Bridging Knowledge Gaps: Territorial Intelligence and Agricultural DecisionMaking among Farmers and Policymakers in Morocco

Effective agricultural governance in semiarid Morocco hinges on the flow of timely, contextspecific information between grassroots producers and institutional decisionmakers. Territorial intelligence (TI)—the integration of multisource data and local knowledge to guide placebased strategies—offers a promising framework, yet empirical evidence on how farmers and policymakers actually mobilise information remains limited. This study provides the first actorlevel assessment of TI in Moroccan agriculture through parallel quantitative surveys of 242 smallholder farmers in the RabatSaléKénitra and SoussMassa regions and 60 agricultural policymakers operating at communal, regional and national scales. Descriptive and inferential analyses reveal significant perception gaps: policymakers rate the effectiveness of knowledge networks, policy adequacy and participatory planning opportunities significantly more favourably than farmers (p < .001, mediumtolarge effect sizes). Multiple regression shows that farmers’ readiness to adopt new practices is driven chiefly by extensioncontact frequency (β = .31) and ICT use (β = .28), whereas policymakers’ willingness to decentralise decisionmaking depends on perceived data quality (OR = 2.19) and frequency of farmer consultations (OR = 1.82). These findings indicate that technical innovations alone are insufficient; robust dialogue platforms, interoperable data systems and capacitybuilding on both sides are essential to realise TI’s potential. The study advances TI theory by situating it in a NorthAfrican, climatestressed context and offers practical recommendations aligned with Morocco’s Generation Green 2020–2030 strategy.