On 10 November 2026, the University of Skikda, a partner of the WATERMELLON PRIMA project, organised a National Meeting on Food Security in Algeria, providing an opportunity to present the project’s activities, progress and results to a broad audience of agricultural stakeholders and decision-makers.
During the event, the University of Skikda presented the work carried out within Work Packages 1, 2, 3 and 4 (WP1–WP4), highlighting the project’s integrated approach to strengthening agricultural resilience, improving water management and promoting sustainable farming systems across the Mediterranean.
Presenting WATERMELLON’s work across four key areas
The presentation covered the main activities and results achieved across four interconnected areas of the project:
- WP1 – Farmers’ Engagement: involving farmers, local communities and relevant stakeholders in the project through participatory activities, Regional Farmers Groups and Living Labs.
- WP2 – Water Harvesting Systems: developing and assessing innovative techniques and systems for collecting, harvesting and storing water to improve its availability for agriculture.
- WP3 – Novel Cropping Systems: testing and evaluating innovative agricultural practices, including crop rotation, intercropping and other sustainable cultivation approaches adapted to water-scarce conditions.
- WP4 – Identification of Novel Value Chains: exploring sustainable value chains for underutilised crops and agricultural products, considering their environmental, economic and social sustainability.
Together, these activities demonstrate how WATERMELLON combines stakeholder engagement, innovative water solutions, climate-resilient cropping systems and sustainable value chains to address the challenges facing Mediterranean agriculture.
Engaging stakeholders and reaching a wider audience through the media
The national meeting attracted approximately 120 participants, including policymakers, farmers, representatives of the media and members of the academic community. The high level of audience participation made the event particularly valuable for exchanging knowledge, presenting project achievements and strengthening connections between research, agricultural practice and decision-making.
WATERMELLON’s participation also attracted the attention of the national media. The project was invited by two Algerian television channels, Echorouk TV and El Ghad TV, offering an additional opportunity to raise awareness of its objectives and activities and to communicate its contribution to sustainable agriculture and food security.
By taking part in this national meeting, the University of Skikda continues to strengthen WATERMELLON’s visibility and engagement with agricultural stakeholders in Algeria.
Through the collaboration of its partners across the Mediterranean, WATERMELLON promotes sustainable water management, innovative farming practices and climate-resilient agricultural systems, contributing to more sustainable and secure food systems in the region.