Grow Trees and Offset Carbon with African Farmers

Prior to my arrival in Morocco on January 30, I had spoken with Aziz, the president of the Bio-Agri Atlas Farming Cooperative of Oulad Mbark. We discussed the drought that Morocco has been experiencing and the negative effects it has had on the farmers in the cooperative and region. He expressed the cooperative's need to learn more about climate change, how it affects food systems, and agricultural practices they can put into action to retain soil moisture and manage water more effectively. I came with practical farming field experience methods of reducing soil erosion and protecting and building the microbial ecosystem in the soil.

I spent many hours researching climate change in Morocco in the past, present, and future, and reading research that has been conducted as to its effects on the environment and its people. I researched innovations and technologies for adapting to climate change in Morocco and the MENA region. I also spent time coordinating with universities and agricultural extension programs from arid regions of the USA, specifically the University of Arizona Department of Environmental Science and the University of California Davis Agriculture Extension program.

I spoke with Dr. Joseph, professor of soil ecology and soil health,  from UofA about his research into soil microbial effects of climate change in Arizona and how we might perform field tests in Morocco to evaluate microbial populations. He provided valuable insight into the most important information to know when looking at living soil in arid environments as well as a donation of quick soil test kits that he believed would be valuable to the farmers of Ouled Mbarak.

I also corresponded with the University of California Davis Agricultural Extension offices about their climate-smart agriculture (CSA) programs, research, and most importantly outreach and education. They shared with me their approach to educating farmers about climate change and recommendations for adapting to their changing environment, including the use of drought-tolerant crops.  Although not all of the information can be readily transferable to Morocco because of the resources and technology available, the main pillars and principles of CSA are the same. From my discussion with Aziz, my practical farming experience, my research, and my coordination with Universities I prepared a PowerPoint presentation on climate change in Morocco and how farmers can use CSA to adapt. 

On January 31, I met with Si Larbi, a retired official from the Department of Water and Forest with extensive knowledge of farming and related resources in Morocco. I wanted to discuss with him the process of farmers obtaining drip irrigation reimbursement through the government's Green Morocco Plan so that I would be able to accurately share this information with the farmers of Oulad Mbark. We also discussed various strategies for soil moisture retention that he had seen in Morocco such as using rocks as mulch around trees to reduce evaporation and plastic coverings over the soil.

On February 1 we arrived at the host cooperative (Sanaad Cooperative) in Oulad Mbark to meet with Aziz Taouri, the president of the Bio- Agri Atlas Cooperative of farmers. We discussed their current crop rotations and plans for planting in the coming year. We also discussed their methods for determining soil moisture, regional rainfall predictions, available water resources, and the use of drip irrigation. Aziz also informed me of the other related activities we would be doing in Beni Mellal, specifically visiting climate change researchers at the University Sultan Moulay Slimane School of Science and Technology and a tree planting activity at a local primary school dedicated to ecological education. 

The sun was shining and there was a sense of hope and anticipation that filled the morning of Monday, January 16th. It was the third Monday of January, which is the day the High Atlas Foundation (HAF) celebrates its annual tree planting day by planting different sorts of fruit trees and herbs in all of Morocco. The day was established in 2014 when HAF celebrated planting one million tree seedlings. Since that first tree planting day, HAF has gone on to plant three million more trees with farmers, schools, and community groups, and it currently maintains 15 tree nurseries with local communities in Morocco and partners around the world.

Together with Mr. Larbi, HAF´s agroforestry advisor, Mr. Mohamed, HAF´s financial manager, and Saman, a volunteer from Austria, I visited the two villages–F’tala and Tadmamt in the Asni commune, located in the Al Haouz province, about 60 kilometers away from Marrakech. We were accompanied by Ms. Kabira, the president of the ISHAM Agricultural Cooperative, who drove us through the twists and turns of the road in the mountains which she knew so well.

Filled with optimism, we arrived at F’tala amidst the beautiful landscapes of the High Atlas Mountains and started planting trees. Together with members of the community, we planted approximately 100 olive, 10 fig and 10 pomegranate seedlings. Planting trees plays an important role in counteracting climate change and its consequences, such as erosion and desertification, improving the quality of agricultural lands, and strengthening local cooperatives and the rural economy.

We finished the planting process with a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment, but our trip was not finished yet as we went on to visit the tree nursery in Tadmamt, which was established in 2012 through a partnership between HAF, the Water and Forests Department, and the United Nations Development Program.

The Tadmamt nursery is picturesque, nestled in the mountains. Three different types of tree saplings are grown there: walnuts, cherries, and almonds. Abdellatif, who is in charge of the nursery, explained that the plants are irrigated with a drip system with water from a large basin nearby. Once the saplings are grown and ready, they are distributed to local farmers and their families and local communities as part of HAF´s tree planting campaign. The Tadmamt nursery represents an ideal environment for trees to flourish and, like the rest of HAF´s tree nurseries, it is continuously monitored by the HAF team.

The sun has set in Tadmamt and HAF´s tree planting day is coming to an end. Today has once again shown how HAF´s continuous work and effort to offer people opportunities to improve their lives and increase the income and social and economic status of marginalized villages is paying off and how planting trees can help achieve that. But perhaps the most important take-away from today is that there continues to be a high demand and a lot of suitable space for the planting of fruit trees in all of Morocco.