Amélioration de la production oléicole au Maroc: contraintes des groupements de production
New Medit, vol 14, n.3, (September 2015), pp. 22-28
Language: FR
Jel classification: Q18, R58
The olive sector participates in the self-sufficiency of the country in food fluid vegetable oils, up to 16 %; it accounts for 5% of the Gross Domestic agricultural Product (GDP), and 15 % of the food exports. With the implementation of the Moroccan Green Plan (MGP), this sector was given a great importance especially regarding the extension of cultivated areas and improvement of the conditions of production. However, it still faces several difficulties related to the technical and social conditions of production. This work aims to: (a) identify, through a structured diagnosis, the constraints hindering the quality of olive oil production by the groups involved in this activity, (b) estimate the capacity of these groups to produce an olive oil with a standard quality, and (c) determine the potential of the olive oil production for a future quality label as a distinctive sign of origin and quality (SDOQ). The field work was carried out through the combination of two complementary methodological steps: a survey via a questionnaire led with 15 groups including more than 300 farmers, and a diagnosis of the olive oil production units, based on check lists. Diagnosis of units with a SDOQ showed that such a quality label can be an effective means to improve the oil standard quality. However, the SDOQ label leads to a higher price of the oil, due to the costs of production and certification. This label is also hampered by the weakness of collective action, and consumer ignorance of the importance of quality labels, which may jeopardize the sustainability of SDOQ.
olive sector, Morocco, groups, standard quality, quality label, Distinctive Signs of Origin and Quality (SDOQ)
