Knowledge Sharing Event on “Agro biodiversity, Cultures and Local Development”. Completion Workshop, 18-19 May 2011. Promoted by ACRA and Oxfam Italia, funded by IFAD and the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

1. KNOWLEDGE SHARING EVENT ON
“AGROBIODIVERSITY, CULTURES AND LOCAL DEVELOPMENT”
Completion Workshop
19 May 2011
BRIEF OVERVIEW
of
ACHIEVEMENTS in MOROCCO

2. TARGET OVERVIEW
Mountain Areas of Errachidia and Midelt Provinces
TOTAL POPULATION: 60.000
DIRECT BENEFICIARIES: 2000
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.
Species/products
prioritized:
AMP, almonds, honey.

3. FINDINGS
Promoting the mise en culture
(domestication/cultivation) of a
number of wild species:
the case of fennel (besbes)
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)
The pilot project involved
23 families during the first year
about 40 in the second year

4. 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.

5. FINDINGS
Investing in the awareness of future generations
by training of teachers and therefore students revealed to be a winning approach
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

6. FINDINGS
Organising the first honey festival
in Rich had a good impact and
raised awareness of local
communities
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

7. 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)

8. FINDINGS
Linkages created with the IFAD
Loan Programme (PRDME)
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

9. 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.