ANALYZING THE FACTORS INFLUENCING DAIRY COOPERATIVE AFFILIATION AND ITS ROLE IN ENHANCING FOOD RESILIENCE AMONG SMALLHOLDER FARMERS IN SOUTHERN MOROCCO.

This article addresses two main scientific questions. First, it examines the relationship between smallholder households' membership in dairy cooperatives and their resilience to food insecurity, measured by the Food Consumption Score, in the context of the Souss Valley. Second, using binary logistic regression, it analyzes how various socio-economic factors influence the likelihood of cooperative membership. It assesses how these determinants affect cooperative participation and identifies the underlying mechanisms of this effect. The study reveals that over 60% of smallholders are not members, while members own four times more livestock than non-members. Increased distance from milk collection centers significantly reduces membership. Non-agricultural income and migrant remittances substantially increase the likelihood of membership, while access to irrigation water, though beneficial, has a minimal effect. The availability of household labor quadruples the chances of membership, whereas access to credit, large land areas and extension visits do not significantly impact membership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]