The Complexities Surrounding Eid al-Adha in Morocco
The celebration of Eid al-Adha has come and gone, leaving behind a whirlwind of controversy, discontent, and fear that nearly spiraled into panic. As the dust settles on the bustling marketplaces, it is essential to reflect on the events that transpired with a critical eye, allowing for some distance from the immediate chaos and a cooler perspective conducive to understanding rather than forgetting. The incidents that occurred cannot simply be brushed aside as a seasonal occurrence, nor can they be reduced to a narrative of greedy merchants or overzealous citizens; they represent a significant moment that demands deeper scrutiny.
Recently, Karim Zidan, Morocco's Minister of Investment in the government led by Aziz Akhannouch, took to the podium to reinforce the government's stance regarding the rising prices of sacrificial animals. His assertions were couched in the typical governmental rhetoric, emphasizing the notion of "the year is good" and suggesting that the inflation was a byproduct of excessive contemplation and repetition of negative thoughts. This line of reasoning implies that if people simply stop thinking about high prices, they will magically disappear, treating a serious economic issue as if it were a mere facet of self-improvement. However, when we compile the myriad of official statements, releases, and statistics leading up to the holiday, we are left with two stark possibilities: either the data provided by the Prime Minister and the Minister of Agriculture regarding livestock availability was fundamentally misleading or, at best, detached from the harsh reality observed in the markets during the days leading up to the holiday.
Understanding the Underlying Issues
In the event that the figures were accurate, it raises the troubling question of how Morocco could so uniquely defy the laws of economics that have governed trade for centuries. This includes principles such as supply and demand, which traditionally dictate that an increase in supply, supported by generous subsidies and imports, should lead to lower prices. Yet, the reality witnessed was a stark contrast, highlighting a potential catastrophe. A government that exhibits such blatant dishonesty and manipulation breeds a deep political and moral crisis, eroding public trust and financial stability. Alternatively, the nightmare scenario in which the market consumes billions in subsidies and tons of imports, only to be left with soaring prices, is equally alarming.
The root of the problem lies not solely in the failure of political management but in a complex interplay of social and geographical transformations that have made the crisis surrounding Eid al-Adha more profound than the failings of any single minister or government. According to geography professor Mustafa Ayashan, the crisis stemming from the Eid al-Adha celebrations cannot be effectively explained through the simplistic lens of supply and demand alone. He points out that Morocco has transitioned over a few decades from a society where a significant portion of its population raised their own sacrificial animals to one that is increasingly urban, reliant on purchasing livestock. Previously, rural areas not only produced meat but also contributed to the equilibrium of markets, solidarity, and social meaning. A considerable number of Moroccans would receive their sacrificial lamb from their family's farmland or inherited property, but now, urban migration has led to a substantial increase in consumers while the number of traditional producers has decreased.
This shift has resulted in millions of Moroccans flooding the market in a short time frame, searching for a product that is no longer produced within the same social fabric that demands it. While the traditional market was not entirely innocent or fair, it was embedded within a community that possessed traditional mechanisms of solidarity, mitigating greed, and distributing risk. Today, however, we have dismantled these structures without establishing a modern, equitable, organized, and transparent alternative. We have entered a market that has embraced modernity in amplifying profit and speculation, yet remains unacquainted with its own laws and ethical boundaries.
As Ayashan articulates, we have shifted from "pastoral farming" to "stable farming." In common perception, when the rains come, one would expect prices of livestock to decrease due to the abundance of grazing. However, this logic belongs to the past. A significant portion of livestock no longer resides within the natural geography as it once did; instead, it is now part of a semi-industrial system that relies on compound feeds, barley, transportation, water, fattening, energy, debts, and intermediaries. Consequently, simply having a rainy year is insufficient to lower prices, as the relationship between rain and cost is no longer direct. We now face a gradual separation between natural geography and productive geography.
The major cities of Morocco are no longer equipped to handle the massive seasonal influx of livestock and people, along with the associated negotiations, sales, transport, and slaughtering. This has led to certain markets becoming sites of collective tension, reminiscent of social panic, characterized by overcrowding, conflict, flying stones, shouting, and fears of inadequate supply, compounded by an even greater fear of losing purchasing power. In a last-minute decision this year, authorities attempted to tackle the issue of small-scale merchants by prohibiting buying and reselling within the market; however, they failed to recognize that not all forms of traditional mediation equate to pure speculation. Some of these intermediaries have played a critical role in connecting local markets, transporting livestock as needed, distributing supply, accelerating its circulation, and creating flexibility between production and consumption areas.
When these mediating roles are stifled without establishing a robust logistical, professional, and digital alternative, the result is not only the elimination of speculation but also the disruption of part of the economic cycle itself. Thus, any technical solutions will remain insufficient if we do not name the political problem for what it is. The crisis surrounding sacrificial animals is not merely a geographical imbalance, a demographic transformation, or a lack of maps and data; it is fundamentally a crisis of trust.
Citizens no longer believe the official figures because they see a contradictory reality in the marketplace. They no longer trust the subsidies as they feel no impact on prices. They no longer believe in abundance because they search for it and find none. They no longer perceive the market as free, only seeing it as a realm where others exploit them. Eid al-Adha may have passed, but the pressing question remains: "Why did the sacrificial animals not arrive?" Simply put, they became lost along the way—caught between official numbers and the actual market, between public support and opaque supply chains, and between a declining rural sector and an urban populace demanding more. They are lost between a small-time merchant scrambling in the marketplace and a major player entrenched in decision-making processes. The sacrificial animal has been lost between a state that strives to project strength at the last moment while neglecting to address the underlying issues that have festered over many years. It is crucial that we remain vigilant about the "lost" sacrificial animal, as it may be retreating only to charge at us once more.
As reported by thevoice.ma.
