Moroccan Agriculture Experts Gather at Al Akhawayn University to Focus on National Agriculture and Development

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Published on Saturday, 24 December 2011 16:00

Ifrane, December 24, 2011 – Al Akhawayn Unversity and the International Development Research Center in Canada (IDRC) organized today a workshop on “Management and Knowledge Sharing for Agriculture and Rural Development” at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane. 

Over 30 representatives of academic as well as non-academic Moroccan institutions working in the field of agriculture were present in the workshop, representing the main players engaging and reflecting in open discussion on the establishment of a national network in Morocco. “Creating KariaNet in Morocco and developing an action plan is the aim of the workshop. This will definitely advance the development of this project, especially in terms of making it a MENA network in the field,” said Ahmed Legrouri, Al Akhawayn's Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the School of Sciences and Engineering. 

As part of the program "Knowledge Access for Rural Inter-connected Areas Network" (KariaNet), the workshop is a partnership between the IDRC and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). The program operates in ten countries in the Middle East and North Africa (Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Tunisia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen).  The program's objective is to enhance the networking capabilities for the sharing of knowledge and experience in and among the ten countries in order to optimize the performance of programs and projects for agricultural development to reduce poverty and ensure food security. 

The workshop aimed to establish a national network of knowledge management in order to capitalize on the products of scientific research in agriculture and rural development, and also to exchange experiences and insights generated by agricultural development projects, with a special emphasis on small farmers. 

The expected output of the workshop was the creation of a national network of management and sharing of knowledge. The design of its governance and its main activities will be developed in partnership with the program KariaNet and organizations interested in management and knowledge sharing on the topics of agriculture, rural enterprise, and food security. 

Established by IFAD and IDRC, KariaNet is a regional network for sharing knowledge and exchanging information /experience in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The network KariaNet is inspired by "the principles of open access," and aims to strengthen the management skills and knowledge sharing in agriculture and rural development through capacity building, applied research, and relevant networking activities. More information is available at http://www.karianet.org/.

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), a specialized agency of the United Nations, was established as an international financial institution in 1977 as one of the major outcomes of the 1974 World Food Conference. IFAD is dedicated to eradicating rural poverty in developing countries. (http://www.ifad.org/)