The water–energy–food–ecosystem nexus in North Africa dryland farming: a multi-criteria analysis of climate-resilient innovations in Morocco
Smallholder farmers, who mostly engage in low-value agriculture in the drylands of Northern Africa, were the first to have felt the effects of climate change, with threats to their livelihoods and food security. The increasing costs of agricultural production, poor water and energy infrastructure, l...
| Autores principales: | , , , , , |
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| Formato: | Journal Article |
| Lenguaje: | Inglés |
| Publicado: |
SpringerOpen
2024
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| Materias: | |
| Acceso en línea: | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/158231 |
| _version_ | 1855541319963770880 |
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| author | Kertolli, Emirjona Prosperi, Paolo Harbouze, Rachid Moussadek, Rachid Echchgadda, Ghizlane Belhouchette, Hatem |
| author_browse | Belhouchette, Hatem Echchgadda, Ghizlane Harbouze, Rachid Kertolli, Emirjona Moussadek, Rachid Prosperi, Paolo |
| author_facet | Kertolli, Emirjona Prosperi, Paolo Harbouze, Rachid Moussadek, Rachid Echchgadda, Ghizlane Belhouchette, Hatem |
| author_sort | Kertolli, Emirjona |
| collection | Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace) |
| description | Smallholder farmers, who mostly engage in low-value agriculture in the drylands of Northern Africa, were the first to have felt the effects of climate change, with threats to their livelihoods and food security. The increasing costs of agricultural production, poor water and energy infrastructure, loss of agricultural land due to urban expansion, fragmented resource management, and unsustainable management practices all contribute to this vulnerability to climate change. This highlights the urgent need for innovative practices in farming systems. Within the framework of the water–energy–food–ecosystem nexus, this paper explores innovative practices in dryland farming systems, by assessing their impact on water, energy, food, and ecosystem through stakeholder perception. In this work, we aim to present a systems approach for assessing the resilience of the water–energy–food–ecosystem nexus in arid and semiarid regions. By using a multi-criteria analysis (MCA) approach, the study—which focuses on the Fès–Meknès region in Morocco—involves local actors to help researchers identify the key variables in order to assist farmers in their adaptation to climate change. The findings revealed different priorities between farmers and other stakeholders regarding the adoption of agricultural innovations. Farmers prioritize innovations that guarantee higher profitability and more market opportunities, such as integrating olive trees with cereal crops, by highlighting the importance of sustainable income sources. Meanwhile, stakeholders, such as researchers, engineers, government officials, and agribusiness entrepreneurs, prioritize innovations that emphasize high water use efficiency, which is crucial for the resilience of dryland farming areas: for instance, rainwater harvesting or the use of drought-resistant crop varieties that directly address the need for water conservation. But in doing so they are overlooking broader aspects within the water–energy–food–ecosystem nexus. |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | CGSpace158231 |
| institution | CGIAR Consortium |
| language | Inglés |
| publishDate | 2024 |
| publishDateRange | 2024 |
| publishDateSort | 2024 |
| publisher | SpringerOpen |
| publisherStr | SpringerOpen |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | CGSpace1582312026-01-15T02:19:34Z The water–energy–food–ecosystem nexus in North Africa dryland farming: a multi-criteria analysis of climate-resilient innovations in Morocco Kertolli, Emirjona Prosperi, Paolo Harbouze, Rachid Moussadek, Rachid Echchgadda, Ghizlane Belhouchette, Hatem drylands smallholders north africa global change focus group discussion multi-criteria decision analysis Smallholder farmers, who mostly engage in low-value agriculture in the drylands of Northern Africa, were the first to have felt the effects of climate change, with threats to their livelihoods and food security. The increasing costs of agricultural production, poor water and energy infrastructure, loss of agricultural land due to urban expansion, fragmented resource management, and unsustainable management practices all contribute to this vulnerability to climate change. This highlights the urgent need for innovative practices in farming systems. Within the framework of the water–energy–food–ecosystem nexus, this paper explores innovative practices in dryland farming systems, by assessing their impact on water, energy, food, and ecosystem through stakeholder perception. In this work, we aim to present a systems approach for assessing the resilience of the water–energy–food–ecosystem nexus in arid and semiarid regions. By using a multi-criteria analysis (MCA) approach, the study—which focuses on the Fès–Meknès region in Morocco—involves local actors to help researchers identify the key variables in order to assist farmers in their adaptation to climate change. The findings revealed different priorities between farmers and other stakeholders regarding the adoption of agricultural innovations. Farmers prioritize innovations that guarantee higher profitability and more market opportunities, such as integrating olive trees with cereal crops, by highlighting the importance of sustainable income sources. Meanwhile, stakeholders, such as researchers, engineers, government officials, and agribusiness entrepreneurs, prioritize innovations that emphasize high water use efficiency, which is crucial for the resilience of dryland farming areas: for instance, rainwater harvesting or the use of drought-resistant crop varieties that directly address the need for water conservation. But in doing so they are overlooking broader aspects within the water–energy–food–ecosystem nexus. 2024-10-29T15:22:42Z 2024-10-29T15:22:42Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/158231 en Open Access application/pdf SpringerOpen Emirjona Kertolli, Paolo Prosperi, Rachid Harbouze, Rachid Moussadek, Ghizlane Echchgadda, Hatem Belhouchette. (5/9/2024). The water–energy–food–ecosystem nexus in North Africa dryland farming: a multi-criteria analysis of climate-resilient innovations in Morocco. Agricultural and Food Economics, 12. |
| spellingShingle | drylands smallholders north africa global change focus group discussion multi-criteria decision analysis Kertolli, Emirjona Prosperi, Paolo Harbouze, Rachid Moussadek, Rachid Echchgadda, Ghizlane Belhouchette, Hatem The water–energy–food–ecosystem nexus in North Africa dryland farming: a multi-criteria analysis of climate-resilient innovations in Morocco |
| title | The water–energy–food–ecosystem nexus in North Africa dryland farming: a multi-criteria analysis of climate-resilient innovations in Morocco |
| title_full | The water–energy–food–ecosystem nexus in North Africa dryland farming: a multi-criteria analysis of climate-resilient innovations in Morocco |
| title_fullStr | The water–energy–food–ecosystem nexus in North Africa dryland farming: a multi-criteria analysis of climate-resilient innovations in Morocco |
| title_full_unstemmed | The water–energy–food–ecosystem nexus in North Africa dryland farming: a multi-criteria analysis of climate-resilient innovations in Morocco |
| title_short | The water–energy–food–ecosystem nexus in North Africa dryland farming: a multi-criteria analysis of climate-resilient innovations in Morocco |
| title_sort | water energy food ecosystem nexus in north africa dryland farming a multi criteria analysis of climate resilient innovations in morocco |
| topic | drylands smallholders north africa global change focus group discussion multi-criteria decision analysis |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/158231 |
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