European Project to Support Organic Farming in Algeria

Italy is leading a €1 million European Union-funded project to support Algeria in developing its national organic farming system and strengthening its agricultural quality label.

The initiative aims to establish a regulatory framework aligned with European standards and international benchmarks, while also developing five sets of specifications for pilot supply chains.

The project was launched on Wednesday with the participation of Algeria, Italy and France. It will run for 24 months and is based on the institutional twinning mechanism, which promotes the exchange of expertise and experience between European public administrations and their counterparts in the beneficiary country.

According to Italy’s Nova news agency, Italy’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry (MASAF) is the project’s lead partner, while France’s Ministry of Agriculture is participating as a partner. The Italian consulting and technical cooperation company Eutalia S.p.A is responsible for the administrative management of the initiative, while Algeria’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and Fisheries serves as the beneficiary administration.
The project’s first area of focus is the development of Algeria’s national organic farming system. Experts will support Algerian authorities in drafting standards and implementing regulations, defining the responsibilities of the various bodies involved, and establishing procedures for inspection and certification. The initiative will also include training programmes for officials responsible for operating the system.

The second component focuses on the Agricultural Quality Label (LAQ), an Algerian certification scheme designed to identify and promote high-quality agricultural products. Work will initially begin with five pilot supply chains.

In cooperation with industry stakeholders, the project will identify the distinctive characteristics of the products concerned and the requirements they must meet. These elements will then be incorporated into five sets of specifications defining the conditions for obtaining the quality label, before being submitted to the National Labelling Committee.

The cooperation will involve producers, processors, professional organisations, agricultural chambers and technical bodies. Italian and French expertise will be adapted to the Algerian context through training programmes and the exchange of methodologies.