The TARGA Association was born in the wake of the research work of a group of young research professors formed in the early 80s, within the Rural Development Department (DDR) created by the sociologist PAUL PASCON, at_cc781905-5cde- 3194-bb3b-136bad5cf58d_Hassan II Agronomic and Veterinary Institute de Rabat .
In connection with the rural population of landlocked areas (Ouneine valley en High Atlas and the oases of southeastern Mauritania), its members have gradually built up a concerted approach with a view to identifying and implementing small community development projects.
In 1998, the members of the team equipped themselves, with the support of the management of theAgronomic and Veterinary Institute Hassan II, an institutional framework of an associative nature, thus giving birth to TARGA, Interdisciplinary Association for Development and the Environment.
Since then, TARGA has developed in three phases:
· Community development (1998 – 2000): Design and implementation of community development projects with rural populations in mountain areas, mainly financed by international cooperation (Austrian, Swiss and Spanish cooperation).
· Rural development (2000-2004): Increased development of partnerships with ministries, local authorities and state bodies to promote rural development, and participate in the definition of certain public policies aimed at the rural world.
· Participatory development planning and capacity building (2004 - present): Thanks in particular to the launch of the National Human Development Initiative  and the acceleration of the decentralization process, the public authorities have encouraged the development of the participatory approach in development projects. Therefore, TARGA is fully involved in support and capacity building, strategy, implementation and monitoring and evaluation of public development programs.
In 2017, TARGA was recognized as a public utility association