Meknès, April 2026 — Against the backdrop of Morocco’s most prestigious agricultural gathering, a quiet but significant story unfolded this spring. The Sourni Cooperative — born within the Multipurpose Social Complex of Attaouia, a region long celebrated for its olive groves — made its mark at the 18th edition of the International Agriculture Exhibition of Morocco (SIAM), held in Meknès from April 20 to 28, 2026.
An Exhibition That Sets the Standard
The 18th edition of SIAM was organized under the theme “Sustainability of Animal Production and Food Sovereignty.” The salon expanded to a nine-day format, opening to professionals from April 20 and to the general public from April 22, reflecting the event’s growing success on both fronts. SIAM aimed to welcome nearly 1,500 exhibitors, 70 participating countries, and to organize more than 40 conferences — a scale that makes the presence of any community-rooted cooperative all the more remarkable.
Olive Oil at the Heart of the Story
Attaouia has for generations been synonymous with olive cultivation. The region’s soils and climate produce olives of exceptional quality, and the tradition of pressing, bottling, and trading olive oil runs deep in its communities — passed down through households and cooperatives alike, long before it became a national export priority.
Sourni Coop carries this heritage forward. The cooperative’s olive oil — cold-pressed, locally produced, and reflecting the terroir of Attaouia — was at the center of its SIAM stand. In a year when SIAM’s overarching theme stressed food sovereignty and sustainable production chains, there was perhaps no more fitting product to bring to Meknès. Olive oil is not simply an agricultural commodity in this part of Morocco; it is an act of continuity.
Born from the Multipurpose Social Complex
Sourni Coop did not emerge from a private investment. It was born within the Multipurpose Social Complex of Attaouia — an institution that quietly anchors the local community, providing not just services, but a sense of possibility. What started as a collective activity within its walls evolved into an organized cooperative with a productive identity and the ambition to compete on a national stage.
SIAM is designed to bring together traditional artisanal productions, cooperatives and associations, major agri-food companies, and state institutions accompanying agricultural projects financially — placing small producers on the same floor as industry leaders. For Sourni Coop, this proximity is the point. Communesmaroc
A Stepping Stone, Not an Endpoint
Sourni Coop’s participation at SIAM 2026 should be read as a beginning. The contacts made, the visibility gained, and the confidence built from presenting Attaouia’s olive oil to a national and international audience are dividends that will take time to fully materialize — but they are real.
The story of a cooperative born inside the Multipurpose Social Complex, carrying the flavors of a region in every bottle, and finding its way to Morocco’s most important agricultural stage is ultimately a story about what community institutions make possible. Not just shelter or services — but the conditions in which economic dignity, and great olive oil, can reach the world.
