In the heart of the Souss-Massa region, home to one of the rarest ecosystems on Earth, a growing confrontation has been unfolding since the beginning of winter 2025-2026 between nomadic camel and sheep herders and the inhabitants of mountain villages. This is not simply a case of "livestock entering a forest," but rather the culmination of six years of continuous drought, soaring feed prices, and weak cross-regional regulation. If the root causes of the crisis are not addressed quickly, local tensions could escalate into a socio-ecological crisis threatening the entire balance in southern Morocco.
1. A Quick Look at the Numbers
More than 47 official complaints regarding the felling of argan trees in December 2025 alone.
1,800 head of livestock illegally entered the argan reserves in Imi Ouamnate in a single week (January 9-12, 2026).
70 argan trees felled in seven days in the Tizi Ntakoucht area. This equates to an estimated annual loss of 56,000 dirhams for local residents.
350 women's cooperatives, which rely on argan fruit as their primary source of income, are all threatened by declining production.
2. What does the destruction of an argan tree mean?
The argan tree is a slow-growing tree (its fruit takes a full year to develop) and an endemic species found only in southwestern Morocco. Each mature tree produces between 20-40 kg of fruit annually, which is then pressed into oil that is exported for 90 euros per liter. Therefore, removing a single tree means a direct loss of between 800-1500 dirhams annually for local families, not including environmental services (dune stabilization, carbon storage, and pollination of wild crops).
3. The cycle of causes: environment, economy, and politics.
Consecutive droughts: Six years of rainfall deficits have emptied the traditional pastures in the southeast. High feed costs: The price of barley has tripled since 2023, making supplemental feeding an expensive option.
Weak pastoral management: There are no clear migration routes across the regions, and a lack of coordination between the water, forestry, and agriculture sectors.
Land ownership disputes: Communal lands designated as protected forests are effectively being used as open pastures, without leases or fees.
4. Environmental and social impacts
Biodiversity loss: The shrinking of fertile areas threatens the populations of Dorcas gazelles, migratory birds, and even wild pollinating bees.
Cooperative income decline: Lower fruit production makes it difficult for women to fulfill export orders, threatening seasonal unemployment.
Social tension: A recent study shows that 64% of local residents consider “uncontrolled grazing” to be the primary challenge to the region’s development.
5. Ongoing official measures
Strengthening joint patrols (water and forestry, auxiliary forces, gendarmerie) and using drones to monitor livestock movements. Unauthorized grazing within designated protected areas is prohibited, with fines of up to 2,000 dirhams per head of livestock.
Local mediation committees have been established, bringing together herders, farmers, and civil society organizations.
Subsidized feed (25% subsidy) has been distributed in three border communities, but the quantity covers less than 15% of the actual need.
6. Challenges and Recommendations
Challenge: The absence of a central database detailing the number of nomadic livestock and their migration routes.
Recommendation: Establishing a "smart grazing card" containing herd data, migration routes, and permitted grazing locations, linked to a real-time digital platform.
The slow disbursement of compensation for damages.
Recommendation: Activating an environmental emergency fund, to be disbursed within 30 days through local authorities, with joint funding from the state, local authorities, and sustainable development funds.
Challenge: Herders' reluctance to participate in local committees. Recommendation: Provide direct financial incentives (water fee reductions, feed tax exemptions) to every herder who adheres to the licensed grazing routes.
Why intervene now?
If the current situation persists, the Souss-Massa region could lose 20% of its argan tree cover within the next decade, equivalent to an additional 350,000 tons of carbon emissions annually, jeopardizing Morocco's ability to meet its commitments under the Paris Agreement. Even more alarming is the potential for tensions to escalate into violent clashes reminiscent of the Sahel region, where grazing disputes have transformed into armed tribal conflicts.
The solution lies not only in increased security forces but also in integrating "sustainable grazing" into the green economy: smart grazing cards, expedited compensation, subsidized artificial pastures, and markets for sustainable feed made from olive and argan waste. In short, we must transform the climate crisis from a threat into an opportunity to restructure a sector that feeds millions of families before the forest becomes a battleground.
