Further Development of Irrigated Agriculture on the Island of Socotra

The aim of our intervention was to improve the diet of the island’s communities and, by extension, the nutritional status of the people, in particular through :

• Developing new irrigated market garden areas (based on the model developed by the previous project in Socotra) and building the capacity of local offices of the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation,
• The development of an agroforestry polyculture system based on date palms and ancestral knowledge in the Nogud plain, a region that has the advantage of silty clay soil suitable for these crops and significant water resources,
• The promotion of both traditional and new organic farming techniques, which enabled good water management and the diversification of food crops in order to improve the island’s nutrition/health situation.

This project was carried out with respect for Socotra’s exceptional flora and fauna, in partnership with INRA (Institut National de Recherche Agronomique), which used its expertise to help improve the island’s nutritional status.