Strategic Management of Terroir Product Valorisation for Export Growth: A Mixed-Methods Study of Moroccan Agricultural Cooperatives

Abstract

Background: Terroir products, deeply embedded in local ecological systems and regional cultural heritage, represent a vital mechanism for economic resilience within emerging markets where rural agricultural configurations are continually developing. Effectively scaling these heritage goods requires agricultural cooperatives to navigate complex strategic frameworks to achieve viable cross-border commercial success.

Objective: This study examines how the strategic valorisation of terroir products shapes export promotion and international market positioning among agricultural cooperatives in Morocco, while evaluating the critical operational barriers inherent in traditional production structures.

Methodology: The empirical analysis utilises a sequential mixed-methods explanatory design combining qualitative and quantitative frameworks. First, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 cooperative leaders to capture fundamental operational realities. Second, a structured survey was administered to a balanced sample of 103 agricultural cooperatives across three major agricultural regions in Morocco. Quantitative data were operationalised by testing a structural model using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) to ensure statistical validity and address complex path relationships.

Results: The findings indicate that four critical dimensions of valorisation — product quality, innovation/transformation, marketing strategy, and investment capacity — are positively and significantly associated with export promotion. Specifically, marketing strategy and product quality exhibit the most substantial primary effects on international performance. Concurrently, the qualitative thematic analysis reveals that weak narrative branding, inadequate packaging solutions, and an overreliance on donor-driven innovation models constitute critical structural barriers that weaken global market integration.

Conclusion: The study finds that internal strategic capabilities and product quality standards jointly drive international trade outcomes. Structural focus on traditional production methods yields suboptimal export growth when cooperatives face weak external marketing and packaging deficiencies.

Unique Contribution: This research advances international entrepreneurship and rural development literature by providing an integrated empirical framework that demonstrates how local terroir product valorisation serves as a catalyst for macro-level export promotion, offering critical theoretical insights into how external marketing mechanisms bridge the tension between traditional heritage preservation and global market demands.

Key Recommendation: It is recommended that corporate regulators, cooperative unions, and agricultural market authorities in emerging economies design strategic interventions that encourage the modernisation of packaging standards and the systematisation of quality certification processes. Additionally, policymakers should implement targeted capacity-building programs that incentivise listed cooperatives to upgrade their digital narrative branding to safeguard cultural transparency and enhance global commercial viability.