New Program will Boost Climate Resilience of Agriculture and Quality of Food Production in Morocco
Washington, United States, December 20, 2024 – /African Media Agency (AMA)/ – The World Bank Board of Directors has approved US$250 million for the Moroccan Agri-Food System Transformation Program, which aims to improve the climate resilience of Morocco’s agri-food system to change and strengthen Food safety and quality.
The agri-food sector is critical to Morocco’s economic growth, contributing 16% of GDP and 19% of total exports by 2023. It plays a key role in employment, providing 67% of rural employment and 36% of employment opportunities, 30% in primary agriculture and 6% in agro-processing.
However, the industry faces major challenges due to consecutive years of drought, which has led to significant declines in production, especially in the rain-fed grain sector, highlighting its vulnerability to climate risks. In light of recent economic disruptions and current climate trends, the transformation of Morocco’s food system is increasingly important for stable and sustainable development, including through increasing and improving production efficiency while minimizing negative externalities on natural resources and controlling greenhouse gases emission.
The new program aims to improve climate resilience and risk management in rain-fed agriculture by promoting climate-smart practices and improving water and soil management through conservation agriculture. The plan will help improve livelihoods and enhance the quality of employment by stabilizing yields and mitigating climate risks, including expanding no-till farming and expanding coverage of agricultural insurance system reforms.
The initiative will also strengthen food safety, food quality and nutritional security by supporting the expansion of organic farming to 25,000 hectares, improving olive oil quality control and mitigating food-related hygiene and health risks at the food distribution level by upgrading food hygiene standards . Approximately 1,200 food outlets. The program also aims to support farmers in producing and marketing quality food and increase their income through better market access. It will also reduce food loss and waste, strengthen public and private capabilities, and increase awareness of nutritional security. Overall, the program is expected to benefit 1.36 million people, including nearly 120,000 farmers and more than 1 million consumers, with improved food safety and nutritional security.
“By supporting the ambitious expansion of climate-smart agricultural practices, this innovative World Bank-backed program will help Morocco secure green jobs in rural areas and strengthen national food security, in line with the country’s Green Generation 2020-2030 plan,” explain Ahmadou Moustapha Ndiaye, World Bank Country Director for Maghreb and Malta.
$5 million grant from the agency Liveable Planet Fund (LPF) The program will be strengthened strategically. The grant aims to support smallholder farmers through the implementation of innovative programs with decoupling incentives to facilitate their transition from traditional to climate-smart practices.
Distributor African Media Agency (AMA) On behalf of the World Bank Group.
Contact information
in washington
Nicholas Keys
nkeyes@worldbankgroup.org
in morocco
Merriam Benjeron
mbenjelloun@worldbankgroup.org
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