World Bank approves USD 250M for climate-smart agriculture in Morocco

MOROCCO – The World Bank has sanctioned a USD 250 million financing package to support Morocco’s Agri-Food Systems Transformation Program.

Announced through the organization’s website, the program focuses on increasing the resilience of the country’s agri-food sector to climate change while enhancing food safety and health standards.

The initiative seeks to introduce climate-smart farming practices, establish agricultural insurance systems to address climate risks, and improve water and soil management.

It also includes plans to expand organic farming to cover 25,000 hectares and upgrade health standards at 1,200 food outlets nationwide.

Moroccan authorities estimate that the program will impact over 1.3 million people, including approximately 120,000 farmers and over one million consumers.

Ahmadou Moustapha Ndiaye, the World Bank’s Country Director for the Maghreb, emphasized the program’s alignment with Morocco’s Generation Green 2020-2030 agenda, showing its potential to create rural employment and strengthen food security.

This financial assistance comes amid challenges in Morocco’s agricultural sector, particularly a steep decline in cereal production due to drought.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the country’s cereal output dropped by 42% during the 2023/2024 season, reaching 3.3 million tonnes compared to an annual average of 5.6 million tonnes over the past five years.

Separately, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) organized a trade mission to Casablanca from December 2 to 5.

The mission aimed to expand U.S. agricultural and food exports to Morocco and other West African markets, including Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, and Gambia.

The USDA reported that representatives from 50 American agri-food companies and trade organizations participated in the mission.

The initiative seeks to connect U.S. agribusinesses with new markets in Africa, where economic growth in some regions is driving higher demand for imported food.

“This mission offers U.S. agribusinesses the chance to engage with Morocco’s expanding market and leverage its strategic location to access broader African markets,” said Daniel Whitley, administrator of the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service, which oversees agricultural export programs.

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