CIHEAM Zaragoza organizes other cooperation activities focused on a broad range of actions covering capacity building and transfer of experience on local development through, for example, visits, common publications or training seminars which may lead to the adoption of common or similar methodological and working methods or to joint or coordinated development work.
PAP-ENPARD Programme
CIHEAM Zaragoza organized a study visit for an Algerian delegation of experts in rural development from Laghouat, Ain Témouchent and Tlemcen wilayas. PAP-ENPARD enabled delegates to spend a week, from 24 to 28 September, travelling the region of Aragon to learn about the LEADER approach, as well as different projects developed in the rural environment.
The Pilot action programme for rural development and agriculture in Algeria (PAP-ENPARD) is part of the ENPARD initiative (European Neighbourhood Programme for Agriculture and Rural Development) of the European Commission whose objective is to support neighbouring countries in matters of agriculture and rural policies.
More specifically, the ENPARD initiative aims at supporting the design and implementation of renewed public policies to face the challenges of food security, diversification of rural economies and the improvement of local governance in rural areas.
Therefore, PAP-ENPARD was designed to support the implementation of agricultural and rural development policies in Algeria, whose innovative and proactive approach aims at revitalizing the territories through integrated and sustainable rural development projects and initiatives.
During their visit to Aragon, CIHEAM Zaragoza showed Algerian delegates how local action groups ‘CEDER Somontano‘ and ‘ADECUARA‘ work. They also visited and shared ideas with stakeholders involved in several projects related to the valorization, promotion, and development of agriculture, husbandry, crafts, tourism and landscape.
Training in innovative extension methods
CIHEAM Zaragoza organised a study visit for a Tunisian delegation of experts from different national agricultural extension and training services. ICARDA enabled delegates to spend a week, from 8 to 12 April, travelling around the region of Aragon to learn about the extension services models in Spain and innovation and technology transfer in the agricultural sector.
The training was jointly organised by the International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM), through the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Zaragoza (IAMZ) and the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) through the Mind the Gap project.
The 'Mind the Gap' research project is testing new and existing models of transferring innovative technology packages to smallholder farmers by using an RCT approach, aiming to improve dissemination strategies to increase technology adoption by smallholders. Understanding which extension approaches have the greatest success rate helps to improve future agricultural technology dissemination efforts. The 'Mind the Gap' project compares different extension approaches and evaluates their impacts on technology adoption rates and farm household livelihoods.
The training at CIHEAM Zaragoza was based on the introduction to extension services models in Spain and innovation and technology transfer in the agricultural sector. The training was complemented by different visits to the most important centres in Spain dealing with innovation and transfer of technology such us INTIA in Pamplona, Neiker in Vitoria, FruitCentre in Lleida and water and irrigation in the Campus of Aula Dei (CSIC and CITA), Zaragoza.