News Release

National workshop on sustainable agriculture matrix for moroccan olive systems

The African Plant Nutrition Institute, in collaboration with the National Institute of Agronomic Research (INRA), held a one-day multi-stakeholders workshop on adapting the Sustainable Agriculture Matrix (SAM) framework for olive cropping systems in Moroc

Meeting Announcement

African Plant Nutrition Institute

SAM Workshop Participants in Marrakesh

image: In partnership with the National Institute of Agronomic Research (INRA), APNI is working to engage key stakeholders to identify critical sustainability indicators that are relevant for olive cropping systems in the Moroccan context and to suggest those that are missing from the current SAM framework. view more 

Credit: Y. Moujtahid/APNI

As part of the Belmont Forum-funded Sustainable Agriculture Matrix (SAM) Consortium led by the University of Maryland, Center for Environmental Science, the African Plant Nutrition Institute (APNI) with the National Institute of Agronomic Research (INRA) organized a workshop held in Marrakech on September 22, to engage key stakeholders and partners to develop a narrative for the sustainability of olive-based food systems in Morocco.

The Sustainable Agriculture Matrix (SAM) is a framework recently developed by the Center for Environmental Science, University of Maryland, USA, to measure agriculture sustainability and contribute to accountable and transparent monitoring of the SDGs. The SAM framework has 18 measurable indicators, based on three pillars of sustainability: economic, environmental, and social. SAM aims to serve as a platform to engage conversations among stakeholders involved in agriculture and to forge positive changes towards sustainability while avoiding unintended consequences.

To evaluate and further develop the SAM framework across socio-economic and environmental contexts, a group of multi-disciplinary teams across six world regions came together to form the SAM Consortium. APNI is part of the SAM Consortium and is supporting the evaluation of the SAM framework in Kenya, Ghana, and Morocco.

In partnership with the National Institute of Agronomic Research (INRA), APNI is working to engage key stakeholders to identify critical sustainability indicators that are relevant for olive cropping systems in the Moroccan context and to suggest those that are missing from the current SAM framework.

The workshop gathered several representatives of the public and private sectors in Morocco, including the Chamber of Agriculture, OCP Group, ONCA, ORMVAO, DPAs, OPM, ONSSA, Morocco Foodex, SONACOS, Lesieur Crisal, as well as universities, farmers, NGOs, and associations representing them.

The stakeholder engagement is conducted in a hybrid manner, first via a questionnaire that was sent out to gather information on the current experience in various agricultural sustainability issues and how institutions or organizations are addressing sustainable agriculture. This survey was followed-up through today’s face-to-face, one-day workshop that covered:

  1. SAM indicator descriptions, performance, and historical trends
  2. Trade-offs and synergies
  3. Next steps

This workshop is a follow-up to the workshops held previously in Ghana for Cacao Systems and in Kenya for Maize Systems.

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About APNI

The African Plant Nutrition Institute (APNI), established during 2019, is a not-for-profit research and development organization headquartered in Benguérir, Morocco. APN’s mission is enhanced plant nutrition for a resilient and food-secure Africa. APNI develops fundamental and applied knowledge, know-how, and methodologies. By working closely with strategic partners across Africa, APNI ensures that these advances are adapted to specific local conditions and crops, and then adopted by farmers. A shared goal for APNI’s initiatives is capacity building for farming families to secure them against internal and external market shocks, generate better incomes, and improve food security and nutrition. Plant nutrition research remains central to private and public sector investments in support of African farmers. APNI field offices are located Settat, Morocco; Nairobi, Kenya; and Yamoussoukro, Cote d’Ivoire. More on www.apni.net


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