Imara: Family Farming Marginalized Despite Representing 70% of Agricultural Holdings and Needs Fair Integration and Investment
Abdelkader Imara, President of the Economic, Social and Environmental Council, revealed the significant disparity in investment distribution within the agricultural sector. Family farming, which represents 70% of all agricultural holdings in Morocco, has only received 14.5 billion dirhams, compared to 99 billion dirhams allocated to high-value agriculture.
During a communication meeting organized yesterday to present the Council’s opinion on the topic of “Small and Medium Family Farming,” Imara emphasized that this type of farming, also known as subsistence or social and solidarity farming, plays a crucial role in rural development. However, it continues to suffer from blatant marginalization in terms of institutional support, whether regarding technical assistance, financing, or guidance.
The Council’s report indicated that although these holdings make up about 70% of all agricultural units and employ half of the rural workforce, they remain on the sidelines of major agricultural development programs. This increases their vulnerability, especially amid climate change, rising production costs, weak infrastructure, and the absence of valuation mechanisms.
Imara criticized this stark disparity, citing Morocco’s Green Plan, which has focused massive investments on export agriculture and high added-value farming while neglecting family farming on lands smaller than three hectares.
The Council presented results from a citizen consultation launched via the “I Participate” platform, which saw significant participation from rural residents at 57%. The results revealed that the main challenges facing small and medium family farming include weak agricultural guidance (27%), vulnerability to climate change (20%), poor organization (16%), and difficulty accessing financing (14.5%).
Imara also asserted that the lack of organization within cooperatives or economic groups limits these units’ negotiating and marketing capabilities, making them susceptible to intermediary exploitation, particularly in weekly markets, which are the main outlet for selling surplus production.
In light of this reality, the Council called for the establishment of a national action plan specifically for small and medium family farming that considers environmental and spatial particularities. This plan should focus on integrating this type of farming into value chains, facilitating access to financing, and enhancing its role in environmental conservation.
The Council proposed several recommendations, including: promoting sustainable farming practices like direct seeding and crop rotation, encouraging climate-resistant crops such as prickly pear, saffron, and argan, supporting organization within cooperatives, developing local industrial units to enhance production, and improving infrastructure in rural areas.
It also recommended strengthening agricultural consulting services and expanding support to include income-generating non-agricultural activities, while recognizing the environmental role of family farming through incentivizing financial mechanisms that contribute to soil preservation, combating desertification, and maintaining both natural and cultural heritage.
Imara concluded by affirming that the true challenge lies in transitioning from a subsistence farming model to an integrated, sustainable production model that retains rural populations, preserves their dignity, and ensures Morocco’s food sovereignty.
