In April 2025, we were delighted to be notified of the selection of our Projet d’appui aux initiatives agroécologiques en zone oasienne au Maroc (PIAZO-M) (Support project for agro-ecological initiatives in the oasis zone in Morocco) at the end of the call for projects to help small farms make the agro-ecological transition, as part of the IHYAE programme run by the Kingdom of Morocco’s Agricultural Development Agency. This programme aims to revitalise Moroccan rural farming areas through employment and entrepreneurship in the agricultural and para-agricultural sector. It is financed by a grant from the European Union Commission and a grant and loan from AFD as part of the implementation of the GENERATION GREEN 2020-2030 strategy.
On 23 April, CARI was given the opportunity to present the PIAZO-M project at a conference organised at the Salon International de l’Agriculture in Meknès (Morocco), alongside our partner ALCESDAM and the other selected NGOs.
The PIAZO-M project, run by CARI and ALCESDAM (Association pour la Lutte Contre l’Erosion, la Sécheresse et la Désertification au Maroc), aims to help preserve oasis agro-ecosystems and their environment in the communes of Foum Zguid, Allougoum and Tlit (Souss-Massa region), by improving the resilience of farms in their area. To achieve this objective, CARI and ALCESDAM have developed an innovative intervention strategy based on three pillars:
- (i) setting up a local consultation body for preserving oasis agro-ecosystems and assessing the resilience of local farms (Living Lab)
- (ii) supporting oasis farms and their areas in their efforts to become more resilient
- and (iii) raising awareness among young people in the oases of the issues involved in preserving oasis agro-ecosystems, combined with capacity-building for farm support professionals in the field of agro-ecological transition.
In doing so, the PIAZO-M project aims to achieve the following impacts:
- creation of a permanent “Living Lab” type consultation framework;
- 30 farms have seen their resilience strengthened; – the oasis territory is more favourable to the deployment of agro-ecology;
- 250 young oasis inhabitants have been made aware of the value of their local heritage;
- 60 agricultural support workers are integrating the principles of agro-ecology into their work;
- the specific nature of oasis agro-ecosystems and their importance in the fight against desertification is being discussed and better taken into consideration.
This project will begin at the end of 2025 and will be an opportunity for CARI and ALCESDAM to collaborate once again on the development and preservation of Morocco’s oases through a project that is as ambitious as it is promising!
