Plant Organic Fruit Trees with African Farmers

The 2016 planting season has most fortunately begun and it will continue through March. Over the next 2 months, the HAF will plant trees with 107 schools in 10 provinces. We will also plant fruit tree nurseries with rural communities, including almond and cherry. In addition, we are working to secure organic certification in a municipality called Adare, for their orchards of almonds. What is exciting about this community is that they did not plant a single pesticide-requiring tree, which makes much simpler the certification process which will be achieved for their 105 tonnes of almonds by the end of the summer. 

The planting season generates its own momentum and opportunities, meaning, that the small window of time that we are afforded to plant creates a sense of urgency and strong desire to build all possible partnerships in order that we plant the maximum possible. Growing trees and herbs is integral and an absolutely essential part of overcoming subsistence agricultural practices, which is at the root of systemic rural poverty. Thus, our hope this planting season and every season is that we and you and all we know will join together to accomplish the growing needs of rural Moroccan people and all people on earth. 

It’s also thrilling to plant with the women’s coop of the Ourika Valley in partnership with Yves Saint Laurent, where the organic herbs that are grown will ultimately be utilized in Yves Saint Laurent. And certainly last but not least, this January 25th, the HAF is signing its commitment to action with the Clinton Global Initiative and together with United States Ambassador, Dwight Bush, Jewish Advisor to the king Andre Azoulay, Mr. Younès Al Bathaoui, Governor of Al Haouz province, as well as members of the Moroccan Jewish community, from Marrakesh and further afield in the Kingdom. As signatories we will distribute and plant trees grown in nurseries on land lent in-kind by the Moroccan Jewish community. 

The women of the cooperative in Ourika are seeking an area where they can produce food products (for example, couscous) and articles of clothing. In addition, they are working to identify land upon which they can plant a nursery that will include marigold, nigella, and pomegranate. Toward the identification of a building where the women’s cooperative members can work, the provincial and municipal authorities have recommended a school building that has not been in use for the past 15 years. Together with the HAF, we are now in the process of developing a contract that will transfer the right of occupancy to the cooperative for a 90 year period.

In regards to securing land in order to secure the nursery, we have submitted a request to the regional management of Waters and Forests. The goal is to transfer land located in the Ourika valley to the cooperative in order to plant these two herbs and one tree, all of which can be grown organically. The municipal and provincial authorities have also recommended land in order to establish the nursery, however the parcel is no longer available and the local government authorities are determining another recommendation.

We thank Yves Saint Laurent Beauté, both for supporting women in establishing a productive cooperative in terms of artisanal and agricultural initiatives, as well as in committing to buy those products, without which income and opportunities would not be assured.

Links:

• http://www.highatlasfoundation.org