As part of the cooperation between the Kingdom of Morocco and UNDP, the project “Circular Economy Approach for the Conservation of Agro-biodiversity in the Souss-Massa-Draa region in Morocco” was developed with the aim of conserving agro-biodiversity in Souss Massa Draa (SMD). The long-term objective proposed by this project is to introduce the Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) as an innovative mechanism to reverse the loss and degradation of the Argan ecosystem. This, in combination with the valorization (labelling and marketing) of 2 local products from this ecosystem, namely Argan oil and honey.

The project will act through 4 interconnected components.

• Component One will concern the creation of an enabling environment for the introduction of PES in Morocco by addressing the institutional, political and legal changes necessary for the establishment and management of such a mechanism in the SMD.
• Through component 2, the project will strengthen technical capacities for the implementation of PES models in the MDS and thus prepare the ground for a national replication of PES concepts and tools through the dissemination of lessons learned and the exchange of experiences with other projects and programmes.
• The activities of component 3 will promote organic, sustainable and biodiversity-friendly production through a labelling and marketing scheme adapted to products from the Argan ecosystem.
• By capitalizing on the first 3 components, the project will begin a PSE-type pilot investment through Component 4 as a means of promoting, conserving and sustainable exploitation of biodiversity and associated ecosystem services in the Argan ecosystem.