Territorial diagnosis study in Morocco

6 months between April 2023 and September 2023 with 3 month for field investigation

Characterise an agricultural territory in Morocco, from the point of view of the agroecological transition.

Local supervision: members of the living lab team; Transversal / methodological supervision: Prof. Ali Daoudi (ENSAA Algiers leader T4.1), Wim Paas (leader WP4, Wageningen University) and Mélanie Requier (scientific coordinator, CIHEAM-IAMM)

Background to the study

The proposed internship is part of the NATAE[1]project (Fostering Agro-ecological transition in North Africa through multi-actors design, evaluation and networking), recently launched under the Horizon Europe programme. Based on a multi-actor and interdisciplinary approach, this four-year project (2023-2026) will generate new perspectives for evaluating agroecology-inspired practices in a multidimensional way and at several scales (from production systems to territories and value chains). The objectives are to identify, evaluate and possibly promote the best combinations of agroecology-inspired practices in North Africa observed and tested (i), and to set up a Mediterranean network of agroecology actors (researchers, experts, producers, etc.) for knowledge exchange and advocacy at regional level (ii).

The proposed study is part of the start-up of the NATAE project and responds to the need to draw up a comprehensive diagnosis of the territories that will host the project's multi-actor laboratories, their agricultures and their social, economic and environmental realities, as well as the state of play of existing agro-ecological practices and the potential for disseminating this type of practice.

Multi-stakeholder facilitation framework: The proposed work constitutes the first activity of a methodological set intended to develop and implement a multi-actor, collaborative and co-construction facilitation framework in the living lab in Morocco.

Objectives of the study

To characterise the agro-ecological aspects of a rural and agricultural territory with its actors, at the territorial, production and value chain levels.

In order to achieve this, we will:

- Conducting a literature review on agroecology and agroecological transition

- Carrying out a survey to answer the hypotheses and questions arising from the comparison between the literature review and the general characteristics of the living lab

- Conducting interviews with resource persons on the agricultural, social and ecological dynamics underlying the choices made concerning agricultural practices

- Depending on the case and the state of progress of the living lab (and under the coordination of the WP4 leader). Organisation of a restitution / co-construction workshop with the actors of the territory. The seminar should thus lead to:

• shared "historical profile", or representation of the dynamics that have led to the evolution of agricultural production in the territory; this historical profile will deal with the major agricultural practices in relation to the evolution of landscapes, the environment and biodiversity
• collective representation of the current agricultural and rural functioning of the territory and its potential for the development of food circuits with high environmental value (agro-ecological)

Formulation of a report and developing a database of the data generated during the course.

Note: Speaking French is a prerequisite

[1]Coordinated by CIHEAM Montpellier, NATAE brings together 23 partners from the European and North African regions (academic institutes, international organisations, NGOs, technical institutes).