Local agroecological knowledge reveals adoption barriers and options for tree based diversification in Northern

1. Transforming Lives and Landscapes with Trees
Dr Tim Pagella
t.pagella@bangor.ac.uk
Laura Kmoch1,3, Tim Pagella1, Matilda Palm3, Fergus Sinclair1,2
1 Bangor University, Bangor, UK; 2 World Agroforestry (ICRAF), Nairobi, Kenya;
3 Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden
Local agroecological knowledge reveals adoption barriers
and options for tree based diversification in Northern
Morocco
4th World Congress on Agroforestry Montpellier, France 22nd May 2019

2. Transforming Lives and Landscapes with Trees
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Introduction
• Droughts in Morocco are increasing in frequency and intensity.
• Societies in this region have historically adapted to water scarcity but
need for alternative approaches, including the use of agroforestry, to
address environmental constraints to agricultural production
• Government policy to convert agricultural systems and increase tree
cover through Plan Maroc Vert

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Study area
• Field study was conducted
in the Zerhoun massif
which is part of the
Meknès–Tafilalet region
of northern Morocco
• Action Site for Sustainable
Intensification - Meknes-
Saiss (ICARDA)
• Centre Régional de la
Recherche Agronomique
de Meknès (INRA)
• Farms characterised as
‘rain fed mixed systems’

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Study Aims
I. Characterise existing farming systems at
local landscape scale;
II. Identify possible niches for farm-trees
within these systems; and
III. Explore locally perceived barriers to
tree-based diversification
Improved understanding of existing
agroforestry practices and agroforestry options
within northern Moroccan smallholders
farming systems

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Methods
• Analysis of local knowledge of smallholders from the
Mèknes region
• Knowledge-based systems approach to explore
potential contribution of agroforestry for meeting
adaptation needs.
• AKT5
• Sample stratification across an altitudinal gradient to
reveal variation in farming practices, socio-economic
and agroecological conditions
• Iterative cycle of qualitative interviews, with a
purposefully selected sample of 32 farmers

6. Transforming Lives and Landscapes with Trees
Local knowledge revealed five strata of farm systems:
(a) Irrigation farmers
(b) lowland farmers- cereal and legume dominated
farming systems
(c) lower slope farmers, cultivating farmland in the
foothills of the mountain range;
(d) mountain farmers situated in the massif north and
northeast of Moulay Idriss Zerhoun; and
(e) livestock farmers (shepherds) primarily involved in
livestock husbandry. Heavily dependent on access
to forests and privately owned olive groves and
cropland.
Farm size varied both among and within strata
complicated by fragmentation of cultivated land, land in
joint ownership and annual leases of land
Results: Characterisation of farming systems
Agricultural systems almost entirely dependent upon
precipitation as the main water source.
Farmers of all strata expressed an interest to
increase and diversify tree cover

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Results: Characterisation of trees on farms
• Agroforestry practices were common to all farming systems
• Variation on numbers and types of species present
• 19 cultivated and 17 wild or remnant tree species recorded
• Interviewees classified tree species according to a basic
typology that distinguished:
• cultivated trees suited to rain fed farming,
• cultivated trees requiring regular irrigation,
• and wild or remnant trees on farms.
• Generally less trees where annual crop cultivation dominated.
• More trees by rivers (fruit trees) & in traditional upland farming
systems where trees were the most profitable crops on steep
slopes (cereals and legumes were cultivated as intercrops).
• High cultural value of old trees

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Interest in trees and agroforestry
• There were several common agroforestry practices in
Zerhoun, including:
• Boundary plantings with olives on annual cropland and
prickly pear, agave or cape gum around gardens, homesteads
and fields;
• Clumps of irrigated fruit trees near homesteads or in corners
of annual croplands.
• Agrosilvicultural practices such as intercropping of
vegetables, legumes and forages in fruit and olive orchards
and
• Silvopastoralism - livestock grazing under mature olive and
carob trees.
• Farmers also retain hedgerows of wild trees and grow
ornamentals in villages, but seldom use trees to stabilise
stream banks.
• The number and diversity of wild trees on farms
tended to increase with altitude.
Olive is by far the most prominent tree species on
all farms, with the exception of irrigated
properties. Carob, fig and almond are also
commonly cultivated and particularly numerous
on slopes.

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Water scarcity: Bio-physical and
socio-economic constraint
• Declining water resources forcing farmers to modify
systems – currently leading to a decline in both the
number and variety of trees grown
• Local knowledge recognized climate variability & climate
change as a primary driver of this but alsolack of
financial resources and administrative procedures limit
irrigation
• Old irrigation structures and traditional irrigation
practices -> limit tree planting as irrigation potential is
not fully realized
• Area of conflict
• Smallholder upland farmers want economically viable
and drought resistant trees -> knowledge gaps limit
uptake
• High path dependency around olive systems

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Results: Perceived Barriers to Tree-Based Diversification
Lower slope and
mountain farmers at
risk (rain red systems)
Farmers identified
three interlinked
barriers : water
scarcity, low
profitability of
agriculture and
uncontrolled livestock
grazing.
Causal diagram of low profitability and uncontrolled grazing as barriers to tree planting
Social capital

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Results: Entry-Points for Tree-
Based Adaptation
Respondents identified several entry-points:
I. Improved management of local water
and soil resources;
II. Delivery of targeted extension services,
focusing on management practices for
trees; and
III. Conflict-mitigation and improved
livestock husbandry by shepherds.

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Discussion:
Demonstrates discriminatory power of local knowledge to characterise farming
conditions at the local landscape scale and unveil adoption barriers and options for
tree-based diversification in northern Morocco
Local knowledge provided rapid assessment of existing agroecological conditions and
agroforestry practices at the study site
• Previous characterisation of ‘rain fed mixed systems’ inadequate capture local
landscape-scale variation of farming systems in Zerhoun
• Using livelihood system classification shows quite different performance,
management and prospects for change across farming ‘systems’
Some level of ‘cultural inertia’ feeding into adaptation behaviour (farmers wanting to
continue to produce olives despite climate change rendering this less ecologically
viable).
Climate system similar to what will be soon experienced elsewhere in the
Mediterranean (Climate Analogue)

13. Transforming Lives and Landscapes with Trees
World Agroforestry (ICRAF),
United Nations Avenue, Gigiri,
P.O Box 30677-00100, Nairobi, Kenya
Phone: +254 20 722 4000
Fax: +254 20 722 4001
Email: icraf@cgiar.org
Website: www.worldagroforestry.org
Thank you!
Tim Pagella
t.pagella@bangor.ac.uk