The Need: Rural Moroccan families consistently identify fruit trees as one of their highest priorities for community development. The reason why fruit trees are so important is because the traditional staple crops of barley and corn no longer satisfy subsistence needs. Rural families now have to typically purchase these staples equivalent, on average, to the amount that they grow. The low market-value of these staples has compelled family farms to plant cash-crops, such as fruit trees, that generate significantly greater income than traditional crops. Additionally, Morocco’s international trade agreements lend greater urgency toward promoting new and diversifying economic development initiatives, particularly among rural communities.
HAF’s application of the participatory planning methods with local people, and the resulting fruit tree projects and partnerships with civil and government agencies, reflect Morocco’s own framework for advancing human and rural development, democracy-building, decentralization, international cooperation by addressing adverse effects of globalization, and knowledge-based education.Finally, the High Atlas Foundation’s partnership with Morocco’s High Commission of Waters and Forests (to promote development among the villages that neighbor all ten of Morocco’s national parks) recognizes that economic advancement and promoting environmental goals go hand in hand. HAF’s fruit tree planting with these villages embodies the principles of Morocco’s national environmental charter.The Solution: The One Million Tree Campaign was launched by the Foundation in 2006. Driven by local Moroccan communities, the Campaign was conceived to develop income for rural families in many regions of the country, particularly remote mountainous areas where traditional crops (barley and corn) are not economically viable. In addition to at least doubling the income of rural families after six years and diversifying their diets, the fruit trees (varieties that do not require pesticides) help to prevent erosion and desertification, and offset carbon emissions.Since 2003, HAF has planted 200,000 fruit saplings and trees, benefiting 25,000 people in six provinces of Morocco.Goals for 2011: HAF’s goals for the 2011 planting season are to construct two community nurseries, each including 100,000 walnut and cherry saplings (200,000 total), in the provinces of Al Haouz (outside Asni, on the northern side of the Toubkal National Park) and Ifrane (outside Azrou, with rural villages that neighbor the Ifrane National Park).
$1 plants 1 fruit sapling
Building community-managed nurseries that include fruit saplings (versus purchasing two-year old fruit trees and planting them in orchards): 1) especially provides the opportunity to transfer technical skills that enable local people to indefinitely replenish their orchards; 2) is more cost effective since saplings are one-quarter the cost of two-year old trees; and 3) tree nurseries are innovative profit-making enterprises and the growth of this industry is essential toward meeting the strong and increasing demand by Moroccans for fruit trees.Another 2011 goal is to plant 10,000 olive trees (at a cost of $40,000) in the Ait Taleb Commune of the Province of Ben Guerir that will benefit 1,000 people. $100 plants 25 fruit treesNOTE: The above costs are all inclusive, including the purchase and transport of saplings and trees, and the transference of skills to maintain them. Community members plant and maintain the trees and saplings, and are the sole recipients of their benefits.Accomplishments in 2010: In March 2010, HAF and community partners successfully planted 55,000 walnut and cherry saplings in a nursery, and 4,000 two-year old almond trees in community orchards, in the Tifnoute Valley located in the Province of Taroudante. Twenty-seven villages that lie along the southern border of the Toubkal National Park, including approximately 6,000 people, will benefit from the planting of these saplings and trees.The Kate-Jeans Gail Nursery Memorial was a primary supporter of the 2010 tree planting effort. Other major contributors are Trees for Life International, G4S Maroc, the OCP Group, the U.S. Embassy in Rabat, GlobalGiving, and the Penney Family Fund Foundation.
- View here HAF’s project manager’s “Notes from the Field” blog about the 2010 Tifnoute fruit tree nursery
- To view photos of the 2010 nursery, click here.
- Click here to view HAF’s recent press release published in Alarab that describes the 2010 tree project, among training and other initiatives.
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