The ranges of the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco separate the Mediterranean and Atlantic coastlines from the Sahara Desert, and many of the people living in the area are part of the indigenous Amazigh tribes from Morocco and Algeria.
The communities that have lived amongst the Atlas Mountains for centuries, including many First Nations Amazigh people, depend on agriculture for their livelihoods. Over recent decades, the more traditional food forests that covered the landscape were cleared for grazing and the production of wheat, corn and barley.
These activities have degraded the landscape over time, and have become increasingly unviable due to the effects of climate change.
As a result, many communities are now struggling to maintain their livelihoods.
This vision for this project is to help local communities rehabilitate the land and rebuild their cultural connection with food forests.
In degraded regions like this, a critical first step towards rehabilitation is to plant species that can sustain in these conditions. This project plants a combination of species such as:
Carob, Olive, Argan, Walnut, Pomegranate, Almond and Fig, in addition to many other medicinal plants.
These trees will help create the conditions necessary for the original ecology to become viable again.
Rural communities are provided with opportunities for economic empowerment by planting trees for commercial purposes (such as fruit or timber trees) that generate sustainable income. This alleviates poverty, reduces dependence on subsistence agriculture and creates new livelihood options.
Local communities and women cooperatives are also engaged in the decision-making process and encouraged to actively participate. There is a specific focus on empowering women - by involving them in all stages of the project from nurseries to tree planting to maintenance. This helps women enhance their skills and knowledge while promoting gender equality in traditionally male-dominated sectors.
Tree planting helps to restore the food forests by preventing soil erosion, improving water management and increasing biodiversity.
Planting trees alongside crops can provide shade, windbreaks, and nutrient cycling which leads to improved soil fertility and increased crop yields. This strengthens food security for rural communities and reduces their vulnerability to climate change and other external shocks.
Rural communities are provided with opportunities for economic empowerment by planting trees for commercial purposes (such as fruit or timber trees) that generate sustainable income. This alleviates poverty, reduces dependence on subsistence agriculture and creates new livelihood options.
Local communities and women cooperatives are also engaged in the decision-making process and encouraged to actively participate. There is a specific focus on empowering women - by involving them in all stages of the project from nurseries to tree planting to maintenance. This helps women enhance their skills and knowledge while promoting gender equality in traditionally male-dominated sectors.
