STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Morocco’s vision of inclusive green growth is based on better management of natural resources to generate more jobs, value and wellbeing from existing assets.

• The end of fossil fuel subsidies has favored an increase in renewable energy investments and allowed government spending on social programs to go up.

• Strategies for agriculture and fisheries seek to make the most of limited water and fish resources.

Near Marrakesh, in Morocco’s semi-arid landscape, a humble cactus once used to delineate farm plots and stave off hunger, is enjoying a renaissance that gives new meaning to the old saying “Waste not, want not.”

Prickly pear fruit that would have been discarded past its prime season is now pressed into juice to make jam, while the seeds are pressed into valuable oil for cosmetic purposes. Importantly, in a part of the country where rain is rare and declining, the cactus plant makes the most of available water. It combats soil erosion, creates a richer ecosystem, and relieves some of the pressure of grazing when cactus juice is mixed with straw to feed animals.

Continue reading the article on World Bank blog here.