Project
A strong momentum towards food resiliency in Mauritania
Community representatives and locals. Photos by Lene Poulsen
NIRAS successfully conducted the mid-term evaluation of SECURALIM, an EU-funded programme which aims to strengthen food production and the resilience of food systems in Mauritania.
September 9, 2026
- SDG: #1, #2, #9, #13
- SECTORS: Development Consulting
- DONOR: European Union
- CLIENT: DG INTPA Delegation of the European Union in Mauritania
- DURATION: September 2025 - March 2026
While rich in natural resources, Mauritania continues to battle against food insecurity. According to the 2025 Global Hunger Index, 8.7% of the population do not have enough to eat and 13.6% of children under five experience acute malnutrition. World Food Programme estimates also indicate that more than 590,000 people remain vulnerable. The country continues to be heavily dependent on food imports.
In response, the EU launched the SECURALIM programme to strengthen the nation’s food production and systems. Enabel implemented the programme, which adopts a food sovereignty approach through four complementary intervention axes — namely, socio-land tenure security, hydro-agricultural development, proximity services, and the structuring of supply basins — and is active across seven regions (wilayas): Hodh el Gharbi, Hodh el Chargui, Assaba, Guidimakha, Gorgol, Brakna, and Trarza.
Glimpse of the evaluation process
During the start-up phase, NIRAS strictly applied international standards and prioritised the security and protection of vulnerable groups, including women, youth, and marginalised sectors. They conducted on-the-ground interviews and consultations to maintain a participatory and inclusive environment for stakeholders.
The evaluation team tracked improvements in the project to determine what worked and identified nuances in the views and opinions among all parties involved, while ensuring continued collaboration among the project’s key actors.
Furthermore, the following project components were examined:
- Hydro-agricultural developments and infrastructure that have been built or rehabilitated;
- Services offered to farms (advice, financing, and seeds);
- Partnerships and coordination between public and private actors;
- The integration of gender and youth in the agricultural and pastoral sectors;
- The climate resilience of agropastoral farms;
- Agroecological practices and technological innovations introduced; and
- Contributions to local employment and food security.
Towards a food-secure Mauritania: key findings
Through interviews with key institutional stakeholders and beneficiaries, combined with programme monitoring data, the evaluation found strong progress since implementation began in 2023.
Across seven wilayas, social land-tenure agreements improved access to land and water, documenting 68 irrigated perimeters (~2,300 hectares) and supporting 100 rain-fed agriculture cooperatives (up from 51 in 2024), where women account for 60% of beneficiaries. However, long-term land security remains precarious.
Hydro-agricultural infrastructure significantly boosted yields despite 2024 flooding, achieving 75% of its target for irrigated rice (yielding 4.0 tonnes per hectare, up from 3.2) and over 50% for market gardening. Long-term success now depends on ongoing maintenance.
Furthermore, agricultural support expanded to 4,612 of 6,000 targeted farms, with 91% of 2,000 targeted producers adopting sustainable agroecological practices. Additionally, animal feed production surged 1,662% to 8,462 tonnes in 2025. Over 1,700 producers contracted with local enterprises, while micro-loans and crop insurance expanded financial access.
75
%
Achieved target hydro-agricultural infrastructure for irrigated rice
91
%
Producers adopted agroecological practices
+
1700
Producers contracted with local enterprises
Lessons moving forward
SECURALIM will continue until December 2027 and will focus its budget on market gardening and fodder production in high-potential regions (Trarza, Gorgol), while expanding targeted irrigation in Assaba, Guidimakha, and Hodh. To boost operational efficiency, the project will align with SYSALIM, an EU-funded food security initiative launched in 2024 and collaborate with Senegal’s rural management centres.
To support these efforts, NIRAS has produced a comprehensive evaluation report featuring key conclusions, lessons learned, and recommendations. Based on these, two infographics and two videos — one of them in the local language, Hassaniya, were produced.
Long-term success will require revising the monitoring and evaluation system around actionable decision-making indicators to capture true costs, impacts, and conditions of pilot innovations. Additionally, strengthening institutional communication regarding project outcomes and lessons learned will empower local stakeholders to sustain initiatives independently. These are some of the recommendations issued by the evaluation.
Overall, the evaluation found that SECURALIM is showing strong momentum toward its ultimate objective of transforming Mauritania's food system, enhancing food security, and creating a sustainable, productive, and resilient agricultural sector. The challenge for the programme's remaining period will be to consolidate these gains and ensure that successful approaches can endure and expand beyond the life of the project.
SECURALIM evaluation dissemination video
The evaluation was conducted by consultants Lene Poulsen and Isselmou Abed, supported by NIRAS’ project manager Zorana Josic and NIRAS’ project director and quality expert Luciana Capuano Mascarenhas. NIRAS was awarded the mid-term evaluation contract through the EU SEA2023 Framework Contract Lot 16, where NIRAS is a part of the Ecorys consortium.
Mid-term evaluation Infograph: SECURALIM
