The article reviews the historical evolution of tobacco cultivation in Morocco and examines the production system that supported its expansion. It traces the crop’s introduction, the role of the tobacco monopoly and public supervision, the spread of experimental stations and extension efforts, and the shift from larger industrial-style cultivation toward small family-based production in mountainous regions. The author shows that this family farming model reduced average plot size while improving quality, broadening planter participation, and adapting tobacco cultivation to areas with limited agricultural alternatives. Tobacco is presented as an example of how agro-industrial organization can reshape rural production structures and local incomes.
A. Salhi (Sun,) studied this question.