our international network enables the sharing of experience and knowledge, to foster action in response to global issues.”
At the Salon International de l’Agriculture au Maroc (SIAM), through a number of conferences and discussions, CIRAD experts will be showcasing innovative solutions in support of the sustainable development of farming and food systems: from irrigated systems to digital agriculture, through livestock value chains (notably camels), agroecology and biodiversity.
Projects on agricultural and water resilience
In addition to a full programme of conferences, several projects, including some in partnership with the Kingdom of Morocco, will be presented on the CIRAD stand, such as MAHDIA, ARISER, eGroundwater and CaSSECS.
MAHDIA: promoting sustainable systems in Africa by combining agroecology, water resilience and food security
The MAHDIA project supports multi-stakeholder territory-based drives towards more sustainable food systems, by combining water resilience, agroecological production, and food security and heritage. MAHDIA is based in Morocco (Meknes and Séfrou), Senegal (Fatick) and Tunisia (Kairouan).
Partners: ENA Meknes, IAV Hassan II, Morocco; INA, Tunisia; ISRA, Senegal; INRAE, Institut Agro Montpellier, CIHEAM Montpellier, France.
The project has funding from the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs.
ARISER: boosting agricultural resilience in semi-arid zones using crop diversity
The ARISER project is studying the impact of access to seed and information on crop diversity on the stability of agricultural production in semi-arid parts of Africa, with a focus on legume crop farming by rural women in Morocco.
Partners: Faculté Polydisciplinaire de Larache, Abdelmalek Essaadi University, Morocco; University of Antananarivo and ESSA Forêt, Madagascar; ISRA BAME, Senegal.
The project has funding from the European Research Council (ERC).
eGroundwater: better groundwater management
The eGroundwater project is looking at participatory digital tools for improving groundwater management in arid zones. In the Séfrou zone, Morocco, irrigated agriculture is threatening water resources. By bringing together users and managers, the project has served to sketch the outlines of a possible collaborative groundwater management system.
Partners: Polytechnic University of Valencia, Spain; University of Lisbon, Portugal; Moulay Ismaïl University, Agence du Bassin Hydraulique du Sebou, Morocco; BRGM, France; Ahmed Draia University – Adrar, Algeria; iCatalist, Spain.
The project had PRIMA funding, with support from the European Union and national research organizations in the partner countries: Morocco, Spain, France, Portugal and Algeria.
Sustainable solutions co-constructed with partners
CIRAD puts partnerships at the heart of its operations, by building collaborative research platforms to support agricultural innovation.
In Morocco, it is working with national organizations such as INRA, IAV Hassan II, ENA Meknes, Cadi Ayyad, Moulay Ismaïl and Abdelmalek Essaâdi Universities, UM5 and UM6P, and international structures such as ICARDA and CIHEAM. It is also involved in joint efforts with other French research organizations (IRD, INRAE) and development and research funding bodies (AFD, IFAD, EU, PRIMA*).
The PRIMA programme
The Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean programme, launched in 2018 and from which the eGroundwater project in particular benefits, is a joint initiative between the European Union and several Mediterranean countries. PRIMA aims to boost scientific cooperation and foster innovative solutions for sustainable water, farming system and agrifood value chain management. The programme funds transnational collaborative research projects. It is due to run for ten years, with a budget of 494 million euros, funded by the participating countries and the EU. CIRAD and its partners are actively involved in PRIMA programming and its researchers benefit from its calls for proposals.
CIRAD experts who will be at SIAM: Koladé Akakpo, Julien Burte, Nicolas Faysse, Denis Gautier, Edward Gerardeaux, Eric Justes, Olivier Lepiller, Caroline Lejars, Simon Taugourdeau, Ludovic Temple.