Challenges

In Morocco, 70% of agricultural land generates 15% of agricultural revenue, due to the traditional growing of barley and corn. Meanwhile, rural poverty affects 75% of people and  Transitioning away from this staple-crop growing cycle towards a more profitable crop is an essential step toward alleviating rural poverty. 

Additionally, value loss along the agricultural chain is also a major cause of systemic, generational rural poverty. By monitoring trees for carbon offsets and commercializing carbon credits, Moroccans can critically benefit from these activities.

Solutions

With community partners, High Atlas Foundation (HAF) grows trees in nurseries at a subsidized rate for farmers, cooperatives, associations, and education centers. HAF’s tree monitoring system secures voluntary and credited carbon offsets, integrating and maximizing the benefits from remote sensing and ground-truthing with community engagement. In addition, HAF provides consultancy and capacity-building workshops to achieve value-added processing of agricultural products from the growing communities and their cooperatives.