During the meeting with national representatives from Morocco, Egypt, Tunisia and Sudan problems and challenges of the agricultural sector were discussed, such as the environmental impact of cereal production. For example, the straw that remains after the harvest is often burned, with negative consequences for the climate. In addition, agricultural production in North African countries is highly inefficient. Fields are flooded with scarce water resources and the excessive use of fertilisers and pesticides leads to soil damage. Furthermore, it is essential that food production is increased to cover the needs of a fast-growing population, thus reducing migration from rural regions to the cities or the EU. In particular, the participants discussed the possibility of securing sustainable food production. The international workshop was financially supported by the Leibniz Research Alliance "Crises in a Globalized World".
Workshop on grain production in North Africa
In the scope of an international workshop at IAMO from 18 to 20 June 2019 on the subject “Innovations for increasing the income of smallholders and resilience in the wheat supply chain in North Africa” the opportunities for future co-operation between IAMO and research institutions in the North African region were investigated.
