Atlas Mountains Rural Development Project

This project aims to reduce poverty and improve living conditions among poor rural people in Morocco through enhanced capacities for income diversification and generation, stemming from increased access to markets and sustainable management of natural resources along value chains. It is inscribed within the long-term development programme for mountainous rural areas, jointly planned by IFAD and the Government of Morocco, whose approach seeks to enhance the effectiveness of investments by better coordinating the various stakeholders at the central, provincial and local levels.

Project activities are structured into two main components: the development of plant (apple, almond and cherry) and animal (sheep and goat) value chains, and the improvement of irrigation networks and of the linkages between agricultural production areas, processing plants and commercial centres. The project follows the approach adopted by the Government, revolving around territoriality, inclusiveness, complementarity and coherence among stakeholders, as well as vertical upstream-downstream integration in the value chain.

The project area covers 18 rural communes across the provinces of Béni Mellal, Ouarzazate and Tinghir, with a total population of approximately 182,000 people (26,700 households). Target groups include active smallholder farmers and small livestock producers; household-heading and landless women with practical knowledge; and unemployed young people willing to receive training and start their own business activity.