article

Agriculture in the Rif and Tell mountains of North Africa

Mountain research and development12 (4)Published In 1992 • Pages: 337-347

By: Maurer, Gérard, 1924.

AbstractBrief abstract written by HRAF anthropologists who have done the subject indexing for the document
This paper challenges the results of much of the earlier research that has drawn a picture of agricultural collapse, land abandonment, and outmigration of the Rif and Tell mountains of the Mghreb of Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia. It shows that there is no simple pattern of rural mountain socioeconomic stagnation and collapse. A much more complicated system of agricultural recession and expansion has occurred with wide diversity in both time and space. These spatial and temporal contrasts are explained by physical, cultural, and political factors including variations in bedrock and soil, local climate, and historical background. While much of the land has been abandoned in certain areas, remittances from out-migrating wage-earners, illegal traffic in hashish, and a host of local developments have led to great improvements in rural village infrastructure and in individual households. For the most part there is widespread agricultural expansion, although this is offset by increased soil erosion and reduced availability of water.
SubjectsDocument-level OCM identifiers given by the anthropology subject indexers at HRAF
Tillage
Cereal agriculture
Topography and geology
Land use
Water supply
Settlement patterns
Cultural identity and pride
Labor supply and employment
Research and development
Real property
Economic planning and development
Internal trade
Aftermath of combat
Environmental quality
External migration
Special crops
Production and supply
Recreational and non-therapeutic drugs
Functional and adaptational interpretations
cultureCulture name from the Outline of World Cultures (OWC)
Berbers of Morocco
HRAF PubDateThe date HRAF published the document
2010
RegionThe area the document pertains to
Africa
Sub RegionThe more specific area the document pertains to, which is located within the Region
Northern Africa
Document TypeMay include journal articles, essays, collections of essays, monographs, or chapters/parts of monographs
article
Evaluation
Creator TypeThe type of person writing the document, e.g. Ethnographer, Missionary, Archaeologist, Folklorist, Linguist, Indigenous Person, and so on.
Geographer
Document Rating A ranking done by HRAF anthropologists based on the strength of the source material on a scale of 1 to 5, as follows: 1 - poor; 2 - fair; 3 - good, useful data, but not uniformly excellent; 4 - excellent secondary data; 5 - excellent primary data.
4: Excellent Secondary Data
5: Excellent Primary Data
AnalystThe HRAF anthropologist who subject indexed the document and prepared other materials for the eHRAF culture/tradition collection
Teferi Abate Adem; 2010
Field DateThe date the researcher conducted the fieldwork or archival research that produced the document
n.d.
Coverage DateThe date or dates that the information in the document pertains to
1950-1992
Coverage PlaceLocation of the research culture or tradition (often a smaller unit such as a band, community, or archaeological site)
Rif, Morocco
NotesAdditional notes
Gerard Maurer
Includes bibliographical references (p. 346-347)
LCCNLibrary of Congress Control Number
82641140
LCSHLibrary of Congress Subject Headings
Rif (Morocco)