Abstract:
In recent years, the agricultural sector in Morocco has undergone significant transformations under national strategies such as Plan Maroc Vert and Génération Green 2020–2030, which emphasize sustainable development, social equity, and labor compliance. However, despite growing interest in responsible agricultural practices, the academic literature lacks a systematic and empirical overview of how social auditing as a mechanism to monitor labor standards, ethical conduct, and corporate social responsibility has been addressed in the Moroccan context. The scarcity of structured reviews limits our understanding of existing knowledge, thematic priorities, and empirical gaps in this evolving field.
This study aims to assess the evolution, structure, and thematic directions of scholarly work on social audits in Moroccan agriculture from 2015 to 2025. More specifically, it seeks to identify dominant research clusters, detect underexplored areas, and propose a conceptual framework for future academic and institutional initiatives. To achieve this, a bibliometric and qualitative review was conducted following the PRISMA 2020 protocol, using data retrieved from Scopus and Web of Science. Out of 122 initial records, 67 peer-reviewed articles were selected based on predefined inclusion criteria. Bibliometric mapping (via VOS viewer) revealed five key thematic clusters: CSR and sustainability, labor rights and working conditions, certification and standards, gender inclusion, and governance frameworks. Additionally, a manual content analysis of the most cited articles provided insight into audit typologies, stakeholder involvement, and gender-sensitive practices.
The findings underscore a concentration of research on CSR and labor practices, while revealing important gaps in gender integration, livestock sectors, and rural cooperatives. In response, the paper introduces a multi-level conceptual model that integrates micro (farm level), meso (cooperative and certifier level), and macro (institutional and policy) perspectives to strengthen future social audit systems. This review contributes to both academic scholarship and policy reflection by clarifying research dynamics, identifying blind spots, and offering strategic guidance for the effective institutionalization of social audits in Moroccan agriculture.
