On 14 January 2022, the Farmer to Farmer (F2F) team met with two agricultural cooperatives in Mzouda (Tamatoust and Tamount Ntourite).

Tamatoust is an agricultural cooperative established in February 2020 by seven members. It’s located in Zaouia Nahliya Village, Mzouda commune, Chichaoua province, Marrakech Safi region. The members work to maintain the longevity of the land where they grow crops through sustainable farming practices. Tamatoust cooperative brings together small scale farmers working in the Zaouia Nahliya village. With a current membership of 30 young farmers, they saw it as an opportunity for business development and future prospects.

The members came together to help with production and consumption. Those rearing livestock receive feed produced by the farmers who in turn receive manure for their farms making it easier for them to access organic matter for soil fertilization. This is creating a solution to the problem of accessing quality agricultural products, a big challenge for farmers in the Zaouia Nahliya village.

They have pledged to implement a carob tree-planting project on lands in 50 hectares; however, they still need to adjust their business. The F2F team will arrange an assignment to assist the cooperative in this regard and High Atlas Foundation (HAF) can provide carob trees.

Then, the F2F team met with the members of Tamount Ntourite cooperative, which is not far from the other.

At first glance Mrs. Nezha Bazzi, Mrs. Hafida Abegyouss and Ms. Hassna Bazzi look no different from any other rural women in Morocco. They live in a far-away area called Tourit in Chichaoua Province and lead a mundane country lifestyle looking after their households. But, that is what appears on the surface. Unlike most of the rural women in the Tourit village, they are more independent and proactive in many ways. Above all, they enjoy a degree of financial independence and can support their families.

Their lives changed when a women’s cooperative was established in their area in 2021.

The cooperative produces, markets and sells a range of value-added products such as couscous – a national dish usually made of several crops including wheat, maize and barley…

Led by Mrs. Mnouch Okaddi, president of the cooperative, all women who work here have different stories to share but one common goal: to make a living for themselves and their families and create employment opportunities for other women in their community.

Now, the women of Tamounte Ntourite need training on marketing and organizational operations, but, more importantly, they would like to participate in the women’s empowerment program and learn about life skills.

The F2F program can help by organizing a women’s empowerment training workshop for these cooperatives’ members, and follow up with an assignment in order to deliver training on marketing and organizational operations.