Six wild olive subspecies (Olea europaea L.) are currently recognised globally, with two taxa cooccurring in the argan tree area in Central West Morocco: the widespread Mediterranean subspecies europaea var. Sylvestris (the so-called oleaster) and the microendemic subspecies maroccana. Despite its taxonomic and ecological importance, the chemical composition of subsp. maroccana oil remains poorly known. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate the oil content and the chemical composition of subsp. maroccana and var. Sylvestris as well as comparing their proprieties during two consecutive years (2017 and 2018) from the same geographical area. The fatty acid and the sterol compositions were analysed using gas chromatography. Additionally, the tocopherol content was determined using high-performance liquid chromatography. The total amount of unsaturated fatty acids was higher in maroccana (85.24) than that in oleasters (79.05). Additionally, the tocopherol and phytosterol content of the maroccana oil (1232.35mg/kg and 312.75mg/100g, resp.) was approximately twofold higher than in oleasters (661.35mg/kg and 210.06mg/100g, resp.). Analysis of variance and principal component analysis (PCA) of the chemical composition highlighted a significant difference between the quantitative and qualitative properties of their oil. Finally, these findings suggest that maroccana oil could be considered as a potential source of vitamin E, essential fatty acids, and sterols and can provide a nutraceutical oil for the local population. While this work contributes to the study of olive tree biodiversity, further investigations are still necessary to guide the putative nutraceutical use of subspecies maroccana.

Drought and water insecurity are escalating crises that shape dryland farmers’ mobility and land abandonment decisions. In this study, we appraised the causes of such decisions through 75 qualitative interviews and six group discussions with residents of rural Amazigh communities in Morocco’s High Atlas. We identified a multi-faceted crises nexus, where water scarcity exacerbates economic and value-related crises and personal insecurities, leading to a crisis of confidence in traditional rural lifeways. Increasingly multi-local household structures and intersectional attributes mediate actors’ experiences, as illustrated by a typology we present. While some actors experienced immobility as a hardship, other desired to stay, underscoring the continued importance of tamazirt —an Amazigh concept linking land and home—as a promising anchor for land-futures thinking. By addressing evidence gaps on the role of crises and intersectional characteristics in dryland decision-making, our study offers insights for rural development planning and policy in the southern Mediterranean.