This project will gather, grow, reproduce, store & distribute indigenous Amazigh Anti-Atlas variety of barely, millet and wheat seeds increasingly under threat of disappearing. These graints have grown over mellenia and are entirely adapted to the dry mountain ecosystem. Providing some 40 local farmers who practise livelihood farming with these varieties will decrease their expenses, their dependency on external sources and provide them and families with bread, major food staple in the region.
Anti-Atlas farmers practicing livelihood agriculture find it increasingly challenging to reproduce their planting ways and seasons as they, and their ancestors, have done because of the grains used. Today wheat, barely and millet grains for planting are bought every year, further driving already vulnerable farmers into poverty and lowering the harvest yield given these grains need generations of planting to adapt to the dry local ecosystem.
Dar Si Hmad operates a didactic farm in the heart of the Anti-Atlas Mountains and through this project we will collect, store, label, plant, grow and tend to the original, endemic species of the grains to this region. We will distribute grain-packages to the participating farmers of the didactic farm and we will do continous monitoring and evaluation. Having access to this source of grains free of charge will solve the problem of purchasing grains for farmers already suffering from poverty
The project will give the opportunity to farmers to plant grains that have adapted to this ecosystem, and will provide them and their families with hearty and healthy grains to make bread, the major food staple in this region of Morocco. Once the individual farming is fully mastered and integrated after some 4 planting seasons, we plan on creating a sustainble cooperative model to further markett these grains to secure fund-generating activities and autonomy for these vulnerable communities.
