The Context

Mauritania spreads across 1,030,700 km2 of West Africa, more than two thirds of which is desert. Its 4 million people are rapidly urbanising, but half of the population derive their livelihoods from raising crops and livestock and fishing, according to World Bank 2013 data.

With an annual growth rate of 2.8 per cent in 2013, the population is very young, with 40 per cent under 15 years of age, 60 per cent under 25 and only 5 per cent over 60.

Firm prices for exports of oil, iron ore and copper delivered growth of up to 6.5 per cent a year in the 15 years until 2014, with improvements in fishing and farming.

Forty-one per cent of the population lives in rural areas, and half depend on agriculture for their income. Farming generates 25 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP).

The national poverty rate fell from 51 per cent in 2000 to 31 per cent in 2014. But 74 per cent of the poor live in rural areas and in the south 44.4 per cent of people live in poverty, while nationwide more than a fifth of children under five suffer chronic malnutrition.

Mauritania is self-sufficient in red meat and fish, but imports 60 per cent of other staple foodstuffs, especially rice, vegetable, sugar and cooking oil.

Mauritania is highly vulnerable to climate change, which amplifies droughts and flooding, and damages pastureland and non-timber forest products. 

The Strategy

In Mauritania IFAD loans aim to improve food security and nutrition, increase the incomes of poor rural households, create jobs and reduce the country's dependence on food imports.

Activities target poor rural households with a special focus on women and young people.

IFAD’s country strategy and approach has three main objectives:

• reducing food and nutrition insecurity by promoting adoption of competitive production models, adapted to climate change and natural resources;
• strengthening institutions which represent the rural poor; and
• supporting the development of dialogue between all stakeholders in value-chains that are being targeted.

Key activities include:

• strengthening organizations and institutions capacities and supporting communal and local development;
• promoting linkages between supply and demand through better performing and more inclusive value chains;
• advising farmers, including women and youth, to improve their production models and adapt them to climate change, restoring soil and making better use of surface and ground water. 

Results-based country strategic opportunities programme (COSOP) 
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