Algeria, officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is located in North Africa. Only 3% of Algeria's land is cultivated but the agricultural sector provides employment for about a quarter of Algerian labour and contributes 10% to GDP. The main agricultural products are wheat, barley, pulses, fresh vegetables, dates, table and wine grapes, figs, olives, and citrus.

The Algerian Agricultural Research System (ARS) evolved while the country was a French colony. Independence in 1962 disrupted the ARS, as large numbers of expatriate staff left the country. Subsequently, there was considerable reorganization as new ministries were created and new institutes came into being. The current structure of the ARS is complex. Agricultural subjects are covered by a large number of institutes, agricultural graduate schools, universities and research-development institutes. The breeding programmes are all public. Many institutes have more than a decade of experience in plant breeding and biotechnology, but few have more than 20 years of experience.

Several institutions have invested in research and development of wheat, which is the major crop of the country. But important programmes also exist for dates, fruits and vegetables. In all the crops the evaluation of fixed lines was the main breeding activity.

Because of the multitude of organizations dealing with research, coordination and integration are a major challenge. Moreover there is a perceived need for training and resources to enable biotechnology activities in support of plant breeding. In general, budgets for plant breeding have decreased along with total budgets, and in many cases are insufficient to meet goals.