Morocco advances sustainable farming practices across Africa, study finds

A new study from Singapore's Nanyang Technological University reveals Morocco's significant progress in implementing regenerative agriculture throughout Africa, highlighting opportunities for Asian agribusiness collaboration in addressing food security challenges.

The research, published on January 20 by Professor Michael Tanchum at the NTU-SBF Centre for African Studies, examines how Morocco's innovative agricultural approaches help combat desertification while enhancing food production across the continent.

By 2020, Morocco's Green Morocco Plan had achieved remarkable results, increasing agricultural export value by 117% to approximately $3.5 billion and generating 342,000 new jobs. The OCP Group, the world's largest phosphate products manufacturer and fourth-largest fertilizer exporter, plays a central role in this transformation, with revenues reaching $9 billion in 2023.

Through its Al Moutmir program operating in 23 Moroccan provinces, over 4,000 farmers have implemented no-till farming across 32,710 hectares, primarily for cereals and pulses. This method has yielded impressive results, showing an average 30% increase in crop yield compared to conventional tilling, while reducing costs.

OCP Africa's influence extends to 16 African nations. Its Agribooster program, active in Nigeria, Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire, and Senegal, has benefited 630,000 farmers in its first five years. Notable achievements include a 48% increase in Nigeria's corn yield and a 63% improvement in Senegal's millet production.

The study also highlights successful partnerships with Asian agribusinesses, particularly Singapore-based Olam Agri's initiatives across ten sub-Saharan African countries. The company has established the world's largest certified regenerative agriculture program in Côte d'Ivoire's cotton supply chain.

Africa's approach to regenerative agriculture differs from Western methods, focusing primarily on soil health improvement to combat desertification and increase crop yields. This strategy is crucial given that Africa's cereal grain output currently stands at only 30% of its estimated potential, with average yields half that of India's production.

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, implementing regenerative agriculture to reverse Africa's land degradation could add $70 billion in Gross Value Added to the agricultural sector while providing 4.4 gigatons of carbon dioxide benefit to the atmosphere.

The study emphasizes that adopting regenerative agriculture has become increasingly urgent for ensuring food security in both Africa and Asia, with Morocco's model demonstrating effective implementation strategies for sustainable agricultural development.