Algeria and the European Union have launched a two-year project to develop rules for organic farming and support a national agricultural quality label. The EU-funded organic agriculture project in Algeria has a budget of €1 million, according to a statement from the EU delegation reported by Algerie Eco.
The institutional partnership was unveiled on Wednesday, September 23, at the National Chamber of Agriculture in Algiers. It brings together Algeria’s Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries, the Italian and French agriculture ministries, and EUTALIA, which will handle administrative management on Italy’s behalf.
The initiative covers two related areas: a regulatory framework for organic production and work on Algeria’s Agricultural Quality Label, known as LAQ. Both are at a development stage. The announcement does not say that new organic certification rules or the proposed quality specifications have been adopted.
Building an organic agriculture framework
Under the organic agriculture component, the partnership will help Algeria’s agriculture ministry draft regulations and the measures needed to put them into effect. It will also address the responsibilities of the bodies involved, as well as inspection and certification procedures, the EU delegation said.
Training and institutional support are intended to prepare the administrations and organizations that would operate the future national system. Italian and French approaches will be shared as possible references, with methods and tools adapted to Algeria’s circumstances rather than applied automatically.
Italy’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry is the lead member-state partner. France’s Ministry of Agriculture, Agri-food and Food Sovereignty participates as the other member-state partner. The Algerian ministry is the beneficiary administration.
Five pilot value chains for quality label
The LAQ workstream will focus on five pilot agricultural value chains. Participants will examine the products, identify their distinguishing features and define quality criteria. They are then expected to prepare five sets of specifications through a collaborative process and submit them to the National Labelling Committee.
The project also aims to prepare producers, processors, professional organizations and technical bodies to use the proposed requirements. The statement did not identify the five value chains or announce approval of the specifications.
Communications work is planned for both organic agriculture and the quality label. It includes support for designing an official logo and preparing information for a national portal. Those materials are among the project’s intended outputs, rather than products already launched.
The EU delegation said the cooperation will involve Algerian, Italian and French administrations. Depending on the activity, technical institutes, chambers of agriculture, farmers, professional organizations and other businesses in the sector may also take part.
Representatives of the three countries, the EU delegation and agricultural stakeholders attended the launch seminar in Algiers. They reviewed the project’s objectives, expected results and activities planned over its 24-month term.
Sami B. is the founder and editor of Algeria News Gate, an independent English-language platform covering Algeria’s political, economic, and business developments. Based in Europe, he reports on official announcements, economic trends, and international relations involving Algeria.