FAO warns of growing soil pressure threatening Morocco’s agricultural sustainability

Morocco’s agricultural land is facing increasing pressure from drought, climate change, water scarcity and the degradation of natural resources, raising concerns about the long-term ability of soils to support food production.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has identified several major threats affecting soils in Morocco, including water and wind erosion, declining organic matter, soil salinity, biodiversity loss and growing pressure on farmland and water resources.

The findings form part of the FAO’s 2026 report on the state of the world’s soil resources, which reviews developments in soil conditions and sustainable land-management practices over the 2015–2024 period. The report places Morocco among the countries facing significant soil-degradation risks in the Near East and North Africa, a region already characterized by limited water availability and restricted areas suitable for agriculture.

Climate change is expected to intensify these pressures as temperatures rise and dry conditions become more frequent. Drought, desertification and soil salinization are among the main challenges threatening agricultural productivity across the region.

Water and wind erosion are particularly important concerns. Erosion can remove nutrient-rich topsoil, reduce soil fertility and weaken the ability of agricultural land to produce crops, especially when drought, vegetation loss and intensive land use occur simultaneously.

Data cited by the FAO indicate that sediment production in 38 Moroccan river basins ranges from around 100 to 4,620 tonnes per hour, based on research published in 2014. Parts of the High Atlas are exposed to high levels of water-erosion risk, while risks in the Anti-Atlas range from low to moderate.

Wind erosion is another significant threat. Morocco is classified among the countries with high climatic vulnerability to wind erosion, alongside Algeria, Mauritania and Sudan. Across the wider Near East and North Africa region, a large share of the territory was exposed to high or very high wind-erosion risks between 2015 and 2022.

Beyond soil fertility losses, erosion can contribute to higher concentrations of dust and airborne particles, creating additional environmental and potentially public-health concerns.

The expansion of irrigated agriculture also presents a complex challenge. Morocco increased its irrigated agricultural area by approximately 160,000 hectares between 2015 and 2022, one of the largest increases recorded in the region. While irrigation can strengthen agricultural production, inadequate water management may increase the risks of waterlogging and salinization.

Soil salinity is already a major issue for agriculture in North Africa. Estimates cited in the report suggest that between 20% and 30% of irrigated land in North Africa, including Morocco and Algeria, is affected by salinity. Other estimates indicate that around 30% of Morocco’s irrigated areas may be affected, with crop losses potentially reaching significant levels in severely impacted locations.

At the same time, Morocco has recorded some progress in limiting salinity. The area affected by saline soils reportedly declined by an average of 0.39% per year between 1980 and 2018, placing the country among a small group of countries in the region that have managed to reduce the extent of salt-affected land.

Soil quality also depends heavily on organic matter and organic carbon. These components contribute to soil structure, nutrient availability, water retention and the activity of microorganisms. Research in the Doukkala plain has found variations in organic-matter levels between different soil types, while other studies have linked changes in agricultural practices to declines in soil quality.

Conservation agriculture can offer an alternative. Research in the Chaouia region has shown that no-tillage practices can increase soil organic carbon compared with conventional ploughing, highlighting the potential of less intensive farming methods to protect soil fertility and improve carbon storage.

Soil biodiversity is another concern. The FAO identifies parts of North Africa as areas facing very high risks to soil biodiversity, with coastal zones stretching from Casablanca toward Tunisia also exposed to substantial potential threats. Desertification, climate change, land-use changes, pollution, fires and natural disasters are among the factors contributing to these risks.

Morocco’s exposure to drought and high temperatures can further weaken vegetation cover and reduce the organic material available to soils. Such conditions can affect microorganisms and other organisms that play essential roles in nutrient cycling and maintaining soil fertility.

Despite the scale of these challenges, conservation agriculture remains relatively limited in Morocco. During 2018 and 2019, the area using conservation-oriented practices was estimated at roughly 13,000 hectares, a modest share compared with the wider Near East and North Africa region.

Nutrient management is also an important component of soil sustainability. The FAO report notes that Morocco, along with several other countries in the region, has experienced periods of depletion in soil phosphorus stocks. Current nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium balances are closer to neutral or positive, although overall nutrient inputs remain relatively low compared with some other agricultural systems.

The challenge for Morocco is therefore not simply to increase fertilizer use or expand cultivated areas, but to manage nutrients efficiently while restoring soils that have experienced long-term depletion.

The country also expanded its total agricultural area by approximately 240,000 hectares between 2015 and 2022. Combined with the expansion of irrigated land, this development reflects efforts to strengthen agricultural capacity, but it also increases pressure on limited soil and water resources.

The FAO’s assessment underlines the need for a broader approach to agricultural resilience. Protecting Morocco’s farming future will require better soil management, improved water efficiency, stronger measures against erosion and salinity, restoration of vegetation cover and greater protection of soil biodiversity.

As drought and climate pressures intensify, maintaining the productivity of Morocco’s agricultural land will increasingly depend on the ability to protect the soil itself. Sustainable management of this resource will be essential for preserving agricultural production and strengthening the country’s resilience to a changing climate.