Editorial – No Longer at the Mercy

IT has rained heavily, even in some regions. Despite the late and difficult start to the season, experts assure us that this will help salvage the agricultural campaign. This is good news for  the opening of the 17th edition of SIAM in Meknes, with themes that will stuck with us for a long time: recurring droughts, the depletion of water resources, and an increasingly fierce climate that is disrupting figures and forecasts. These are now fully embedded in the list of major challenges facing Moroccan agriculture. The erratic nature of the climate is increasingly prompting us to confront the imperatives of food security amidst a global state of urgency. This race demands greater innovation fresh ideas to produce more with fewer resources.

Over its various editions, the Salon has fostered a shift in perspective, demonstrating that the sector can truly serve as a growth engine and that rural life is not condemned to poverty or technological stagnation. Still, in the reality of the fields, much remains to be done.

Agriculture is not just a matter of statistics, yields, or market shares. Nor is it about timid, cautious adjustments but about transformation led by farmers, whether they manage small plots or vast operations.

That’s why they must be supported: by training a new generation, integrating more technology, enhancing high-value sectors, rethinking irrigation, and regulating markets. The stakes are economic, social, and strategic. The recent rainfall is but a temporary reprieve. Because the goal is not merely to save one season, but to anticipate and no longer endure.