Ethnography of the socio-economic contributions of the agdal institution, a paradigmatic agro-sylvo-pastoral communal governance system of the Maghreb - Archive ouverte HAL Accéder directement au contenu
Communication Dans Un Congrès Année : 2020

Ethnography of the socio-economic contributions of the agdal institution, a paradigmatic agro-sylvo-pastoral communal governance system of the Maghreb

Pablo Domínguez

Résumé

The agro-economic contribution of the pastoral mountain territory of Yagur (situated between 2,000 and 3,600 masl in the High Atlas of Marrakech, Morocco) is fundamental to local livelihoods, at the same time as its productivity and sustainability are boosted through the millenary natural resource governance system of the agdal. The Yagur is managed by this institution of the agdal, a system for communal governance of natural resources of Amazigh people (the Berber ethnic community) consisting locally on prohibiting herding during three months, mainly in spring, allowing vegetation regeneration as well as a relative equal access for all households. At the same time, the integration of the traditional agdal within local religiosity and its associated ethics entail a local conservationist and egalitarian set of human values. Specifically, the economic pastoral contribution of the Yagur to the population of the Ait Ikis belonging to the Mesioua tribe. Field work throughout all agropastoral seasons adding up to one whole year of cohabitation with the Ait Ikiss has allowed to understand that the Yagur provides up to 18 % of its users’ annual agro-pastoral gross monetary income through its fodder contribution. But more importantly, since highly rigorous economic accounting is impossible in a society that does not monetize all its production, one must explore the complementary qualitative data to gain a better understanding of all the agro-economic and eco-anthropological dimensions of the agdal. Due to these findings, we can conclude that even if highly underestimated by national administrations, the agro-sylvo-pastoral agdals of Morocco and more broadly of the Maghreb, they should be considered not only as key practice for the continuity of the agro-sylvo-pastoral system and its economic productivity, but also as a very important tool for the local communities’ wellbeing, socially and spiritually, in order to become a model to follow and compare with other similar traditional communal systems, specially within the context of other neighbouring countries of the Mediterranean basin.
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Dates et versions

hal-03078535 , version 1 (16-12-2020)

Identifiants

  • HAL Id : hal-03078535 , version 1

Citer

Pablo Domínguez. Ethnography of the socio-economic contributions of the agdal institution, a paradigmatic agro-sylvo-pastoral communal governance system of the Maghreb. Ethnography of the commons, Sep 2020, Paris, France. ⟨hal-03078535⟩
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