Could aquifers turn Algeria’s desert into Africa’s breadbasket?

The Algerian desert, with a high year-round climate, has proven effective in producing key commodities such as sugar beet, fodder, legumes, and cereals, the latter now covering more than 81,000 hectares, particularly in the Ziban region and the Djebel Dhaya area in western Algeria. Vegetables are currently grown over 92,700 hectares, 41% of which is devoted to potatoes.

Desert regions, particularly the city of El Oued 650km southeast of Algiers, now supply half of Algeria's potatoes and much of its tomatoes, while fruit trees cover 21,000 hectares, half of which are olive trees, followed by apricot and pomegranate. Yet alongside its expansion of agricultural land, Algeria is also working with international partners to strengthen self-sufficiency.

One example of this is through a deal signed with Qatari company Baladna to establish an integrated $3.5bn project for producing powdered milk and derivatives over 117,000 hectares in southern Algeria, including grain and fodder farms, cattle farms, and production plants, with the goal of meeting 50% of Algeria's powdered milk needs.

Another agreement was signed with Italian company Bonifiche Ferraresi for the production of durum wheat and legumes in the province of Timimoun in southern Algeria, with an investment of around $470mn.

Transforming sand dunes

In March, President Abdelmadjid Tebboune said Algeria "will achieve full self-sufficiency in a number of agricultural products this year, including durum wheat", adding that it also aimed to reach milk self-sufficiency within two years, thanks to the project in the Province of Adrar with Qatari investment.

Tebboune's ambitions are backed by international reports, particularly from the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), affirming that Algeria has reached a stage of "comfort" in terms of food supply in Africa. Yet it is also experiencing noticeable climate change impacts, particularly in the north, where agriculture has suffered.

Its southern areas are rich in both natural and human resources, with groundwater and vast flatlands ideal for agricultural mechanisation to enhance farming efficiency. "The desert region has many factors that qualify it to lead in agricultural crop production, such as sugar beet," said Dr Abdelbasset Boumadda of the University of Ouargla. "In recent years, sand dunes have been transformed into green fields of wheat and barley."

Algeria's north relies mainly on rain-fed water, leading to fluctuating yields, whereas its southern desert areas use groundwater from aquifers, which have long been known about and harvested. "The desert dweller possesses extensive knowledge and skills thanks to a centuries-long connection to the oasis system, through palm cultivation and intercropping of vegetables and fodder," said Boumadda.

Traditions and expertise can assist the expansion of desert farming, but whether it is enough to let Algeria achieve full food self-sufficiency and transform its desert into a breadbasket remains to be seen.

Removing obstacles

The country has set a goal of increasing total irrigated farmland to 3 million hectares in the coming years, up from 2.1 million hectares today, but Boumadda said ambitions for desert agriculture will depend on the removal of obstacles facing investors.

Currently, desert areas contribute a quarter of the nation's agricultural output, but this figure could potentially triple, given the recently demonstrated capacity to produce cereals and vegetables in two cropping cycles per year.

Developing agriculture in the Algerian desert requires government support in areas such as electricity, roads, land reclamation, and processing plants, but Boumadda notes the "difficulty in accessing electricity, as desert agriculture heavily depends on groundwater, which requires energy for well operation, water pumping, and running irrigation systems like centre pivots, which also need electricity".

Solar energy could help solve the problem, he says, given Algeria's vast desert expanse. "Expanding the use of solar panels to generate electricity is vital, particularly since the desert is an ideal environment for generating renewable energy."

In this context, Algeria recently announced the launch of a second solar power plant in the Abadla area of the province of Béchar in Algeria's southwest, with a capacity of 220 megawatts (MW). This is part of a national programme to establish 15 photovoltaic solar power stations with a combined capacity of 3,200 MW across 12 Algerian provinces.

Boumadda cites the province of El Oued as having successfully transformed its desert into a thriving agricultural region. "El Oued has made a qualitative leap, becoming a leader in agriculture, especially in potato production, currently yielding about 1.2 million tonnes annually, or a quarter of national output. If investment obstacles are lifted, this figure could rise significantly, further strengthening national food security."

Algeria's government will hope that national will, strategic planning, and reliance on sustainable energy sources to enhance irrigation efficiency can turn the environmental challenges of its desert regions into agricultural development opportunities.