Rabat — A French researcher has developed an innovative approach to protect bees in Morocco’s threatened oases ecosystems while helping farmers increase their revenue.
Patrick Lhomme, who specializes in bee ecology, also known as pollination ecology, delivered a presentation of his findings during the second day of the second International Congress on Oases and Date Palm, held May 22-23 in Ouarzazate.
In an interview with Morocco World News (MWN), Lhomme explained his research findings.
“Bees contribute around 80 to 90% of the pollination service,” he told MWN, explaining that traditional conservation efforts require farmers to plant wildflowers, but most of them “don’t like wildflowers because they are afraid that it will invade their crops.”
His team took a different approach, working with the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), the National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRA), and the National Office for Agriculture Counseling (ONCA).
Dual benefits
Working with ICARDA, INRA, and ONCA, Lhomme developed a system where farmers plant crops that attract pollinators while generating income.
The team tested this method with 300 farmers across different Moroccan agricultural systems, including oases in Errachidia and the Rif mountains.
The results showed dual benefits. “This approach protects pollinator[s] but also reduces pests,” Lhomme said.
Not only do many pollinators like wasps and flies pollinate plants, but they also hunt harmful insects to feed their larvae, creating natural pest control.
This approach is designed to help oases eliminate harmful insects, thus contributing to their productivity.
Critical for survival
Oases face unique threats from climate change. These isolated desert environments contain species found nowhere else, but insects “cannot really go out of these oases” when conditions worsen, Lhomme explained. “They have no way to escape from these places.”
The solution centers on providing what bees need most: food and nesting sites. “Flowers are what bees eat,” Lhomme said.
“If you want to protect bees, you have to recreate the habitat.”
Farmer-centered success
The approach succeeds because it aligns economic incentives with environmental protection. Rather than asking farmers to sacrifice productive land, it helps them earn money while preserving unique biodiversity.
This model offers hope for Morocco’s oases, demonstrating that conservation and economic development can work together to preserve these irreplaceable desert ecosystems.
The two-day event brought together international researchers to deliver their findings to decision-makers in a way to contribute to reducing the effects of climate change challenges on oases.
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