Morocco among world’s 50 most food self-sufficient countries

Morocco has been ranked 8th among the eight African countries included in the list of the world’s 50 most food self-sufficient countries, according to Business Insider, citing a recent study by Nature Food, titled, “Gap between national food production and food-based dietary guidance highlights lack of national self-sufficiency.”

The study assessed food self-sufficiency across 186 countries by comparing national food production to recommended dietary guidelines in seven food categories, namely fruit, vegetables, legumes, starchy staples, meat, fish, and dairy.

Morocco recorded self-sufficiency levels of 161% in fruit, 22% in starchy staples, and 65% in dairy.

The military-led countries of Mali and Niger, in contrast, were ranked 1st and 2nd, respectively, demonstrating higher overall self-sufficiency by achieving 236% and 142% in starchy staples.

Cameroon, ranked 3rd on the list, recorded the highest self-sufficiency in fruits among the eight African countries at 296%, followed by Malawi, ranked 7th, at 243%.

In the dairy category, South Sudan, ranked 5th on the list, achieved the highest self-sufficiency at 303%, followed by Tunisia, ranked 6th, at 170%.

The source mentioned that “most African nations still rely on imports for dairy and meat products but tend to perform better in crop-based categories, particularly legumes and staples like cassava, maize, and millet.”

Yet, many countries, even those with strong agricultural potential, often fail to meet national dietary needs due to climate shocks, poor storage infrastructure, and underinvestment in irrigation and technology.

Only Guyana, a South American country, has achieved 100% self-sufficiency across all categories, according to the same source, which added that European nations, however, struggled particularly with fruit and vegetable production, while many Asian countries fell short in dairy.