The designated system features a rainwater reservoir dug into a rock.
Rabat – The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) designated an agricultural system based on argan in Morocco as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) site, in November. The decision came following a proposal by Morocco’s Oasis and Argan Zones National Agency (ANDZOA).
The agro-forest-pastoral system of Ait Souab-Ait Mansour, in the southern Chtouka Ait Baha province, relies on the “metfia,” a rainwater reservoir dug into a rock. Locals have been cultivating argan trees in the region for centuries.
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FAO previously designated as GIAHS another site in Morocco, the oases system in Imilchil-Amellago, in the central Midelt Province. The system uses the “khettara” technique to drain groundwater through tunnels by gravity.
FAO’s World Agricultural Heritage Network includes 57 sites in 21 countries. The GIAHS Scientific Advisory Group designates sites based on global significance, public good, agricultural biodiversity, knowledge systems, adaptive technologies, and outstanding landscapes.
