World Bank highlights Morocco’s efforts to promote climate-resilient agrifood system
The World Bank has highlighted Morocco’s efforts to transform the agrifood system into a more climate-resilient, inclusive, and sustainable model that produces safe and healthy food.
The Kingdom “is implementing a multi-faceted program to promote sustainable agriculture, boost irrigation in drought-prone areas, and make agriculture an attractive proposition for young people,” the Washington-based institution pointed out in a new report.
In Morocco, years of drought have reduced crop yields, threatening food security and export revenues, the international financial institution noted.
In this report, the World Bank recalls its partnership with Morocco to strengthen the country’s agriculture sector through programs aimed at improving value chains and market access, strengthening rural youth employment, farming technology and climate-smart agriculture, modernizing irrigation systems and advancing sustainable water management in the regions of Chtouka, Tadla, and Souss-Massa.
In this regard, “a vast new program will promote organic farming and conservation farming, including no-till agriculture, to better protect soil and water resources across 1.4 million hectares of land, expand the use of climate insurance for 120,000 farmers, and improve nutrition, food quality and safety for more than one million consumers,” the Bretton Woods institution pointed out.
The Korea-World Bank Partnership Facility launched the Agritech4Morocco program in 2022 and the AgriYoung Innovate in 2024, supporting agritech start-ups to create digital solutions for private sector clients and government agencies.
Among the many solutions to receive funding is a tool that uses artificial intelligence to estimate crop yields and anticipate events such as droughts, said the WB, adding that this tool is helping farmers to mitigate risks and better assess the inputs they need.
The global food sector is coming under intense pressure, the World Bank recalled, noting that in many parts of the world, climate change is making harvests more unpredictable.
Climate change is another widespread challenge affecting farm yields, with $3.8 trillion worth of damage over the last thirty years.
