Organized by the Center of Competence in Climate Change (4C Morocco) in the “Agora for Resilience” space at the SIAM International Pavilion on the theme “Conservative and climate-resilient agriculture in Morocco: Challenges and opportunities for better adaptation ”, in partnership with the International Center for Agricultural Research in Arid Zones (ICARDA) and the National Institute of Agronomic Research (INRA), this event brought together a diverse panel experts, decision-makers, researchers, farmers and key players at the local, national, African and international level, indicates 4C Morocco in a press release.
Placed within the framework of the initiative of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) and within the framework of the “Climate Change Policy Dialogue in Morocco” project, this workshop was an opportunity to highlight the pressing challenges facing the Moroccan agriculture is facing climate change and the scarcity of water resources.
Conservation agriculture, an agroecosystem management concept, aims to sustainably improve productivity, increase profits and food security, while preserving the environment and its natural resources. These are good agricultural practices that preserve the quality and health of soils, guarantee water availability and protect biodiversity and ecosystem services, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions, it is explained.
It also helps to strengthen the resilience of agricultural operations in the face of climatic hazards and water shortages. Furthermore, by promoting carbon sequestration, conservation agriculture can play a role in efforts to combat climate change, while improving the long-term sustainability and productivity of the Moroccan agricultural sector and contributing to security. food of the Kingdom.
During this event, participants had the opportunity to exchange experiences, ideas and good practices to promote sustainable and climate-resilient agriculture, adapted to the environmental realities of Morocco.
Lively discussions took place around the best strategies and approaches to adopt to deal with water shortages and the impacts of climate change on agriculture, particularly around semi-direct farming, notes the press release.
This cultivation technique, which consists of growing crops without mechanical preparation of the seedbed and with minimal disturbance to the soil since the harvest of the previous crop, makes it possible to create an environment conducive to the growth of crops while preserving the quality of the soil. soil, improving water and humidity retention, while limiting nutrient losses.
Stakeholder interventions highlighted the crucial importance of a collaborative and inclusive approach, involving actors from the agricultural sector, research, public policies (including in the field of environment, finance and industry), donors and civil society for the scaling of these approaches which strengthen the resilience of Moroccan farmers, particularly small farmers. In addition, emphasis was placed on the need to strengthen technical and institutional capacities for better adaptation to climate challenges.
The participants in this workshop expressed their commitment to continuing dialogue and collaboration to develop concrete and sustainable solutions for the future of agriculture in Morocco, concludes the same source.