Morocco consolidates its position as a key partner of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), both as a beneficiary of ground projects and as an institutional player engaged in international mechanisms for rural development financing.
In its 2024 Impact Report, recently published, IFAD highlights the strategic role of the Kingdom, particularly through a notable event of 2024: the unprecedented partnership established with Bank Al-Maghrib. The Moroccan central bank participated in a sustainable bond issuance in euros amounting to €100 million, making Morocco the first country in Africa and the Arab world to invest directly in IFAD’s sustainable bonds. This operation illustrates the financial credibility of the Kingdom and strengthens the connection between Moroccan markets and international instruments dedicated to rural financing.
The report also emphasizes that Morocco is among the beneficiary countries of the portfolio of 30 projects financed through IFAD’s sustainable bond issuances for the period 2022-2024, totaling $646 million. These projects concern the Near East, North Africa, and Europe (NENA) region, which represents about 13% of IFAD’s total geographical portfolio.
### A Cooperation Aligned with National Priorities
IFAD’s interventions in the region—and in Morocco—primarily focus on access to agricultural markets, sustainable management of natural resources, strengthening rural policies, climate resilience, and food security. The Fund emphasizes the alignment of its actions with Moroccan national priorities regarding the transformation of agricultural systems, adaptation to climate change, and inclusion of small farmers.
Moreover, the report stresses the cross-cutting integration of themes such as nutrition, gender equality, youth employment, and environmental sustainability, which are now considered central to the country’s rural policies.
### A New Integrated Project Planned in Khénifra
Beyond its status as an intervention country, Morocco is also emerging as a credible contributor to international sustainable finance. This dual role—as both a beneficiary and an investor—enhances its status as a strategic partner of IFAD and as a bridge between Africa, the Arab world, and international financial markets.
In this dynamic, IFAD plans to provide a new loan of $65.6 million for Morocco, intended to finance an integrated rural development project in the province of Khénifra. This funding aligns with IFAD’s Strategic Options Program for Morocco (COSOP) 2022-2027, which redefines the Fund’s presence in the Kingdom around a programmatic logic and a geographical focus on mountainous areas.
The planned intervention in Khénifra will extend the approach already deployed in several ongoing projects, particularly in the Atlas, the Pre-Rif of Taza, and other mountainous territories. It aims to sustainably improve incomes, strengthen economic inclusion for youth and women, modernize production systems, and enhance climate resilience in rural areas.
Through this cooperation, Morocco reaffirms its commitment to a transformative trajectory for the rural world, focusing on more solidarity-driven, inclusive, and sustainable agriculture.
With Le Matin