The Role of the Ministry of the Interior in Agricultural Development

The paper analyzes the place of Morocco’s Ministry of the Interior in agricultural development and rural policy implementation. It argues that, because most of the population and local authorities were rural, the ministry played a decisive coordinating role alongside the Ministry of Agriculture, especially in applying the Agricultural Investment Code, supervising local commissions, and managing land, forests, and collective resources. The article reviews both the gains and the limits of agricultural policy, noting progress in irrigated, citrus, sugar, and dairy production but weaker results in cereals, forage crops, and rainfed areas. It concludes by calling for a broader rural development approach that goes beyond irrigated land alone.