Monitoring and Evaluation of the Agricultural and Rural Renewal Program in Algeria: case of the Ouarsenis area

Mohamed Tebani,Khalladi Mederbal

doi:10.1590/1234-56781806-94790560410

Abstract

Abstract: In Algeria, agriculture continues to suffer from short-term strategies and is unsuitable for the needs of populations and rural areas. This study examines the evaluation of the Agricultural and Rural Program (ARRP) initiated in Algeria for the period (2009-2014). This work was carried in the Ouarsenis area located in the north-west of the country. It is based on regular monitoring on the ground of the rate of achievement of the targets foreseen. We concentrated our efforts on the projects financed by the main intervention funds of this program. The results achieved are far from the targets for the economic component, a situation mainly expressed by the low income of the rural population and the number of jobs created. However, an improvement in the living conditions of the population was recorded in the social component. Concerning the environmental aspect, the results are considered acceptable for the restoration of the forest patrimony and low for the protection of the soil. We believe that this policy rests on foundations that have not really been translated into the field in the continuity of previous approaches and lack of governance with poorly managed material, financial and human resources.

Highlights

Since independence, Algerian agriculture has had short-term strategies that have not solved the problems of the sector (AKERKAR, 2015), which has resulted in an imbalance between rural and urban areas (SOUIDI and BESSAOUD, 2011)
The sector contribution of agriculture to the gross domestic product (GDP) is only 9% and only 25% employment for 42% of the total labor force (BEDRANI, 2008). This precarious situation is the result of a lack of concordance of agricultural policies with the socio-economic structure of the rural world, from the self-management of farms (1962-1971) by former colonial agricultural workers to safeguard the productive heritage (HERSI, 1981) and the land revolution (1971-1979) by land redistribution to landless peasants and the reorganization of land management and exploitation (BESSAOUD, 1980), followed by the first land reforms known as the restructuration of the agricultural socialist domains (ASD), (BOUAMMAR, 2010), up to the period (1987-2000), with the abandonment of subsidies and the transformation of the ASD into collective and individual agricultural holdings (1979-1987), (MARD, 2012)
The aim of our work is to evaluate the success rate of the program in the Ouarsenis area as a region representative of mountain agriculture for several regions of Algeria and to provide recommendations that can be exploited by the parties concerned with the sustainable development of rural areas

Summary

Introduction

Algerian agriculture has had short-term strategies that have not solved the problems of the sector (AKERKAR, 2015), which has resulted in an imbalance between rural and urban areas (SOUIDI and BESSAOUD, 2011). The sector contribution of agriculture to the gross domestic product (GDP) is only 9% and only 25% employment for 42% of the total labor force (BEDRANI, 2008) This precarious situation is the result of a lack of concordance of agricultural policies with the socio-economic structure of the rural world, from the self-management of farms (1962-1971) by former colonial agricultural workers to safeguard the productive heritage (HERSI, 1981) and the land revolution (1971-1979) by land redistribution to landless peasants and the reorganization of land management and exploitation (BESSAOUD, 1980), followed by the first land reforms known as the restructuration of the agricultural socialist domains (ASD), (BOUAMMAR, 2010), up to the period (1987-2000), with the abandonment of subsidies and the transformation of the ASD into collective and individual agricultural holdings (1979-1987), (MARD, 2012). None of these reforms have met the objectives assigned to them and the recommended development model remains unsuitable for the needs of populations and rural areas (NCSAPD, 2002)

Objectives

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Conclusion