Posted on May 5, 2026

From 5 to 7 May, the Scientific Conference of the NATAE project is taking place at CIHEAM Bari, gathering researchers and project partners around one common question: how can agroecology become a concrete driver of sustainable transformation across the region? Funded by the European Union and coordinated by CIHEAM Montpellier, NATAE – Fostering Agroecology Transition in North Africa through multi-actor, evaluation and networking builds bridges between science, communities, policy makers and practitioners, turning shared knowledge into practical solutions for more resilient food systems. At CIHEAM Bari, these days are a space for dialogue, evidence and future planning. Partners are reviewing progress achieved so far while shaping the final implementation phase of the project. At the same time, experiences from the field are taking centre stage. Living Labs and Replication Labs from Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Mauritania, Egypt and South Africa are presenting how agroecological approaches can improve resource efficiency, strengthen resilience to climate and market pressures, and generate fairer opportunities across value chains and rural communities. One of the key legacies of the project will be the NATAE Guidebook: a shared knowledge tool designed to transform lessons learned, tested methodologies and scientific results into recommendations for future policies, research and action.Because sustainable change does not happen in isolation: it grows where territories, institutions and people work together.