HAF recently signed four new agreements with the Moroccan Jewish Community of Marrakech to build tree nurseries on land adjacent to Jewish cultural sites. These nurseries will be for the benefit of the local communities and this agricultural initiative will be incorporated into a federation of cooperatives that promote organic, fair trade agricultural and artisanal products from Morocco.

Last planting season, HAF implemented this multicultural agriculture project on land near the Akraich village (Al Haouz province), adjacent to the sacred site of the Jewish “saint” Rabbi Raphael Ha Cohen.  With the generous support of the Lodestar Foundation and wife and husband Wahiba Estergard and Michael Gilliland, HAF and local partners planted 50,000 fruit seeds for the benefit of approximately 8,000 people. In the second year of this five year project, trees from the community-managed nursery will be distributed to each household (starting with single mothers) in the local Muslim community. The trees will be planted and maintained by each farming family, in their own orchards, for their sole benefit. Trees are also distributed in-kind to primary schools in the municipality, as a part of Sami’s Project.

This project, in addition to increasing household incomes, has created on a local and national level a symbol for Moroccan collaborating among Muslim and Jewish groups to advance sustainable human development. This collaboration is mirrored in our cultural projects, which promote multicultural history in Essaouira.

On January 16th, (which falls on the Jewish holiday Tu B’ishvat), the High Atlas Foundation will plant its 1 millionth tree in the 8 provinces where we currently have agricultural projects, simultaneously at noon.  In Akraich, we will plant and distribute trees on that day.

In the following months, we intend to expand the project in Akraich (see attached presentation of our achievements) to four new sites on land lend by the Moroccan Jewish Community of Marrkech (we need financial support to do so). These projects include the transfer of skills to local community members in order to build and manage tree nurseries, and secure organic certification of the produce.

• In the Rural Commune of Tidili (Azilal province), community partners will build and manage a fruit tree nursery on 5,000 square meters of land adjacent to the sacred site of Rabbi Davide Halevi Draa. This project will plant and produce 400,000 walnut, almond and carob trees, benefitting approximately 20,000 people.

• In partnership with the villages of the Tnine Ourika commune (Al Haouz province), this project will build and manage a fruit tree nursery on 4,000 square meters of land adjacent to the sacred site of Jewish saint Rabbi Shlomo Ben Lehensh. This project will plant and produce 80,000 walnut and almond trees, benefiting approximately 6,000 people.

• People of the villages of the Tamaguerte commune (Al Haouz province) will build and manage a fruit tree nursery on 5,000 square meters of land adjacent to the sacred site of Jewish saint Rabbi Daniel Hashomer. This project will plant and produce 400,000 almond, olive, and walnut trees, impacting approximately 20,000 people.

• Communities of the Ait Faska municipality (also Al Haouz) will build and manage a fruit tree nursery on 5,000 square meters of land adjacent to the sacred site of Jewish “saint” Rabbi Habib Hamizrahi. This project will plant and produce 400,000 almond, fig, olive, pomegranate and carob trees, and benefit approximately 20,000 people.

In our 10 year experience of fruit tree planting, we have found that nurseries sow not only the seeds of increased income and autonomy for rural and marginalized communities but also lead to further human development projects, new skills and opportunities, in addition to trust among partners.