Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia are marked by a long and rich agricultural cooperatives history. These three countries have for several decades implemented various policies aimed at removing the obstacles cooperatives encounter in its development and strengthening it.

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However, the consolidation of the cooperative system and the large-scale development of agricultural cooperatives, which are autonomous, independent, sustainable and operational, still face common constraints to all three countries: the problem of access to finance, capital and land; the need to strengthen the institutional environment required for the development of cooperatives; building of management and good internal governance capacities...

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In this context, a strong interest in establishing a dialogue on the issues they share about agricultural cooperatives and policies to support it between Algerian, Moroccan and Tunisian stakeholders emerged during the previous ENPARD South sub regional seminar which was held on 29 and 30 April 2016 in Meknès (Morocco).

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Therefore, various representatives of ministries in charge of agriculture, many agricultural cooperatives, banks and officials of support organisations from the three Maghreb countries, but also from France, gathered during a new sub ENPARD South regional seminar on 15 and 16 December 2016, in Algiers, on the theme of strengthening the Maghreb cooperative system.

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After introducing and discussing the universal principles of agricultural cooperatives, in particular to give all the participants a common vision and understanding of the concept of cooperatives, a leading example of a French cooperative was set out and debated to analyse the success factors of this venture.

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Thereafter, several thematic workshops have been held, first between members of each delegation in order to review in detail the national context elements as well as the particularities and the major lessons learned from the experience of each country, then in plenary session in order to foster a dialogue among the participants.

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The seminar was built around three main highlights: the diagnosis of the cooperative system of the three countries (legal and institutional environment, structure and positioning of cooperatives, etc.); identification of the conditions for the development of the cooperative system (capitalisation from the experience of professionals); the construction of a cooperatives model for the Maghreb region and the formulation of the foundations for a partnership.

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The exchanges were rich and in-depth discussions occurred, the professionals invited greatly appreciated to share their visions, their experiences and were fully engaged to build a constructive comparison and self-analysis. These stakeholders have thus thoroughly questioned their own practices and strategies in the light of crossed Maghreb experiences.

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After review, and considering the international principles of cooperatives and the experience of the stakeholders participating in the seminar, the Algerian, Moroccan and Tunisian legal frameworks were considered satisfactory or currently being implemented in the short term, considering the evolutions in progress. The stakeholders focused thus on the recommendations for the capacity of agricultural cooperatives, but also public, parastatal and private institutions, to implement, support and monitor the implementation of such guidelines.

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It has also been pointed out that initiatives to create cooperatives rarely come from local actors and hardly with a clear objective of participating in territorial development. The majority of the local cooperative tissue (cooperatives, organisations and local support cells, etc.) is in fact guided by governmental policies, often voluntary, for regulating and structuring sectors. The government relies directly or indirectly on cooperatives in order to achieve national market supply objectives. In addition, cooperatives often face informal private actors acting outside regulation and holding certain segments of the value chains.

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Various factors contributing to the success and the well-functioning of cooperatives have been identified by the stakeholders of the three countries on the basis of their experiences. This exhaustive list can be synthesized around three axes:

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1. The social and human environment (local culture of cooperation, commitment of a leader meeting required criteria, transmission capabilities...)

2. The internal organisation of cooperatives (good governance, compliance with regulations, strategy, adequacy with the needs of members, technical and financial credibility, etc.)

3. The public policies (local structures, vocational training, control, non-interference in the management of cooperatives …)

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Finally, the many common points of the histories and structures of the rural and agricultural cooperative tissue that this seminar have highlighted, but also the wide range of strategies implemented in different countries and brought to different stages, attested the interest of having a Maghrebian structure or platform, allowing:

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1. The exchange of experiences in support of agricultural cooperatives

2. Knowledge and good practices sharing between cooperatives

3. The self-promotion of cooperatives and the defence of cooperative principles in the three countries of the Maghreb region

4. Laying foundations of a Maghreb union of agricultural cooperatives