Four ways climate change Is threatening Morocco’s Camel market, culture

Morocco’s camel population and culture are under threat as climate change, drought, and rising costs hit Saharan communities. At the country’s largest Amhayrich camel market near Guelmim, breeders struggle to maintain their herds amid shrinking grazing lands.

1. Severe droughts are shrinking pasturelands

Over the past decade, increasingly frequent and severe droughts have reduced grazing areas. “Costs have exploded because of the droughts,” said 39-year-old breeder Mouloud. “We now need to buy fodder to feed the camels. Stallion prices have shot up.” Experts link this trend directly to global warming, which has intensified desertification in southern Morocco.

2. Rising costs of breeding and labour

Camel breeding now demands higher investments. Salaries for herders cost €300–€400 per month, and local workers are scarce. Breeders are forced to recruit staff from Mauritania, often for just one or two years. These labour and feed costs are reducing profitability and discouraging younger generations from continuing the trade.

3. Shrinking grazing land due to Agriculture

Traditional open pastures are increasingly converted to farmland, thanks to groundwater-based irrigation. This limits space for camels, forcing breeders to invest in feed. While camel meat production in Morocco averaged 4,000 tonnes in 2023, cattle meat production reached 257,000 tonnes in 2022, showing the small scale of Morocco’s camel industry relative to other livestock.

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4. Lessons from Kenya’s adaptation strategies

In contrast, northern Kenya’s farmers are increasingly replacing cattle with camels to adapt to droughts. Camels can survive on sparse grasses, go a week without water, and produce six times more milk than cattle. Since 2015, Kenya has expanded camel programmes in arid regions, reducing malnutrition and positioning itself as the world’s leading camel milk producer, with 1.165 million litres annually.

Camel breeders in Morocco worry that without urgent measures, both livelihoods and cultural heritage are at risk. Mohammed, a 33-year-old breeder, said, “Your camels are like your children. They are a gift, a heritage. Losing them means losing part of who we are.”

Read also: Six must-know moments from the COP30 climate summit in Bazil so far