13-05-2026 | di COOPI

Mauritania. From barren soil to nourishing land

Located 22 km from Djigueni, in Mauritania, within the commune of Kasr El Barke, Moughataa of Djigueni, Abderatt is an agro-pastoral locality comprising 45 households.

In this rural context marked by harsh natural conditions, the reality of Abderatt clearly reflects the challenges faced by families before the start of any structured intervention. For a long time, the community lived on dry, hard, and rocky land where no crops could grow.

Today, thanks to the project “Building resilience and improving access to nutritious food for children, pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers in vulnerable communities through an integrated package”, funded by the World Food Programme and implemented by COOPI – Cooperazione Internazionale - ETS, the territory of Abderatt is undergoing a profound transformation, tangible and meaningful for the families who live there.

The intervention included the creation of a one-hectare vegetable farming perimeter through the HIMO approach – from the French Haute Intensité de Main d’Œuvre, meaning high labour intensity – the construction of a water tower powered by a solar pumping system, and the installation of two irrigation basins.

The programme has opened up new opportunities, particularly for women, who have become key actors of change. A total of 50 women farmers are involved, representing all beneficiaries of the horticultural activity. Their participation strengthens their economic autonomy and reinforces the role of women within their community.

The first horticultural season included several crops – including carrots, tomatoes, cabbages, turnips, potatoes, peppers, onions, beetroots, aubergines, chili peppers, watermelons, and lettuce – and produced significant harvests. The produce helped meet several essential needs of the population, including household consumption, the sale of products and school meals for children. The project has therefore both improved families’ purchasing power and reduced the cost of vegetables within the community.

These results have restored the inhabitants’ confidence in their collective ability to transform their territory and create new development opportunities.

Alongside land restoration and soil fertilisation, the technical support provided by the Agriculture Inspectorate has helped strengthen social cohesion and community engagement. Farmers have also established a community financial contribution system, each contributing 50 MRU to ensure the maintenance and sustainability of the infrastructures created.

Where hopes were limited, where everything seemed impossible, life has started to grow again. Today I see the faces of the people living here light up with hope.

said project manager Oumar Hamat Diop. He continued:

These achievements do not represent only agricultural change. They symbolise a social, economic, and emotional rebirth, built step by step by the communities themselves. Thanks to these efforts, communities now have sustainable means that contribute to food security, inclusion, and local resilience. These perimeters are not just fields: they are spaces of autonomy, restored dignity, and community renewal.

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COOPI has been working in Mauritania since 2019 through interventions focused on economic development, food and nutrition security, rehabilitation of rural infrastructure, maternal and child health, and the socioeconomic inclusion of the most vulnerable groups. Through a multisectoral and participatory approach, COOPI works to strengthen the autonomy of refugees and host communities, promote social cohesion and equal opportunities, prevent conflicts linked to the management of natural resources, and increase communities’ resilience to the effects of climate change.