Enjeux, pratiques et contraintes pour une mise en valeur agroécologique des terres au Sahara. Cas d’un périmètre péri-oasien dans la Vallée du M’Zab (Algérie).

Abstract

This article analyzes the adoption of practices face to the ecological and social issues and the constraints perception to agroecological development in the M’Zab Valley. The socioecological approach shows that the current agrosystem is “hybrid”, under the influence of the old oasis model, symbol of ecological balance, and of the conventional model, vector of both a dynamic of innovations and threats on agricultural sustainability. However, the institutional environment is perceived to be very restrictive. The application of multinomial logistic regression to explain the practices adoption and the constraints perception brings out the socio-demographic characteristics (level of education, age, pluriactivity, link with environmental association) which have a positive effect on agroecological practices; the productions (vegetables and breeding) whose effect is ambivalent; and social categories (low level of education, mono-activity, sheep and goat farming) who perceive the institutional environment rather very restrictive to the development of agroecology.

A field survey suggests changes in oasis characteristics in the Kebili region of southern Tunisia

“…Besides, in Algeria, the exploitation of the underground water resources of the Terminal Complex and the Continental Intercalary, thanks to drilling technologies borrowed from the hydrocarbons sector, has made it possible to broaden the possibilities of diversifying agricultural, plant and animal production. In addition to the date palm, an emblematic crop of the Saharan regions of Algeria, cereals, forage crops, vegetables on fields or in greenhouses, fruit growing, olive trees, industrial crops and aromatic crops with various farms activities (dairy cattle, small ruminants and/or aviculture) have been developed (Benmihoub et al, 2021). On the other hand, in "traditional" oases, with very long water turn periods, trees and plants lack water for several days.…”

“…It seems that the problems found not only characterize the Tunisian oases but also the Algerians. Indeed, Benmihoub et al (2021) have identified that among the main ecological issues of Algerian oasis agroecosystems: the lack of water linked to the drying up of wells and the delay in the construction of boreholes; the scarcity of arable land limited to depressions as well as the risk of land loss due to erosion and silting phenomena; the decrease in soil fertility due to the low organic matter content; varietal losses, date palm in particular, due to the selec-tion of varieties with high commercial value; low agricultural yields; loss of crops due to climatic hazards.…”

Oasis extension trajectories in Kebili territory, southern Tunisia: drivers of development and actors’ discourse

“…The availability of new drilling techniques enabled to trigger "pioneering fronts" where previously uncultivated land shifted to intensive irrigation farming (Hamamouche et al, 2018). In Algeria, the government supported this development to promote a wide range of value chains (Daoudi and Lejars, 2016;Amichi et al, 2020;Benmihoub et al, 2021). In Morocco, as part of the Green Morocco Plan, some farms obtained support to develop palm groves (Raiskila, 2015).…”