From August 4 to 6, 2025, the University of Nouakchott carried out a mission in the Brakna region of Mauritania as part of the Horizon Europe RURALITIES project. The Brakna region, whose population is primarily agro-pastoral, plays a vital role in local livelihoods, with agriculture and livestock farming being the main sources of jobs and income.
The mission combined awareness-raising meetings with regional partners and site visits to nine cooperatives across four municipalities: Aleg, Boghé, Bababé, and Aghchourguit. Stakeholders included the Regional Development Commissions (CRD), Regional Working Groups (GTR), NGOs, and women’s associations. Administrative authorities such as the Deputy Governor of Brakna, community councils, local mayors, and civil society representatives also took part.
Key Focus Areas
The mission highlighted three priority activities for strengthening rural innovation in Brakna:
- Market gardening – carried out by several women’s cooperatives, facing challenges with water access, crop protection, pests, and marketing. Despite these obstacles, cooperatives developed drying and preservation techniques that protect nutritional value and consumer health.
- Forest product processing – cooperatives use local plants and fruits (such as Toogga, Henna, and Acacia) to produce soaps and cosmetics, but lack the equipment and packaging solutions to expand.
- Animal by-product processing – cooperatives transform animal skins into handicrafts, contributing to ecotourism and providing essential materials to communities.
These activities align with the RURALITIES Living Lab approach, combining environmentally friendly practices with the valorisation of local ecosystems.
Cooperatives Visited
During the mission, the University of Nouakchott visited nine cooperatives, each representing unique strengths and challenges:
Badilly Cooperative (Aleg, 100 women) – Transformation of Toogga fruit into oil and soap; currently paused due to seasonal availability.
Vegetable Drying and Preservation Cooperative (Aleg, 15 women) – Developing preservation techniques but facing marketing and management issues.
Soap and Cosmetics Cooperative (Aleg, 15 women) – Producing eco-friendly soaps and cosmetics; challenges in marketing.
El Wassat Cooperative (Taibe Aleg, 50 women) – Focused on handicrafts; limited by marketing capacity.
Integrated Community Agricultural Farm (Agchourguitt, Aleg) – Running a farm and chicken coop with solar-powered irrigation; facing water scarcity.
Matoussegre Cooperative (Bir El Barka, 10 people) – Trial agriculture project; struggles with costly water access and lack of fencing.
El Veteh Project (Bir El Barka, 80 women) – Similar agricultural activities as Matoussegre; also affected by water scarcity.
CESSON Cooperative (Bababé, 23 women) – Vegetable and fruit farming supported by boreholes and solar panels; seasonal slowdown in activities.
Malal Cooperative (Bogué, 38 women + NGO partner) – Diverse farming and poultry activities with good infrastructure; identified as an ideal site for a Living Lab.
Outcomes and Next Steps
The mission revealed both the strengths and constraints of rural cooperatives in Brakna. Water access, infrastructure gaps, and marketing remain key challenges, but there is strong local knowledge, innovation, and willingness to collaborate.
The University of Nouakchott proposed developing Living Labs around the three main activity areas, building on the cooperatives’ expertise and environmentally friendly approaches. These Living Labs will form the foundation for future training, innovation, and sustainable rural development in the region.
This mission demonstrates how RURALITIES connects local actors, women’s cooperatives, and traditional practices with modern innovation tools to foster resilient and sustainable rural systems in Africa and beyond.
