KEY POINTS
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The African Development Bank has approved a $116.4 million loan to Morocco for climate-resilient, sustainable farming.
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The funding prioritizes women and youth, aiming to increase food security and empower rural communities.
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The loan aligns with Morocco’s Green Generation 2020–2030 agenda and AfDB’s climate and development goals.
The African Development Bank, AfDB, has approved a loan of 100 million euros ($116.4 million) to Morocco in a major move to enhance sustainable agriculture and improve food security in the country.
The financing will specifically support projects led by women and young people, helping to build climate resilience among small-scale farmers who are often most vulnerable to environmental and economic shocks.
The loan is part of AfDB’s broader push to foster inclusive development across Africa through sustainable investments in agriculture, water management, energy, infrastructure, and social services.
“Women who have the ambition to undertake and succeed in agriculture are our priority,” said Achraf Tarsim, head of the AfDB office in Morocco. He emphasized the importance of empowering women and youth in the agricultural value chain as a means to secure long-term economic stability and sustainability.
Financing to empower women and youth in rural communities
The financing will empower women and youth in rural communities, fortify food security, and promote climate adaptation techniques.
The new loan is expected to provide direct support to thousands of smallholder farmers, enabling them to adopt modern farming techniques, strengthen irrigation systems, and access improved seeds and sustainable inputs. It will also fund training and technical support for rural entrepreneurs.
This move comes as Morocco continues to battle the effects of increasingly unpredictable weather patterns due to climate change, including prolonged droughts and extreme heat that have devastated crops and livestock.
AfDB has a longstanding history of collaboration with Morocco. Over the last five decades, the bank has invested more than 15 billion euros ($17.46 billion) across various sectors in the country. These include major projects in transport infrastructure, energy transition, education, governance, and access to finance.
In a statement, AfDB reiterated its focus on climate action and inclusive economic development. The institution has prioritized green growth in its lending programs and has aligned many of its new projects with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially those related to ending hunger, achieving gender equality, and taking urgent action on climate change.
The agriculture sector in Morocco accounts for nearly 14% of the country’s GDP and provides livelihoods for over 30% of the population, according to the Moroccan Ministry of Agriculture. Yet, women and youth remain largely underrepresented and underfunded within the sector. By channeling investment towards these marginalized groups, the AfDB seeks to reverse rural poverty trends and foster long-term resilience in the face of environmental challenges.
The latest funding will also complement Morocco’s own Green Generation 2020–2030 strategy, which aims to modernize agriculture, make food systems more efficient, and increase the contribution of agriculture to GDP through innovation, digitization, and private sector engagement.
As Africa’s leading multilateral development institution, AfDB continues to play a key role in helping countries adapt to climate risks while unlocking economic opportunities for future generations.
