Abstract
The agricultural sector in the Saharan regions of Algeria has seen, since 1983, the development program of cereal cultivation irrigated by pivots thanks, essentially, to the availability of underground water resources which constitute its keystone. In Ouargla, these farms strongly supported by the public authorities and sustained by neo-farmers have marked progressions and regressions in space and in time, some have disappeared, others have undergone changes thus calling into question their durability. This research aims to assess the sustainability of these farms by the IDEA method (Sustainability Indicators of Farms Agricultural- Indicateurs de Durabilité des Exploitations Agricoles) based mainly on three scales; the agro-ecological scale, the socio-territorial scale and the economic scale. The analysis of 13 farms shows that this is an artificial production system, the installation of which is at great risk and depends heavily on the will of agricultural policies and entrepreneur-farmers. The economic scale seems to have the best score, however the profits generated by the farmers can be explained more by the consistent support of the State than by a tangible accounting balance. At the socio-territorial level, most of the components are failing, in particular a very low diversity of products and a strong lack of employment. The agroecological scale constitutes the limiting factor par excellence with an agriculture which consumes a lot of non-renewable water and energy and at the same time destroys the soil resource by the phenomenon of salinization. Thus the three scales are failing and the limiting factor par excellence is the environmental scale, the consideration of which is strongly recommended both nationally and internationally. This research also highlights the need for a revision of certain indicators of the IDEA method with a view to adapting it to the local context of arid zones and to the cereal agrosystem in Ouargla.
Highlights
Cereals are of particular importance in Algeria, they occupy a strategic place in the national economy
The agricultural sector in the Saharan regions of Algeria has seen, since 1983, the development program of cereal cultivation irrigated by pivots thanks, essentially, to the availability of underground water resources which constitute its keystone
This research highlights the need for a revision of certain indicators of the IDEA method with a view to adapting it to the local context of arid zones and to the cereal agrosystem in Ouargla
Summary
Cereals are of particular importance in Algeria, they occupy a strategic place in the national economy. Best grain-producing areas in northern Algeria offer very modest yields about 15qx / ha. This is increasingly in difficulty compared to the demand. Algeria has opted for the development of irrigated cereal cultivation in the Saharian regions relying on the availability of underground water resources. 1996 highlight that capitalist forms are struggling to fully emerge in northern Algeria, because all the structures are already settled. They flourish much more freely in Saharian regions in the form of ex nihilo creation, encouraged by both local context and public authorities
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