Morocco’s booming avocado industry and large export share to Europe has come under fire in recent months as the Kingdom navigates its devastating third consecutive drought year, which many professionals argue is exacerbated by avocado cultivation.
“Boycott Avocado” is a new campaign spearheaded by the “Jeune Alliance Marocaine” (J.A.M) urging for the cessation of avocado cultivation. Water scarcity concerns have prompted the said association to raise awareness about the crop’s substantial contribution to water depletion, especially amid the prolonged drought.
Siham Azeroual, Consultant in territorial development with Moroccan Douars, denounced Morocco’s celebration of record avocado exports without taking action to address the underlying issue of water scarcity.
She also criticized welcoming major investors like Mehadrin, Israel’s largest grower and exporter of avocado, for exacerbating the problem by cultivating 500 hectares of this crop in the country.
“This is so crazy we are bringing investors of that massive consumption of water to Morocco,” added the consultant in territorial development.
“Just 1 hectare of avocado cultivation required as much as 2 months’ worth of water consumption for the entire city of Casablanca. With 7,000 hectares of avocado in Morocco and other hectares by Mehadrin, our water resources are not to be exploited for profit,” she underscored.
As a preventive measure, the government started the partial closure of public bathhouses and car wash stations; however, Azeroual stressed that their focus should be on halting avocado cultivation.
“We advocate for keeping public bathhouses open and urge the government to pause avocado cultivation for at least seven years until we find a solution for the renewal of our water sources,” she suggested.
Azeroual proposed implementing a temporary pause on avocado cultivation, potentially around 6-7 years, to allow sufficient time for in-depth research on climate change impacts and strategies to replenish water resources.
While acknowledging that avocado cultivation is not the sole cause of water depletion in the kingdom, the consultant attributed blame to the “Green Morocco Plan” for exacerbating this crisis as well as the absence of an adequate environmental governance.
“Every government decision must undergo mandatory environmental impact assessments,” she emphasized.
Our current water strategy involves informing avocado growers about the water crisis and encouraging them to transition to other profitable crops once they conclude the current season of cultivation to avoid losses, she suggested. This transition should be accompanied by the said 7-year prohibition on avocado farming.
The consultant in territorial development stressed the importance of investing in innovative strategies to alleviate the repercussions of water scarcity in Morocco.
This includes a royal-supervised commission, tasked with creating a water register to analyze water consumption for households and industries to define appropriate levels and implement a tax for exceeding them so as to ensure effective management of this vital resource.
She mentioned the importance of investing in fields like agroforestry for soil revitalization and climate control, as well as precise irrigation technologies—to provide humidity directly to the crops—and atmospheric water generators for the aforementioned goal.
The JAM initiative, according to Azeroual, seeks to politically engage young people, focusing on critical issues such as water conservation, starting with the boycott of avocados due to their high water consumption and their lack of cultural significance in Moroccan eating habits.
This initiative aspires to create real impact and stimulate government responsiveness, with plans to expand beyond avocados to other water-intensive crops like watermelons, berries, and cherry tomatoes in the future.
add your comment
Terms of publication : Not to offend the writer, people, sacred things, or attack religions or the divine self, and refrain from racist incitement and insults.