French President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday in Rabat that he was “very impressed” by Morocco’s strategy in water management and by the adaptation of its model in the face of current challenges, particularly through water highways and desalination projects.
“I am very impressed by Morocco’s strategy in adapting its model through water highways and urban desalination projects. A very holistic strategy that France should draw inspiration from,” said the French head of state during a meeting initiated by the OCP group, under the theme: “Food Security: Perspectives for Franco-Moroccan Cooperation for a Transition to Sustainable Agricultural and Food Systems in Africa.”
Emphasizing the importance of this vital resource, Mr. Macron insisted on the imperative to build regional strategies, especially since water comes before inputs. For him, it is therefore important to unite the efforts of academic research actors and regional organizations.
The French president also focused on the sustainable development of sectors and the initiatives launched by the Kingdom of Morocco through the OCP, considering it a fruitful strategy that should be developed in several countries.
He also emphasized the need to establish sectors that mature in each African country to create jobs and move out of the informal economy.
Speaking about soils, he highlighted the necessity of establishing a more systematic mapping strategy to intelligently manage this issue, noting the importance of training and research, particularly with an integrated research strategy that can be tailored to the specificities of each country.
Mr. Macron further pointed out the crucial need to create an ecosystem through platforms capable of managing complexities, such as the ecosystem created by the OCP, believing that these platforms enable the mobilization of funding, especially since the greatest difficulty remains the large number of micro-projects that do not encourage major players to invest.
The French president also emphasized that Morocco and France share a common conviction to promote food security, noting that over the past 15 years, a discourse of “agricultural and agri-food degrowth” has emerged to honor “our commitments to decarbonization and changes in eating habits.”
According to the French head of state, the world needs to produce more with fewer inputs by drawing inspiration from research to change models, noting that it is now necessary to integrate new technologies, adapt irrigation models, and better understand the nature of soils.
Mr. Macron mentioned the Paris Pact for Peoples and the Planet (4P), which aims to be an exemplary North-South partnership with the goal of economic development, biodiversity protection, and geopolitical stabilization. He considered it a common fight for Morocco, France, Africa, and Europe.
Regarding the Mediterranean, Mr. Macron stressed the imperative to rethink the Mediterranean agricultural model to meet the challenge of food sovereignty, assuring that France wishes to be a long-term partner in this sovereignty, both for Europe and for the African continent.