Assessing Multifunctionality and Sustainability of Peri-Urban Farming: A Case Study in The Casablanca Metropolitan Area (Morocco)

Abstract

Considering the increase in urban population and land consumption in the last decades, sustainability in peri-urban areas is a priority. Farming multifunctionality is the integration of different functions and activities that produce beneficial effects on local economy, environment and society. Recently, in many countries around the world, increasing support for and promotion of urban and peri-urban agriculture has been made, but in Morocco few research investigates its multifunctionality and its sustainability in relation with the future development of Moroccan cities. This research aims to contribute in this sense. Therefore, it underlines the potentials and challenges of peri-urban farming in the outskirts of Casablanca metropolis. Hence, the study is based on qualitative methods such as literature review, observation, subjective viewpoints, mapping and interviews. The research findings show a diversification of peri-urban production systems (vegetable crops, arboriculture, cereals, leguminous, fodder crops and cattle, sheep and poultry farming). Peri-urban farms are medium to large, mostly family owned and managed by elderly-experienced people. It is a multifunctional agriculture: it contributes to the economic development of the metropolis by creating jobs and generating income for farmers. It contributes to the food supply and the environmental beatification of the city. However, farms are facing several constraints that hinder their management, in particular strong urban pressure and its consequences, the insufficiency and high cost of labor, water shortage following the effects of climate change and the overexploitation of groundwater, the lack of technical support for farmers and the need to define the place of peri-urban agriculture in the city's sustainable development projects.