Determinants of Smallholder Maintenance of Crop Diversity in Morocco’s High Atlas Mountains

Smallholder farmers are important managers of global crop diversity. However, agricultural modernization is changing farming practices and raising questions about the socio-ecological factors that support crop diversity. In the context of the semi-arid High Atlas Mountains in Morocco, we explored determinants of crop diversity through a cross-sectional survey and farmer interviews in villages adopting new crops such as apples. Through a multiple linear regression analysis and farmer interviews, we found that market participation, land holdings, and water access influenced crop diversity. We highlight the importance of water access for crop diversity, especially in semi-arid regions with uneven hydrological resources.

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Work Title Determinants of Smallholder Maintenance of Crop Diversity in Morocco’s High Atlas Mountains
Access
Open Access
Creators
  1. Zachary A. Goldberg
  2. Bronwen Powell
  3. Abderrahim Ouarghidi
Keyword
  1. Agrobiodiversity
  2. Morocco
  3. Market integration
  4. Arid climate
  5. Water access
  6. Apple cultivation
  7. Crop diversity
  8. High Atlas Mountains
License CC BY 4.0 (Attribution)
Work Type Article
Acknowledgments
  1. We thank the farmers who gave their time, knowledge, and hospitality; the High Atlas Foundation for supporting this work; Hassan Alkorsal for being a passionate research assistant; Karl Zimmerer for help with the design and conceptualization of this study; Cameron Franz and Lizhao Ge for assistance in the qualitative and quantitative analysis of the data; comments from Brian King, Ruchi Patel, Sara Cavallo, and Saumya Vaishnava, as well as anonymous reviewers; and Penn State’s Department of Geography, Center for Landscape Dynamics, and Africana Research Center for funding this research.
Publisher
  1. Human Ecology
Publication Date September 4, 2021
Publisher Identifier (DOI)
  1. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10745-021-00248-7
Geographic Area
  1. North Africa
Deposited November 18, 2021

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Version 1
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  • Created
  • Updated Acknowledgments Show Changes
    Acknowledgments
    • We thank the farmers who gave their time, knowledge, and hospitality; the High Atlas Foundation for supporting this work; Hassan Alkorsal for being a passionate research assistant; Karl Zimmerer for help with the design and conceptualization of this study; Cameron Franz and Lizhao Ge for assistance in the qualitative and quantitative analysis of the data; comments from Brian King, Ruchi Patel, Sara Cavallo, and Saumya Vaishnava, as well as anonymous reviewers; and Penn State’s Department of Geography, Center for Landscape Dynamics, and Africana Research Center for funding this research.
  • Added Creator Zachary Goldberg
  • Added Creator Bronwen Powell
  • Added Creator ABDERRAHIM OUARGHIDI
  • Added Determinants of Crop Diversity_Accepted_Manuscript_072621.pdf
  • Updated Keyword, Publisher, Geographic Area, and 2 more Show Changes
    Keyword
    • Agrobiodiversity, Morocco, market integration, arid climate, water access, apple
    Publisher
    • Springer
    Geographic Area
    • North Africa
    Publisher Identifier (DOI)
    • 10.1007/s10745-021-00248-7.
    License
    • https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
  • Published
  • Updated
  • Updated Keyword, Publisher, Publisher Identifier (DOI) Show Changes
    Keyword
    • Agrobiodiversity, Morocco, market integration, arid climate, water access, apple
    • Agrobiodiversity, Morocco, Market integration, Arid climate, Water access, Apple cultivation, Crop diversity, High Atlas Mountains
    Publisher
    • Springer
    • Human Ecology
    Publisher Identifier (DOI)
    • 10.1007/s10745-021-00248-7.
    • https://doi.org/10.1007/s10745-021-00248-7
  • Renamed Creator Zachary A. Goldberg Show Changes
    • Zachary Goldberg
    • Zachary A. Goldberg
  • Renamed Creator Abderrahim Ouarghidi Show Changes
    • ABDERRAHIM OUARGHIDI
    • Abderrahim Ouarghidi
  • Updated