Smallholder farmer aptitudes and perceptions about the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on agriculture in Morocco during the lockdown

The worldwide health crisis due to the COVID-19 virus since its outbreak in China hascaused a complete lockdown of all government services in Morocco, including school-ing, travel, borders, and other services, and highlighted the importance of agriculture inthe food safety of the country. A survey was created to better understand smallholderfarmers'perceptionsoftheexpectedeffectsofCOVID-19ontheirfarmingpracticesandsocialwell-being.Potentialvulnerabilitiesandresilienceinthetargetedfarmingsystemswere given special consideration. This survey was conducted with smallholder farmers(n=211 respondents) in three agricultural regions of the country (between June 5 andJune 20, 2020). Perceptions of the potential influence on farming systems, agriculturalproductivity, communities, economics, markets, labor, gendered division of labor, foodsecurity, and community wellbeing were among the variables studied. The COVID-19impact on agriculture was obvious and felt by smallholder farmers, in addition to anunusual drought and hailstorm. The survey conducted highlighted a substantial impactof the pandemic on the social life of farmers, daily farming activities, basic agriculturalproduction system activities, and operations as well as farm incomes. The pandemichas also revealed the precarious and vulnerable situation of smallholder farmers wholack health care and retirement benefits worthy of their contribution to the economy.The study also summarized all measures taken by authorities to slow down the impactof the pandemic on vulnerable persons including farmers and others categories. Forresilient sustainable agriculture, the crisis highlights the need to continue supportingsmallholder farmers by improving their living conditions and by considering theirneeds in the new agriculture plan ‘Green Generation’ from 2020 to 2030.

(PDF) Smallholder farmer aptitudes and perceptions about the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on agriculture in Morocco during the lockdown. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/363295274_Smallholder_farmer_aptitudes_and_perceptions_about_the_impact_of_COVID-19_pandemic_on_agriculture_in_Morocco_during_the_lockdown [accessed Jan 27 2023].