KNOWLEDGE SHARING EVENT ON

“AGROBIODIVERSITY, CULTURES AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT”

Completion Workshop

19 May 2011

BRIEF OVERVIEW

of

ACHIEVEMENTS in MOROCCO

Mountain Areas of Errachidia and Midelt Provinces

TARGET OVERVIEW

Species/products

prioritized:

AMP, almonds, honey.

Here, the poverty rate is up to

44%. The regional average is

around 29%. Remittances from

migrants are in some cases the

main income of households,

while agriculture and livestock

contribute up to 90% of the local

economy.

TOTAL POPULATION: 60.000

DIRECT BENEFICIARIES: 2000

FINDINGS

Promoting the mise en culture

(domestication/cultivation) of a

number of wild species:

the case of fennel (besbes)

The pilot project involved

23 families during the first year

about 40 in the second year

44% of AMP already used in local

tradition, but only 1% is exploited

economically. Cultivation of wild fennel,

in one year may improve the average

household income by 75 %.

2 Farmers Associations involved

Ass. Feminine in Gourama (137 women)

Ass. Agabalou in Sidi Boukil (51 membri)

FINDINGS

Agbalou association is now

establishing a cooperative for the

exploitation and enhancement of

local aromatic and medicinal plants

The ADS (Agence de developpement

social) funded a project to Agbalou

association at the beginning of 2011.

Participation of Agbalou association

at the solidarity market of the SIAM in

April 2011

with a stand where they sold fennel

grains (of the first year of cultivation)

and honey.

Videos were shot in different locations on food consumption in the past and at present in the area of the project

In two years, 50 teachers and more than 1,200 students participated in the program of information and awareness to protect the biodiversity of the region

Multiplier effect: setting up a botanic garden at a primary school in the region

FINDINGS

Investing in the awareness of future generations

by training of teachers and therefore students revealed to be a winning approach

Organising the first honey festival in Rich had a good impact and

raised awareness of local communities

FINDINGS

10 associations and cooperatives took

part (each represented by 2 or 3

members).

Around 200 people

took part at the information day

Special labels were elaborated and 100

containers were distributed to each

producers’association and cooperative

FINDINGS

3 existing cooperatives of honey

producers have established a coalition

in order to bring their means together

Creation of a pole of the REMESS for the

area of Rachidia and Tafilalt (RADOSE)

Linkages created with the IFAD Loan Programme (PRDME)

FINDINGS

Almond producers from Amellagou

have started pruning and grafting their

trees for the first time and they have

produced the first almonds’ oil in the

region

FINDINGS

GIAHS-FAO

The pilot sites in Morocco will include the rural local authority of

Amellagou and the rural local authority of Imilchil .

The sites were identified in the framework of the grant 1000 and

missions were organized by FAO, INRA and Adrar in coordination with

Oxfam Italia.

A conference on GIAHS took place at 2011 edition of SIAM

FAO, INRA and Adrar are currently working at the preparation of a

broader project proposal to ensure continuity of activities.