Morocco’s Fig Brandy ’Mahia’: Calls Grow for Legalization to Protect Cultural Heritage and Boost Economy

"The ’mahia’ has ancient cultural and industrial roots in Morocco, where it has been produced for centuries, first by Moroccan Jews, before its techniques were passed on to other segments of society; and it is necessary to protect it before it becomes a victim of cultural appropriation, as has been the case for many Moroccan elements," said the president of the Moroccan Federation of Consumer Rights to Hespress. He believes that "the debate today should not remain a prisoner of the angle of prohibition or acceptance, but should be transformed into a demand for organization and legalization of this product within a clear legal framework, so that it is subject to health and tax control, and protects the consumer from toxic substances used in anarchic preparation".

According to him, many cases of poisoning and death are linked to these poor quality substances. From his explanations, "the State’s continued ignorance of this reality makes it lose a precious opportunity to collect significant tax revenues, at a time when it is looking for additional resources to support the budget". The expert is convinced that the legalization of this product, like cannabis, could transform an unstructured sector into a legal economic activity contributing to development and generating significant revenue for the public treasury. "Everything that is forbidden becomes more desirable, which leads to the spread of the consumption of toxic substances and adulterated products manufactured under dangerous conditions that do not respect minimum safety standards," he stressed.

For the expert, it is time to open a courageous and responsible national debate on the enhancement of traditional products of local origin, before other countries take the initiative to register them in their national heritage. Ahmed Bayoud, founding president of the Association "With Consumers", agrees. He also calls for "the opening of a vast national debate on how to transform traditional products like mahia from an invisible danger into an organized sector, based on an existing experience in the city of Casablanca, in order to guarantee a legally and sanitarily regulated product, capable of contributing to economic development, away from the logic of smuggling, counterfeiting and manipulation of the citizen’s health".