Technology

Morocco: DeepLeaf Takes AI-Powered Agricultural Innovation to Seven Countries

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A Moroccan-developed artificial intelligence technology is set to support agricultural innovation across seven countries, highlighting the growing role of Morocco's technology sector in addressing global farming challenges. The initiative, launched in Rome on November 3 with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), will enable local companies to build digital agricultural solutions using technology developed by Moroccan startup DeepLeaf.

Headquartered in Sidi Bennour, DeepLeaf specializes in artificial intelligence tools that examine plant images to identify diseases and monitor crop conditions. Its technology is designed to help farmers and agricultural professionals detect potential problems more efficiently, supporting better crop management and more informed decisions.

According to the UNDP, the company's technology has already undergone validation in Morocco, Kenya and Italy. Its inclusion in a broader international initiative represents a significant step towards extending its application to different agricultural environments and production systems.

Seven Countries to Benefit From Shared AI Technology

The programme brings together Morocco, Tunisia, Kenya, Ghana, Tanzania, Rwanda and Italy. In each participating country, local startups will be able to use DeepLeaf's AI model as a technological foundation for developing their own agricultural applications.

Rather than investing substantial resources in building artificial intelligence systems from scratch, participating companies will have access to an existing technological framework that they can adapt to local crops, farming practices and environmental conditions.

This approach is intended to accelerate the development of agricultural technology while encouraging innovation driven by local expertise. It could also help emerging companies overcome some of the technical and financial barriers associated with developing advanced AI solutions.

Data Ownership and Digital Access at the Centre of the Initiative

Beyond its technological dimension, the programme establishes principles intended to protect the interests of participating businesses and agricultural stakeholders.

Companies developing new applications will retain ownership of their solutions, while the exchange of agricultural data will remain subject to the consent of its owners. Meanwhile, open components of the underlying model may be reused as digital public goods, allowing other actors to benefit from accessible technological resources.

These arrangements aim to encourage collaboration while maintaining safeguards around data ownership and the commercial value of locally developed applications.

Moroccan-Italian Research Cooperation Provides a Foundation

The initiative builds on DeepLeaf's existing partnerships with European research institutions. In June, the Moroccan startup signed an agreement with Italy's Fondazione Edmund Mach, an agricultural research organisation, to work on the scientific validation of its artificial intelligence models.

This cooperation reflects the importance of combining technological development with scientific research to ensure that AI-based agricultural tools can deliver reliable results under different growing conditions.

The wider programme is being coordinated through the AI Hub for Sustainable Development, an initiative supported by the G7 and jointly led by the Italian government and the UNDP.

By extending a Moroccan-developed AI model across Africa and Europe, the project places DeepLeaf at the intersection of agricultural research, digital innovation and international cooperation. It also illustrates how technology developed by emerging-market startups can contribute to solutions addressing shared challenges, particularly the need to make agriculture more efficient, resilient and sustainable.