The Jbel Bou Naceur Important Plant Area (IPA) represents the highest massif of the Middle Atlas with 3340m height. This massif is subjected to both oceanic and continental influences. The site also hosts numerous endemic floristic elements consisting of 60 species, 19 subspecies and 13 varieties endemic from Morroco with a total of 556 species, 68 families and 283 genres for the country.

In the framework of the IPAMed project, an initiative focusing on apicultural development in the Bou Naceur IPA (Morocco) is underway to conserve biodiversity and to benefit local communities in the Guercif province.

From the 16th to the 21st of July 2017, a first field campaign was led by consultants of BET H2Y Conseil, supported by the Haut-Commissariat aux Eaux et Forêts et à la Lutte contre la Désertification (HECELCD) and the Provincial Director of Water and Forests Mr Zarroqi Youssef.

The objective was to provide a diagnostic of the apicultural sector in this zone and to raise awareness among the local population about the site’s safeguarding and exploitation while conserving natural potentialities of the mountain, which is considered by IUCN as an IPA.

In six days, many actors were met: institutional representatives from the DPA of Guercif (Provincial Direction of Agriculture), the ONSSA (National Office for Health Security of Food Products), the INDH (National Initiative for Human Development), technicians, and the presidents of the five apicultural cooperatives in Douar Beni Bou Illul.

Information was gathered about production systems and products quality. Thus, a diagnostic of actors, cooperatives organizations as well as their technical capacities could be done, so as to, afterwards, elaborate an action plan and a strategy of development of the apicultural sector.

Pictures:

1. Landscape of Douar Beni Bou Illul © Marcos Valderrábano
2. Beehives © Rachid Chriqi
3. Honey of Bupleurum spinosum © Mohammed Sghir Taleb