By Abbas Nazil
The World Bank Board approved a $4 million grant from the Livable Planet Fund to Morocco to strengthen its Transforming Agri-food Systems Program.
This new funding supplements the $250 million initially approved for the program in December 2024 and is aimed at accelerating the transition of Morocco’s rainfed cereal sector to climate-smart agriculture.
The initiative targets small- and medium-scale farmers, addressing demand-side constraints by providing mechanization services, access to climate-resilient seeds, and digitally enabled e-vouchers that reduce production costs.
Approximately 1,200 farmers across 20,000 hectares are expected to benefit from this support, which will help them improve yields, enhance soil and water management, and reduce vulnerability to climate shocks that have historically affected Moroccan agriculture.
The grant emphasizes conservation agriculture practices, enabling farmers to shift from traditional farming methods to more sustainable approaches.
Through the e-voucher system, cereal and legume farmers, including women and youth, will gain improved financial access and enhanced market opportunities by aggregating their harvests efficiently.
The program also includes robust monitoring and evaluation components to track adoption rates, measure yield improvements, assess income growth, and quantify climate mitigation benefits.
The World Bank will provide technical assistance for the design and rollout of the e-voucher system and support impact evaluations to ensure the program’s effectiveness and sustainability.
Ahmadou Moustapha Ndiaye, World Bank Division Director for the Maghreb and Malta, stated that the additional financing reinforces the shift to climate-smart practices, creates green jobs in rural areas, and strengthens national food security.
The program reflects the One World Bank Group approach by fostering collaboration between the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the International Finance Corporation (IFC).
It contributes to the AgriConnect initiative by boosting employment in cereal and legume value chains while enhancing food and nutrition security across Morocco.
Morocco has secured $1.77 billion from the World Bank during the 2025 fiscal year, ranking as the eighth-largest IBRD borrower globally.
The country accounted for 34% of IBRD approvals in the Middle East and North Africa region, demonstrating its strong partnership with the multilateral development institution.
Consecutive droughts in Morocco have exposed the vulnerability of rainfed cereal systems, making the adoption of conservation agriculture practices critical for building resilient production methods.
The additional funding aims to expand these practices while improving market access, capacity-building, and technical support for farmers, ensuring long-term sustainability and economic growth within the sector.
