IRES Intelligence Platform (IIP)

IRES Intelligence Platform (IIP)

ANNUAL SURVEY PAPER 2024

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CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE

  • 30/09/2024

According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization1, conservation agriculture is a farming system that minimizes soil disturbance (no-till), maintains permanent vegetation cover and diversifies plant species. This farming practice enhances biodiversity and natural biological processes both above and below ground, contributing to the efficient use of water and nutrients, while sustainably improving crop production.

The adoption of conservation agriculture is on a global upswing, with 78 countries reporting adoption in 2016, up 42 countries from 20092. Areas under conservation agriculture have also expanded. Total land area under conservation agriculture accounted for 14.7% of the world’s total cultivated land area in 2019, up from just 12.5% in 20163.

Despite rising adoption rates of conservation agriculture, this farming system still faces many challenges. The transition to no-till methods can be complex for farmers accustomed to traditional techniques. In addition, the initial investment required to acquire specialized no-till equipment* can be considerable. A lack of knowledge and training in conservation agriculture practices can also hinder its adoption.

Conservation agriculture could become more widespread as the world’s population is projected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050, increasing demand for food and feed by 70%4.

Conservation agriculture has been a constant focus of agricultural research in Morocco since the 1980s. Today, no-till is recognized as a resourceful approach to ensuring sustainable agricultural production while preserving natural resources (soil and water), and is promoted as part of the new “Génération Green 2020-2030” agricultural strategy. This strategy seeks to promote conservation agriculture on 1 million hectares by 2030.

Alongside benefits for natural resources, a cost-of-production analysis shows that no-till saves between 500 and 900 dirhams per hectare over conventional methods.

CARBON BOMBS

  • 30/09/2024

The expression carbon bomb or climate bomb is the nickname given to fossil fuel extraction projects (coal, gas and oil), projected to generate over 1 gigaton of CO2 over their remaining lifespan5.

There are 425 sites worldwide currently engaged in the extraction of fossil fuels, either already in operation or in the start-up phase 6. The ten countries with the largest number of sites are China, the USA, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Australia, Qatar, Canada, India, Iraq and Brazil, each with ten sites 7.

These fossil fuel extraction projects raise global concerns in the fight against climate change, as their lifetime emissions could be twice as high as the carbon budget threshold of 1.5°C8, thus jeopardizing the climate goals set out in the Paris Agreement.

The deactivation of carbon bombs must become a priority in climate change mitigation policies. So far, the Conferences of the Parties (COP) have primarily focused on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Morocco is not directly involved in investments related to carbon bombs. However, it has implemented measures to mitigate the effects of climate change and aims to reduce its carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 13% by 2030 9. While significant progress has been made in the development of renewable energy, the country’s reliance on fossil fuels remains high (nearly 90%). The transition to a low-carbon economy presents a complex challenge, requiring ongoing efforts and international cooperation 10. 

ANIMAL HEALTH MARKET

  • 30/09/2024

The animal health industry includes the manufacture and distribution of products such as vaccines, drugs, feed, diagnostics, medical devices and other products and services related to animal health 11.

This market covers a broad range of animals, including pets such as dogs and cats, farm animals such as cattle and poultry, and laboratory animals. Primary customers in this market include veterinarians, pet owners, farmers and other animal health specialists.

Growing demand for meat and dairy products 12, rising spending on animal health, a surge in zoonotic diseases*  13 and pet ownership 14 are all factors are all factors that drive the animal health market.

Global animal health market revenues in 2016 amounted to roughly $30 billion, up almost $10 billion from 2008 15.

The animal health market faces a number of challenges, arising on the one hand from a changing regulatory framework for product use and innovations in animal health, and on the other from surveillance and research into zoonotic diseases and parasites.

According to the World Organization for Animal Health, 1.7 million undiscovered viruses are present in mammals and birds, of which around 850,000 could potentially be zoonotic 16 his poses a significant health risk.

In Morocco, the “One-Health” concept, designed to address the Nexus of human, animal and environmental health, came up during the health crisis. Implementation is still at a preliminary stage, however, and has yet to be incorporated into national programs, particularly those aimed at combating zoonotic diseases and preventing risk factors linked to non-communicable diseases 17.

UBERIZATION OF SOCIETY

  • 30/09/2024

The Uberization of society refers to the transformation of traditional economic models into a new model that enables direct and instantaneous contact between customers and service providers (whether companies or individuals) via digital platforms18.

What we have here is “a rapid shift in the balance of power thanks to digital technology”19. This is “a new economic model tied to the digital economy”, a competitor that “can swiftly threaten and challenge an old model of the traditional economy”20.

