Integrating Biodiversity into Agri-Food Systems: A Transition Roadmap for Sustainable Agriculture in Morocco

The agri-food systems of Morocco have been the basis of national food security, rural living, and trade competitiveness, but they are becoming limited by biodiversity loss, climate change, water scarcity, and new sustainability demands in the international market. This chapter outlines a policy-focused transition roadmap to mainstream biodiversity into agri-food systems of Morocco with specific reference to the modern irrigated export agriculture and the traditional agroecosystems with high biodiversity. The analysis is based on the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF 2020–2030) and is aligned to the main national strategies, such as Generation green 2020–2030, Natural biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP), the National Climate Plan, and the Strategy of the forests of Morocco 2020–2030. The analysis is grounded in a review of documents, consultation with stakeholders, surveys, SWOT, and risk analysis. Empirical data on the Souss-Massa region can be used to depict divergent directions toward export-oriented intensive regimes, as well as the traditional agro-sylvo-pastoral regimes. The suggested roadmap builds three strategic axes: (i) decarbonization and resilience of modern agriculture; (ii) the ability of traditional systems to be sustainable with the help of biodiversity conservation and models of the social and solidarity economy; and (iii) facilitates institutional, regulatory, and financial frameworks. The chapter ends by making policy-relevant recommendations to operationalize biodiversity mainstreaming in agri-food value chains on the regional and national levels.