Selected projects in MENA
SUPPORTING MOROCCO’S ORGANIC AGRICULTURAL SEC TOR The “Moroccan-German Technical Dialogue on Agriculture and Forestry” is a bilateral cooperation project of the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture and the Moroccan Ministry of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development and Water and Forests, which strengthens the exchange of technical expertise in the organic agriculture.
Organic farming is an emerging sector in Morocco. In February 2020, the government launched its new national agricultural strategy “Green Generation” at the horizon 2030, to consolidate the achievements of recent years in the agricultural sector. The new strategy sets on human resources promoting employment creation. In this context, organic farming plays a prominent role as an economic prospect in addition to its resource-saving properties. Since 2019, the bilateral technical dialogue accompanies the Moroccan government in achieving the development goals formulated in its new strategy. Public institutions are supported in identifying opportunities and instruments to strengthen the organic production sector. With appropriate and efficient public support and services, organic farmers – and those interested in converting to organic production – will be enabled to increase their production under the legal framework conditions. At the end of 2021, AFC conducted the first training sessions for trainers in organic agriculture. The trainings were dedicated to agricultural managers, engineers and technicians from the public and private sector and consisted of technical aspects of organic production and management as well as international and national regulations. These sessions were organised in Fez-Meknes and Marrakech-Safi – two regions with a high conversion potential for the practice and development of organic agriculture.
The aim of the trainings sessions is to train qualified trainers who will offer courses in organic farming to specialised technicians within the technical institutes of agricultural vocational training. This indirectly contributes to the national strategy targets while increasing qualified human resources in the country. For the year 2022, we will continue to organise training of trainers, strengthen bilateral partnerships and support the Ministry of Agriculture in legal, institutional and commercial aspects related to the organic sector in Morocco. In parallel, partners will be advised in assessing national demand and developing a market strategy for organic products. Pilot activities comprise establishing national organic supply chains as well as partnerships between Moroccan structures and German institutions specialised in organic agriculture.
The national expert Dr. Khalid Azim answers composting and fertilisation questions during a training.
For further information, please contact:
Dr. Martin Baumgart Team Leader martin.baumgart@afci.de
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Houda Labazi National expert houda.labazi@afci.de
Daniela Böhm Project Manager daniela.boehm@afci.de
