In the Maghreb states like in other countries of the MENA region, the norms and shared expectations linked to the social contract established during the independence era define the boundaries of acceptable policy choices. The contract as such was conceptualised as being interventionist and redistributive, allowing for socio-economic development - or at least the prospect of it - through state redistribution in return for political loyalty often under authoritarian repression. The political economy of this ruling system was based upon 'profit distribution' to elite networks. While many researchers refer to the erosion of this social contract in the context of the uprisings in 2011, the rural dimension of the arrangement yet remains under researched. At the same time, policies in the post-2011 period also neglect rural populations and their claims in many ways, as research in Morocco and Tunisia shows. This paper analyses what the rural dimension of social contract embodies– its origins, its impact on social cohesion and on economic equity. The article argues that three trends currently contribute to the erosion and necessary re-negotiation of the social contract in rural areas. Firstly, overexploitation and climate change lead to a severe degradation of water and land resources –both key elements for the control of rural populations since colonial times- which challenges the established patterns of use and redistribution of the resources and of the gains from their exploitation. Secondly, the focus of agricultural policies -the sector still contributes to a large share of GDP and employment- on export production leads to further marginalisation of already disadvantaged small farmers who are in the majority. Thirdly, the emergence of new rural actors and especially of young leaders and (also feminine) farm workers challenges established patterns of loyalty and clientelism. On this basis, the paper outlines the key elements of the social contract’s rural dimension, the major trends that contribute to its erosion and the potential for its reformulation towards a more sustainable and egalitarian project. It builds on extensive empirical research in the region and aims at enhancing the debate on a ‘new social contract for the MENA region’ by explicitly focusing on social and environmental concerns in the rural settings.