The Organization Of The Date Sector In Morocco: A Lever For Valorization And Local Development. The Case Of The Ziz Valley In The Tafilalet Region Of Morocco

Territorial dynamics have been the subject of an increasing number of writings since the rediscovery of the territory by works on the economy of proximity, which have been analysed according to different approaches. In this context, the present work aims at analysing the socio-economic dynamics observed in an oasis territory historically known for its date palm agriculture, creating what is called a local agri-food system in the phoeniculture sector in the territory of Tafilalet in the Drâa-Tafilalet region in south-eastern Morocco. The objective of this article is to analyse the spatial organisation of local actors in the sector (in professional organisations and economic interest groups) according to a policy of aggregation, and its impact on the reinforcement of the territoriality of the system on the one hand, and the improvement of the performance of the system in terms of production, valorisation of local resources, quality and marketing on the other hand. Thus, we aim to show how this territoriality, concretised by the performances, allows to favour a local development of the region according to a sustainable perspective, which protects and valorises the local resources of the region. Our methodology is based on a mixed approach (qualitative and quantitative) through dozens of semi-structured interviews with local actors and through the distribution of a wide-ranging questionnaire.