The African Development Bank (AfDB) has recently approved a €100 million ($116.4 million) loan to boost sustainable agriculture in Morocco, with a focus on empowering women and young people.
The loan aims to enhance food security and build resilience among small-scale farmers in the face of climate change, the AfDB said in a statement.
“Women who have the ambition to undertake and succeed in agriculture are our priority,” said Achraf Tarsim, the head of the AfDB office in Morocco.
Over five decades, the AfDB has invested 15 billion euros ($17.46 billion) in projects, including transport, water, energy, farming, social protection, governance and finance.
In 2022, Morocco experienced its worst drought in four decades, causing a sharp drop in cereal production, from 10.3 million tonnes in 2021 to just 3.4 million tonnes, according to Morocco’s Ministry of Agriculture.
With over 70% of Moroccan farmers being small-scale producers, many lack access to irrigation, financing, and technology, making them particularly vulnerable to weather shocks and soil degradation.
