From Tunis to Montpellier: Turning Agroecology Lessons into Levers for Public Action

Montpellier, 29 & 30 September 2026

OSS and CIHEAM continue to work together to advance agroecology as a driver of more resilient and sustainable agricultural systems. The second NATAE Policy Conference marks a new step in this collaboration, with a clear focus on turning lessons from the field into public policy, investment and solutions that can be scaled up.

On 29 and 30 September 2026, CIHEAM Montpellier is hosting the second NATAE Policy Conference, organized in association with the DIONYSUS project. The event builds on the cooperation between the Sahara and Sahel Observatory (OSS) and CIHEAM Montpellier around a shared objective: bringing research, field realities and public decision-making closer together to support the agroecological transition in North Africa and the Mediterranean.

This cooperation notably took shape during the Regional Conference “Agroecology: Science and Policy”, jointly organized in Tunis by OSS and CIHEAM-IAMM from 29 to 31 January 2025. It was further strengthened with the signing, on 5 March 2025, of a partnership agreement covering, among other areas, research and innovation, training, scientific exchanges and capacity building.

From Lessons on the Ground to Public Action
The Tunis conference brought together researchers, policymakers, farmers and civil society stakeholders to identify the conditions needed for a transition towards agricultural systems that are more resilient, sustainable and better adapted to local realities.

The discussions highlighted several priorities: strengthening the link between research and public policy, providing long-term support to farmers, facilitating access to finance, building capacities and promoting regional cooperation.

In Montpellier, the discussion moves to the next stage. The focus is now on how to demonstrate the benefits of agroecological solutions, integrate them into public policies, mobilize the necessary financing and support their deployment at a larger scale.

OSS is represented by Nadia Khammari, Communication Analyst, who is contributing to the introductory session to convey the lessons from the Tunis conference and highlight their relevance to public action.

Demonstrating Impact to Support Better Decisions
For OSS, assessing agroecology must go beyond agricultural yields alone. It should also measure its contribution to climate resilience, the preservation of water, soils and biodiversity, the economic viability of farms and territorial development.

Robust evidence across these dimensions is essential to inform public choices and guide investments towards solutions that respond to the realities and needs of territories.

This approach must remain firmly grounded in field realities. Experiences developed under NATAE demonstrate the importance of involving farmers, researchers, institutions and local stakeholders in experimentation and evaluation. The aim is not only to identify what works, but also to understand the conditions required to adapt and replicate successful solutions in other territories.

From Experimentation to Scaling Up
The challenge now is to turn NATAE’s achievements into levers for action: capitalize on results, make them accessible to decision-makers, identify solutions that can be replicated and facilitate their integration into policies, programmes and investments.

Scaling up also requires appropriate financing and sustained support for stakeholders, particularly through applied research, agricultural advisory services, training, infrastructure and access to markets.

The cooperation between OSS and CIHEAM Montpellier provides a framework for continuing this momentum by combining research and innovation, training, capacity building and scientific exchanges.

For OSS, the direction is clear: to make the connection between field experience, science and public decision-making a driver of transformation, so that proven agroecological solutions can inform policies, guide investments and sustainably strengthen the resilience of territories across North Africa and the Mediterranean.