The business model of outsourcing platforms rests on four pillars:

  • extensive outsourcing of production to independent producers, where the platform simply coordinates and acts as a trusted third party;
  • an advantageous balance of power for the platform, due to the large number of independent producers;
  • large-scale deployment using digital technologies;
  • interchangeability between producers and consumers, as producers can also be private individuals.

Uberization platforms have emerged as a result of ubiquitous internet, smartphone penetration, changing urban lifestyles and a growing demand for new sources of income, made easier by self-employed status.

Uberization has already transformed a number of business sectors, including transport (Uber, Blablacar), hotels (Airbnb, Booking), catering (Deliveroo, Glovo), book publishing and distribution (Amazon Publishing).

Uber, the ride-hailing company, for example, is now present in nearly 70 countries worldwide, generating a net income of over $37 billion in 202321.

The challenges of uberization are diverse, prompting social and economic debates on workers’ rights, social protection, platform regulation and the exacerbation of inequality in the digital age.

With the rise of the digital economy in Morocco, uberization expands in a variety of sectors, including transport, catering, real estate and the medical field, and spills over into other areas. The current tax framework, however, raises several questions, especially in light of the far-reaching implications of these activities on employment, labor relations and people’s quality of life. It would therefore be pertinent to update the legal and regulatory frameworks governing the employment market and social protection, to bring them into line with these new working methods.

  1. FAO. (2024), L'agriculture de conservation | Organisation des Nations Unies pour l'alimentation et l'agriculture (fao.org)
  2. Kassam, A., Friedrich, T., & Derpsch, R. (2018). Global spread of Conservation Agriculture. International Journal of Environmental Studies, 76(1), 29–51. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207233.2018.1494927
  3. Kassam, A.; Friedrich, T.; Derpsch, R. Successful Experiencesand Lessons from Conservation Agriculture Worldwide. Agronomy (2022), 12, 769. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12040769.
  4. FAO. Rapport "How to feed the world 2050".
  5. Carbon bombs under the spotlight. (2024), https://www.carbonbombs.org/
  6. Kühne, K., Bartsch, N., Tate, R. D., Higson, J., & Habet, A. (2022). "Carbon Bombs"-Mapping key fossil fuel projects. Energy Policy, 166, 112950.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2022.112950.
  7. Carbon bombs under the spotlight. (2024), https://www.carbonbombs.org/
  8. Kühne, K., Bartsch, N., Tate, R. D., Higson, J., & Habet, A. (2022). "Carbon Bombs"-Mapping key fossil fuel projects. Energy Policy, 166, 112950.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2022.112950.
  9.  Contribution déterminée au niveau national- actualisée. Maroc Juin 2021.
  10. Connaissance des énergies. (2019), article “La situation énergétique du Maroc analysée par l’AIE | Connaissances des énergies ’’. Consulté le 02 Octobre 2024.
  11. Grand View Research. Animal Health Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Product (Biologics, Pharmaceuticals, Others), By Animal Type, By Distribution Channel, By End Use, By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2024 – 2030.
  12. Selon la FAO : “Depuis le début des années 60, la consommation de lait par habitant dans les pays en développement a pratiquement doublé“.
  13. L’émergence des zoonoses, une mécanique implacable | MNHN
  14. “Plus de la moitié des habitants de la planète possèdent au moins un animal de compagnie en 2016“
  15. Statista. (2023), Valeur du marché mondial de la santé des animaux 2002 - 2016 | Statista
  16. IPBES (2020) Workshop Report on Biodiversity and Pandemics of the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. Daszak, P., Amuasi, J., das Neves, C. G., Hayman, D., Kuiken, T., Roche, B., Zambrana-Torrelio, C., Buss, P., Dundarova, H., Feferholtz, Y., Földvári, G., Igbinosa, E., Junglen, S., Liu, Q., Suzan, G., Uhart, M., Wannous, C., Woolaston, K., Mosig Reidl, P., O’Brien, K., Pascual, U., Stoett, P., Li, H., Ngo, H. T., IPBES secretariat, Bonn, Germany, DOI:10.5281/zenodo.4147317.
  17. IRES. (2022), Rapport de synthèse : Comment adopter l’approche “One health’’ au Maroc. Page 9
  18. L’Observatoire de l’Uberisation. (2015), L'uberisation de la société : définition ! | Observatoire Uberisation et Economie Collaborative
  19. Idem.
  20. Viot, C. (2018). Uberization of services: Do customers always win?. Vie sciences de l'entreprise, 205(1), 23-47. doi : 10.3917/vse.205.0023.
  21. Statista. (2024), article “Uber Technologies- statistics and facts’’ consulté le 02 Octobre 2024 sur : https://www.statista.com/topics/4826/uber-technologies/#topicOverview