Plant Organic Fruit Trees with African Farmers

Moroccan farmers just finished planting all across Morocco—and HAF had a bigger role in planting and supporting Moroccan farmers this year than ever before, in schools and in nurseries, including those on land donated by the Jewish community.

One nursery that has been active in benefiting farmers is the HAF nursery in Tadamount, established as a partnership between HAF and the High Commission of Waters and Forests of Al Haouz Province. Last month, HAF distributed 37,000 trees from the nurseries, and throughout the year, we have planted 200,000 trees at the nursery. The surrounding communes of Ourika, Oukaimden, Setti Fatma, Asni, Imegdal, Ouirguane, and Tameslouht are all part of the value chain HAF creates by allowing the communities to take the lead in developing the nursery. 

In addition to coordinating walnut production with villages in the surrounding regions, the High Atlas Foundation also supports training stakeholders in the organic process: how to manage nurseries, how to build partnerships, and how to find an alternative to subsistence farming that empowers and supports rural communities.

At a walnut processing facility in Asni, HAF is further extending the value chain by creating a link between rural communities and a broader market. HAF has brought on a volunteer to assist with generating publicity for the initiative with Moroccan companies, and High Atlas Agriculture and Artisanal, or HA3, the social enterprise created by High Atlas Foundation, is investing in organic certification so that the walnuts can be sold in the United States.