In the presence of representatives from the European Union (EU) and the French Development Agency (AFD), partnership agreements were signed as part of the “agroecology” component of the “IHYAE” program (Revitalization of Moroccan Rural Areas through Employment and Entrepreneurship in the Agricultural and Para-Agricultural Sector). The aim is to bolster the resilience of rural areas in the Fez-Meknes, Oriental, and Souss-Massa regions.
This agroecology program, coordinated by the ADA, is funded by a grant of 4 million euros (M€), co-financed by the EU and AFD, over a period of three years.
It specifically aims to convert 8,000 hectares to agroecological practices, improve the economic performance of 2,700 family farming enterprises, support the marketing of agricultural products from agroecology, and achieve a significant adoption rate of agroecological techniques among beneficiary farmers.
This initiative features an innovative and unprecedented approach, launched by the Ministry of Agriculture as part of the IHYAE program, through a dedicated call for projects to assist small farms in their agroecological transition, in collaboration with consortia of national and international NGOs.
On this occasion, the Director General of the ADA, El Mahdi Arrifi, emphasized that the signing of these six agreements is not merely an administrative act; rather, it reflects a shared vision, a collective ambition, and a new dynamic to support farmers in their agroecological transition.
The selected projects stand out for their relevance, coherence, and the impact they aim to generate within the targeted territories, he noted.
Mr. Arrifi highlighted the importance of involving young rural individuals and empowering rural women, stating that their active participation in training, demonstrations, and field actions is a crucial lever for their economic integration and the sustainability of innovative practices.
He specified that in all actions within the “Generation Green” strategy, women and youth are central to every project, with mandatory dedicated indicators for this category of beneficiaries.
For his part, Timothée Ourbak, head of the nature sector in Rabat at the AFD, praised the alignment of priorities among the EU, the ADA, and NGOs in this program.
He added that the initiative is at the heart of the “Generation Green” strategy and the issue of solidarity agriculture, noting that the AFD now refers to solidarity agriculture within the rural and agricultural domain.
Furthermore, Mr. Ourbak highlighted the innovative partnership characterizing this program, which proposes a territorial approach with coordinated work between the ministry, the ADA, and the NGOs working in consortium.
He expressed confidence in the impacts these projects will yield on the ground, deeming the feedback essential for optimizing and scaling successful actions.
Virginie Coustet, program officer at the EU delegation for sustainable agriculture and forests, underscored that the European Union remains committed to supporting Morocco in the “Generation Green” strategy and to endorsing all sustainable production methods to ensure stable, long-term incomes for communities most affected by climate disruptions and resource degradation.
Ms. Coustet announced that another call for projects concerning rural and agricultural entrepreneurship would soon be launched.
Meanwhile, Fatima-Zahra El-Miri, the national coordinator of the “IHYAE” program, highlighted the strategic importance of this program in promoting a sustainable and resilient agricultural model.
She underscored the complementarity among the different actors involved and the necessity of pooling financial and technical resources to maximize field impact.
Ms. El-Miri insisted on the program’s integrated territorial approach, which capitalizes on the experiences of national and international NGOs to provide concrete solutions to the challenges facing small farmers.
In the targeted areas, which heavily rely on agriculture, the combined effects of natural resource degradation and climate change are increasingly being felt.
The program aims to provide integrated and sustainable responses to the challenges of soil degradation, biodiversity loss, and difficulties related to water resource management, exacerbated by a declining agricultural workforce and rural exodus.