Agriculture & Forestry, Vol. 69 Issue 4: 91-112, 2023, Podgorica 91 Amraoui, M., Mijanovic, D., El Amrani, M., Kader, S. and Ouakhir, H. (2023). Agriculture and economic development of the Ait Werra tribe during the French colonialism period and its local characteristics (1912- 1956) within the middle atlas region of Morocco. Agriculture and Forestry, 69 (4): 91-112. doi:10.17707/AgricultForest.69.4.07 DOI: 10.17707/AgricultForest.69.4.07 Mohammed AMRAOUI 1 , Mohamed EL AMRANI 1 , Dragica MIJANOVIC 2 , Shuraik KADER 3 , Hasan OUAKHIR 4 AGRICULTURE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE AIT WERRA TRIBE DURING THE FRENCH COLONIALISM PERIOD AND ITS LOCAL CHARACTERISTICS (1912-1956) WITHIN THE MIDDLE ATLAS REGION OF MOROCCO SUMMARY The intertwining of agriculture and economic development during Morocco's period of French colonialism holds a fascinating historical significance. This paper attempts into how this relationship shaped the local characteristics of Morocco's economy, offering insights into the complex dynamics of colonial influence on agricultural practices and their impact on the nation's economic trajectory. This research aims to investigate the agriculture and economic development of the Ait Werra tribe during the French protectorate in Morocco. The French protectorate, established on March 30, 1912, brought about various changes in the agricultural and economic policies of Morocco in the first half of the twentieth century. These changes affected both urban and rural areas, but the tribal economy experienced the most significant impact. While the cities had already opened up to European countries and welcomed their traders, the Moroccan villages remained isolated from the outside world, and the authority of the Makhzen was not prevalent in many mountain tribes. Thus, colonization was a massive shock that transformed all aspects of life, especially for tribes like Ait Werra, which is a part of the Berber confederation and situated in the Middle Atlas Mountain range near to El Kssiba. This article will explore the fixations and transformations of the Ait Werra tribe’s economy as it transitioned from the pre- Makhzen to post-colonial era in Morocco. Keywords: agriculture; economic development; Ait Werra tribe; Atlas region; Morocco 1 Mohammed Amraoui, Mohamed El Amrani; Laboratory of History Legal sciences and languages, Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, Fez, Faculty of Letters and Human Sciences Saïs, MOROCCO; 2 Dragica Mijanovic, Faculty of Philosophy, Geography, University of Montenegro, D. Bojovica, 81400 Niksic, MONTENEGRO; 3 Shuraik Kader, School of Engineering and Built Environment, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD 4111, AUSTRALIA; Green Infrastructure Research Labs (GIRLS), Cities Research Institute, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD 4215, AUSTRALIA; 4 Hasan Ouakhir, Faculty of Letters And Human Sciences, University of Sultan Moulay Slimane, Beni Mellal & Laboratory Dynamic Of Landscapes, Risks And Heritage, MOROCCO. Notes: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest. Authorship Form signed online. Recieved:20/08/2023 Accepted:15/11/2023