Farming for Biodiversity

High Atlas Foundation

Marrakech, Maroc

An Overview Of Our Solution

Moroccan fig crops are under threat due to a lack of tree nurseries, adequate water supply, low profitability and untapped potential. The destruction of fig forests brought on by missed economic opportunities presents a threat to the wealth of biodiversity and food and living security for rural people, who depend on figs and wood from fig trees to nourish themselves and build shelters (FAO, 2014). The Ministry of Agriculture and High Commission of Water and Forestry partner with HAF by providing nursery land and technical support for a ten year period. Support of fig crops will also ensure that figs do not become extinct in the area, a threat that has already eradicated plum and pear varieties there. HAF and the ministries aim to distribute saplings for free, create a scientific teaching garden, train farmers in production. Ten varieties of fig will be grown.
Who is this solution impacting?
Community Type
Rural
Rural
Additional Information
  • Population Impacted:
  • Continent: Africa
General Information

Organization type

À but non lucratif
Ecosystem (select all that apply)
Forests
Forests

Population impacted

35,000 beneficiaries (50 percent are women)
Challenge

Size of agricultural area

11,000 ha

Production quantity

126 percent increase in fig production by 2020 (Morocco produces almost two thirds of North Africa’s fig crop. Morocco does not make a list of the top 10 exporting countries when it comes to fruit export to the EU.)

People employed

60
Solution

Describe your solution

How have you promoted changes in human activities (or changed your own agricultural practice) to ensure sustainable harvests/food security while also conserving, strengthening and/or restoring biodiversity on your agricultural lands and/or the surrounding environment? (1500 characters max.)
Implementation

Describe your implementation

In your response, please include the following: (2000 characters max) - Specific activities and/or specifically what your solution does to address the identified problems above in the Context Analysis section - How you ensured your solution was adopted and promoted change in human activities - Enabling conditions - Key success factors - Any obstacles and how you overcame them

External connections

List some of the key partners or stakeholders engaged in your solution development and implementation. Explain how your efforts connect with other sectors, such as fisheries and forestry, and other practices, such as policy and finance. (1500 characters max.)
Results

What is the environmental or ecological challenge you are targeting with your solution?

Figs are grown mainly in southern oases, the northwest and Rif mountain zones. Fig cultivars are highly diverse and localized, with higher diversity in northern crops (in Achtak’s study, every site studied in the Rif produced around eight unique, localized types of fig). Trees are usually propagated through cuttings (cloning), and ensuing fruits are traditionally fertilized by hanging male fig fruits, often wild, in female trees. Moroccan fig varieties – such as Homrana, Mounouacha, Lamdar Labiad, Lamdar Lakhal, Sbaa Ourkoud, Qoti Labiad, Qoti Lakhal, Ghouddane Rond, Ghouddane Oblong and Doukkar (caprifiguier, or male fig), which have been identified for planting at the proposed nursery -- are under threat due to reasons including farmers limiting new and existing crops to lands otherwise unsuitable for farming, such as mountain slopes, which cannot easily be reached for commercial marketing purposes.

Describe the context in which you are operating

Eighty percent of Morocco’s 14 million rural inhabitants depend on revenue from agriculture. This sector is minimally profitable: rural Moroccans make up 34% of the country’s 32 million population, and 75% of these households earn less than the national average. Women provide up to 35% of family farm labor but own less than 5% of land and have greater challenges than men in obtaining credit to improve their livelihoods. Nearly half of Moroccan youth are neither studying nor working. As youth comprise 30% of the nation’s population, their unemployment represents a significant lost opportunity and a large risk regarding social instability and unrest. Due to a lack of opportunities in rural areas, youth are moving to cities, thereby increasing strain on rural and urban areas as their labor is lost and they come to rely on urban infrastructures while often still unemployed.

Opportunities for raised standards of living are further lost as farming families continue traditions of planting barley and corn, as these staples are planted on more than 70% of agricultural land yet account for only 10-15% of agricultural revenue. Some farmers are transitioning to plant fruit trees to generate greater income. The high demand for trees has made them too expensive for many families. Dominant barriers to realizing market opportunities include a pervasive need for irrigation infrastructure, a processing line and federated associations to promote development.

How did you impact natural resource use and greenhouse gas emissions?

How did you improve biodiversity and/or positively impact the local environment? Please be specific and include methodology where relevant (1000 characters max.)

Language(s)

Arabic (Moroccan dialect)

Social/Community

500 characters max.

Water

500 characters max.

Food Security/Nutrition

500 characters max.

Economic/Sustainable Development

500 characters max.

Climate

500 characters max.

Sustainability

Describe the economic sustainability of your solution. Does it rely on grant funding, government subsidies or market-based revenue? (750 characters max.)

Return on investment

How much did it cost to implement these activities? How do your results above compare to this investment? (750 characters max.)
Replication and Scale

How could we successfully replicate this solution elsewhere?

Has it been done before and at what scale? Please include funding required, key stakeholders/partners, additional needs (training, materials, etc.) (1000 characters max.)
Overview