Fatima Sghir

Moroccan environmentalist and advocate for sustainable agriculture in North Africa

Fatima Sghir (b. 1952) is a Moroccan environmental activist and agricultural innovator renowned for her work in promoting sustainable farming practices across North Africa. In the 1980s, she co-founded the Association for the Development of the Tafilalet Region, which implemented agroforestry projects to combat desertification and poverty in arid regions. Her initiatives restored degraded land using traditional knowledge combined with modern techniques, increasing crop yields by over 300% in some areas.

Sghir's approach emphasized community participation, training thousands of farmers in permaculture and water conservation methods. Her efforts in the Tafilalet region became a model for the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, influencing policies in Algeria, Tunisia, and Mali. She also pioneered women-led cooperatives to market organic products internationally, boosting rural economies.

Her advocacy led to the creation of the Green Morocco Plan, which integrated sustainability into national agricultural strategies. Sghir's work underscores the role of grassroots innovation in addressing climate change, earning her the Right Livelihood Award in 2007.