Roots, branches, fruit: In Ghassate, one chapter is coming to a close, but the momentum continues.

On Monday, July 27, 2026, the Karam Palace Hotel in Ouarzazate hosted the closing workshop of the Agricultural Sector Performance Improvement Project (PAPSA).

Among the 72 participants were many individuals involved in the project—farmers from the municipality of Ghassate, representatives of professional organizations, local governments, and state technical agencies—who came to share the results achieved, the lessons learned, and the prospects for scaling up and sustaining the momentum that began during the 2014 pilot phase.

At the outset, only a handful of pilot families had agreed to test new farming practices alongside Agrisud International, the Norsys Foundation, and the Ouarzazate Regional Office for Agricultural Development (ORMVAO). On July 27, 700 families - 862 farmers, 66% of whom were women, spread across 21 villages in the municipality - identified with the results presented during the session. 

The highlight of the morning was the unveiling of a participatory impact tree, developed in advance with local stakeholders, which provided a visual and collective representation of what these nine years have achieved: more resilient family farms, more efficient supply chains, and a committed local dynamic. A tree whose roots trust, collaboration, and local know-how and trunk participation, learning, and solidarity serve as a reminder that the PAPSA’s quantifiable results are based above all on working relationships built over time. 

“This project is innovative, relevant, and effective. Implemented on a small scale, it should be replicated and scaled up,” stated the representative of AFD - the project’s main donor since 2017- in her video address.  

This assessment is shared by IRAM, which was tasked with evaluating the project: “Today, PAPSA leaves behind much more than visible achievements: it has fostered skills, cooperation networks, and a culture of collective work.”  

Despite a series of crises that have severely impacted the region—persistent drought, the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2023 Al Haouz earthquake, and the 2024 floods—the evaluation concludes that the project has strengthened the resilience of local communities and stakeholders, one of its most significant lessons learned. 

One of the most significant developments concerns the role of women in the region’s agricultural and economic activities. The partnership established with the National Agency for Sheep and Goat Farming (ANOC) to develop small-scale sheep farms - now overwhelmingly run by women - has strengthened their technical skills, management capabilities, and economic autonomy.  

“Before, we thought it was frowned upon to sell our produce. Today, we’ve come to understand that by selling a portion of what we produce, we can improve the living conditions of the entire family,” says one of the female farmers. 

This momentum owes much to the strength of the tripartite partnership between Agrisud International, which provides project management and operational oversight; the Norsys Foundation, which ensures local supervision and coordination with local stakeholders; and ORMVAO, whose technical and institutional expertise has made it possible to firmly anchor PAPSA’s initiatives within public agricultural policies. Since the pilot phase, the municipality of Ghassate has been fully involved in this partnership, which has succeeded, phase by phase, in attracting new funders - the Avril Foundation and the L’Oréal Women’s Fund, alongside AFD, for this final stage. 

The morning concluded with the opening of two guided photography exhibitions: “From Farms to the Region,” created by the project team, and “At the Heart of the Oasis: Portraits of Women from Ghassate,” created by the Lowii association during a field mission in early July. Together, these two perspectives tell the same story from two different angles: that of a project that has transformed both agricultural practices and the ways in which decisions are made and cooperation takes place. 

However, this closing event was not intended to mark an end. From the very start of the workshop, speakers discussed replicating the approach in the neighboring municipalities of Aït Zineb and Amerzgane, its integration into the international AGRITER program led by Agrisud International, and its incorporation into the national “Generation Green 2020-2030” strategy - all of which align with the recommendations of the final external evaluation to prepare for scaling up the PAPSA. 

Like a tree that draws strength from its roots to spread its branches and bear fruit, PAPSA leaves Ghassate with a legacy that is destined to continue well beyond its conclusion. “Roots, Branches, Fruit”: the theme chosen for this morning on July 27 sums up, better than any statistical report, what these years have changed - and what they now set in motion.

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To learn more about the changes underway in Ghassate, check out: 

• Beyond the Images: What LOWII Discovered at the Heart of the Agroecological Transition in Ghassate
• In Ghassate, agriculture is becoming a driver of entrepreneurship and regional transformation