The Moroccan agricultural cooperative sector is a key player in self-employment and income generation through territorial anchoring. The government’s “MOURAFAKA” program offers support for newly created cooperatives, including strategic diagnosis and training. This paper analyzes the impact of the MOURAFAKA program on the sustainability of agricultural cooperatives in Morocco. Using original data from a survey of 232 cooperatives and a second database of 1131 cooperatives, the study employs a methodology based on survival function analysis and Cox regression. The results show that the MOURAFAKA program improves the sustainability of agricultural cooperatives by strengthening their management, governance, and market access capabilities. The study also highlights the importance of internal factors such as management skills, leadership style, and cooperative size, as well as external factors such as strategic adaptability, in determining the sustainability of agricultural cooperatives. The policy implications of these findings suggest that upstream literacy programs and capacity-building initiatives for cooperative leaders, as well as downstream access to financing, marketing, and practical training, are crucial for ensuring the sustainability of cooperatives.

As a semi-arid/arid country located in the northwest of Africa, Morocco is facing serious water scarcity driven by the dual stresses of decreasing availability of water resources and increasing water demands. Virtual water trade could be an effective tool to alleviate water scarcity. The paper presents an analysis of the relationships between agrarian productions, foreign trade, and the water sector in Morocco by deriving a comprehensive estimate of virtual water export and import in Morocco’s foreign trade of 40 crop products during the period from 2000 to 2017. Our objectives include determining the intensity of water consumption of exported and imported crop products and quantifying the water consumed and saved, respectively, by locally producing and importing these products. To this end, FAO’s Penman-Monteith climate model was used to estimate crop water requirements based on data on meteorological factors. The results show that Morocco was a net virtual water importer during the study period. The deficit was 595.74 Gm³. The tendency of total virtual water export was on a rising trend, while the total virtual water import was on a downward trend. The main exported virtual water was from vegetables (68.87 Gm³, 72.47%) and the main imported virtual water was from cereals (679.68 Gm³, 98.4%). Regarding crop product’s water intensity, we found that the exported crop products were excessively concentrated on water-intensive products such as mandarins and clementines, figs, oranges, apricots, plums, citrus fruits, olives, tomatoes, asparagus, peas, and artichokes. On the other hand, the agricultural policy of 2009–2020 increased the production of water-intensive products. This finding seems to be going against the virtual water trade theory, which states that water-poor countries should import water-intensive products and produce local products with lower water requirements.

The labor market can be a daunting place for young graduates; this paper aims to shed light on how they navigate it. By examining the ways in which they enter the workforce and the impact of individual and socioeconomic factors on their career paths, we gain a deeper understanding of the challenges they face. We use a two-stage approach to study this issue: first, we create a typology of graduates’ integration paths and then estimate the likelihood of following a specific trajectory through multinomial logit analysis. Our findings reveal a diverse range of professional journeys, with graduates from open-access institutions facing higher rates of unemployment and continuing their studies, and women experiencing more precarious situations. This study stands out in the literature in several ways. Unlike previous research on the topic, we develop an index of soft skills that incorporates multiple dimensions. Additionally, we use individual data from a regional survey conducted by ANAPEC, making this the first study of its kind for Morocco. The results of our study can inform our understanding of the importance of soft skills for youth employability and the need for training policies in a rapidly changing job market. In terms of employment policy, our findings on the intertwining of first-time and long-term unemployment among higher education graduates suggest the need for a comprehensive strategy that focuses on the organization of the initial integration phase. To achieve this, the efforts of Career Centers must be broadened, consolidated, and evaluated.

Objective: Given the concerning environmental state on a global scale and also in Morocco, environmental education becomes imperative to contribute to the desired change towards more sustainable and responsible practices. In this context, environmental clubs, as a form of environmental education, particularly catch our attention due to their potential to raise awareness and mobilize the younger generation. Consequently, the aim of this research was to assess the impact of environmental clubs on students' environmental awareness and the adoption of eco-citizen behaviors. Method: In the context of our study, we adopted a quantitative research approach to objectively analyze the impact of environmental clubs on students' environmental awareness and adoption of eco-citizen behaviors. To carry out this analysis, we utilized the Propensity Score Matching method to control for selection biases and ensure a valid comparison between students who participated and those who did not participate in the environmental clubs. Our sample consisted of 255 students in the control group and 241 students in the treatment group. Data were collected using a questionnaire focused on assessing environmental awareness and the adoption of eco-citizen behaviors. This data was then processed and analyzed using the SPSS software, allowing us to obtain statistically reliable and relevant results.   Results: The comparison of scores between the two groups revealed a notable difference. Indeed, participating students displayed higher scores, whether in the "awareness" aspect or in the "eco-citizen behavior" aspect. Furthermore, when comparing the means using the t-test for independent samples, we observed significant results. Consequently, we reject the null hypothesis, indicating that the observed difference is not due to chance but rather reflects a genuine effect of the environmental clubs on students' awareness and eco-citizen behaviors. Conclusions: In the present study, we concluded that environmental clubs have a positive impact on students' environmental awareness and also contribute to the adoption of eco-citizen behaviors. These findings highlight the significance and relevance of these clubs in the educational context. Therefore, it is imperative to take further action to strengthen and generalize the presence and efficacy of these environmental clubs in educational institutions, with the aim of fostering a generation that is both aware and proactive regarding environmental challenges.

Based on data from international surveys measuring learning (TIMSS), this article focuses on the analysis of the academic performance Moroccan students. The results of the econometric model show that the students’ characteristics, their family environment and school context are key determinants of these performances. The study also shows that the Moroccan educational system is segmented: urban versus rural and public versus private. This double duality illustrates clearly that the Moroccan education system is a juxtaposition of a “categories” rather than a “unified” market.