Green beans are a determined dwarf plant with an upright growth habit. The plant produces dark green pods 13 to 17 cm long. Moroccan production is characterised by extra-fine beans with a diameter of 4 to 6 mm. It is mainly produced in the province of Skhirat-Temara on an area of around 800 ha. The majority of the production is exported to France, Switzerland, and the Gulf countries.
Green beans have been cultivated in the region since the French colonisation. They are a widely consumed vegetable in the West where they can be packaged fresh, canned, or frozen, and thus consumed all year round. Their first appearance was about 500,000 years ago, when they were appeared in Ecuador, and later diversified in Mexico and the Andes. Their cultivation is of great importance in Indian civilization, but it was not until the time of the great explorers of the New World that the first beans reached the European continent. Consumed since the 19th century as a fresh vegetable, beans are now part of many culinary traditions.
