Interactions between agriculture and the city: a systemic approach to examine sustainability in Meknes (Morocco)

A growing population, urbanisation, and the economics of agricultural development are among the principal issues that Morocco faces. These issues come with important consequences, such as a strong demand for housing and changes in land tenure. National public policies address these issues sectorally through regional and local actions. This research project examines the relationships between questions of environment, urban development, sustainable agriculture, and local and national logics. We studied these relationships through a systemic representation aimed at a better understanding of the operative elements, as well as the state of individual and collective action in Meknes. As the sixth largest urban centre in Morocco, Meknes illustrates the difficulties of merging growth in agricultural production and urbanisation. Urban planning in the region has favoured the development of real estate and the application of a law designed to convert collective lands to private ownership, creating significant changes in land use, often at the expense of agriculture. A systemic approach helps us identify the externalities that influence public policies and local actions, and underlines the need for a multi-level examination of the relationships between cities and agriculture