Food sovereignty has become a key priority for African governments. This shift is driven by global conflicts, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the prolonged negative impacts of climate change, all of which have disrupted supply chains and raised the costs of imported food. Additional challenges include soil degradation due to inadequate practices, limited access to quality seeds, diseases, and high pest pressures—all of which contribute to low crop yields. These major constraints are compounded by poor agronomic practices, post-harvest losses, inadequate water management tools, low mechanization, and limited access to technological innovations, highlighting the widespread impact on the national food system. Mauritania is no exception to this situation.

In recent years, Mauritania’s agricultural sector has shifted toward food self-sufficiency by 2030. Given its catalytic role, the National Center for Agronomic Research and Agricultural Development (CNRADA) has received support from various financial and technical partners, providing resources to address the agricultural sector’s major challenges.

Beyond its core activities in research and agricultural production promotion, CNRADA has strengthened its operational capacity significantly. It now offers quality seed production and conservation structures, alongside enhanced crop protection techniques. Improvements have also been made in irrigation, soil mapping and analysis, and precision agriculture.