L’abondance de la production végétale et animalière enregistrée ces dernières années à Oran marque selon des spécialistes le passage à une agriculture moderne à la faveur du soutien de l’Etat à ce secteur stratégique.

Important social and agrarian changes are taking place on the agricultural plain of the Saïss in Morocco. Rural young men and women are key players in this process. In this article, we use the experiences, aspirations and dreams of rural young people in the Saïss to describe and discuss current...

L’agriculture se complexifie autour de différentes sphères de savoirs, avec l’introduction d’innovations techniques et sociales, la multiplication des programmes étatiques de soutien à l’agriculture et le développement de nouveaux marchés agricoles. Certains jeunes agriculteurs diplômés ont su voir que l’agriculture, dans sa complexification, était une opportunité d’insertion professionnelle et de...

The Iraq Salinity Project is a partnership between the Iraqi Government and a group of international research centers, lead by ICARDA, the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas.  The research aims to better understand and provide options for reducing the negative effects of salinity on Iraqi agriculture....

Women play a critical role in every link of the value chain in small-scale fisheries, although their best-known roles are in processing and marketing of fish and other fishery products. This perception of the highly gender-segregated division of labour (men fishing / women processing) has shaped the generalized approach in...

The agricultural sector has attracted rising concern and development focus due to the uncertainty triggered by the supply shocks experienced globally in the last five years and the ever-increasing price index for food items. Bahrain faces its unique challenges in this domain mainly as a result of a combination of...

The sea "in the middle of the land" is a geographical peculiarity: it is located between three continents and is almost entirely enclosed by land. This proximity has both united and divided nations and civilizations since the beginning of mankind, making the Mediterranean, a mere 1% of the planet's oceans,...

El objectivo de este breve artículo es mostrar los rasgos más característicos de la agricultura egipcia, y los factores que han contribuido a su configuración actual. En los antecedentes destacan las reformas emprendidas en el último cuarto del siglo XIX cuando la dinastía de los Alí abordó importantes reformas que...

In the Mediterranean area, precise and accurate data regarding food waste and losses should be enhanced, especially in a context where the food security of the region’s countries is fragile and the sustainability of development is threatened. During the 10th meeting of the CIHEAM member states agriculture ministers, the food...

No se puede aprehender la naturaleza del campesinado y de la ruralidad en el Magreb sin tener en cuenta el peso económico y social de la agricultura familiar. Las sociedades campesinas y rurales magrebíes son fundamentalmente sociedades estructuradas en torno al hogar y a los activos agrícolas, y la importancia...

It is a truism that modern Arab states, following in the footsteps of colonial powers, have concentrated on the socio-economic development of cities, particularly the capital, and badly neglected the provinces. The rulers and the nationalist intelligentsia tend to see peasants as backward and mired in “tradition” that can only...

This paper examines how economic growth in Egypt can be made more inclusive through a focus on rural development and reducing regional disparities. Nearly all of the extremely poor in Egypt live in rural areas and 83 percent of them live in Upper Egypt. The youth in those rural areas...

The present article aims to uncover the different meanings attached to land ownership in Palestine during the late Ottoman and British Mandate eras and to show how a ‘modern’ understanding of ownership was imposed on the local population, particularly the fellahin (peasants), without a consideration of their needs and traditions....

This work is the result of a collaborative effort and fieldwork in Upper Egypt, with the goal of highlighting the challenges faced by communities and livelihoods that are often overlooked in mainstream development projects. This field study draws attention to the context and challenges that are unique to fishers and...

This report reviews a case study of farmers’ perceptions of policies and regulations to improve water security in the Jordanian Badia. The aim is to improve water management and conservation by engaging all stakeholders, in particular farmers and rural communities, in this common goal.

This report is divided into three sections:  Section II outlines how priorities and items requiring follow-up emanating from the previous Regional Conference have been addressed, bringing to the attention of the Members major achievements and aspects requiring further consideration. The section will also draw lessons from the implementation of the...

The number of chronically undernourished people in the Region in 2010-13 reached 79.4 million, representing 11.2% of the population which was higher than in the 2008-2010 period. In addition, an estimated 31.0% of children under five are stunted. On the other side of the malnutrition spectrum, nearly one quarter of...

The UERDP constitutes a USD 20 million development investment financed by Government (almost USD 3.7 million) and IFAD (loan of USD 15 million and grant of USD 1 million). The project is contributing to reducing poverty and improving livelihoods of the rural poor in Qena and Assiut governorates of Upper...

This paper summarizes the main themes and recommendations of the document Regional Water Scarcity Initiative: Towards a Collaborative Strategy prepared as part of FAO’s ‘Regional Initiative on Water Scarcity’ in Near East and North Africa (NENA). The Regional Collaborative Strategy will complement and complete existing initiatives, will seek structured mechanisms...

According to the country’s Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics, around 51 per cent of the population living in rural areas in Upper Egypt is poor. The factsheet focuses on this topic, arguing that although most people in Upper Egypt depend on agriculture for their livelihoods, smallholder farming in...