More than half of Mauritania's 3.89 million people earn a living from agriculture and livestock. However, domestic cereal production in this arid country only meets about one-third of the national food needs, forcing a reliance on imports, especially for sorghum, millet and wheat.

Food prices soared in 2008, and continue to be volatile. This, combined with poor rains in 2011, which slashed agricultural output by two-thirds, pushed more farmers and pastoralists into poverty and hunger.

Although cereal production has rebounded in recent years, with bumper crops registered in 2012 and 2013, food security remains shaky in parts of the country, particularly in areas where unpredictable rains in 2013 affected crops and grazing land. The presence of tens of thousands of Malian refugees, who fled violence in their own country, has further strained Mauritania's limited resources.

IPPM programme in Mauritania

The IPPM programme in Mauritania, active since March 2009, supports national programmes and strategies to improve food security and reduce poverty.

The programme aims to raise production levels through the adoption of improved agronomic practices such as balanced fertilization, optimal planting distances, use of high-quality seeds and more. One of its main objectives is to increase community awareness of the potentially high risks associated with pesticides - both for the environment and human health.

IPPM encourages smallholder farmers to diversify agricultural systems - a move that can increase both ecological and economic resilience and nutritional diversity. It also strives to help farmers achieve higher profits through improved marketing skills. Furthermore, as part of the regional initiative to boost rice production, the IPPM coordination unit has supported capacity development activities through its farmer field school network.

To date, IPPM has trained 6 800 farmers in Mauritania, 15 percent of them women. The programme is also piloting ways to combine farmer field schools with Dimitra listeners' clubs. This partnership seeks to greatly improve agricultural information exchange among farmers, both within and between communities, as well as visibility and community ownership of IPPM activities.

IPPM projects in Mauritania

• Initiative to boost rice production in West Africa (regional)
• POPs reduction in Niger and Senegal Rivers (regional)

Partners

The IPPM programme in Mauritania works closely with various partners, including: Casier Pilote de Boghé, a union of 12 village cooperatives; Centre de Formation des Producteurs Ruraux de Boghé; Délégations Régionales de l’Agriculture; Direction de l’Agriculture, Ministère de l’Environnement et du Développement Durable; Direction de la Pollution et des Urgences environnementales; Direction de la Recherche de la Formation et de la Vulgarisation; Ministère du Développement Rural; and Société Nationale de Développement Rural.

The IPPM programme is grateful for financial support in Mauritania, including: Global Environment Facility; Government of the Kingdom of Spain; and United Nations Environment Programme.