A new report by the German Friedrich Naumann Foundation (FNF) highlights how climate change is reshaping Morocco’s agriculture, exposing small farmers to rising risks.
Titled, “Agriculture under Pressure: Climate Change and Morocco’s Food Security,” the report warns that when agriculture falters, it destabilizes both rural communities and the social and economic fabric of the entire country.
This is especially worrying since agriculture, long a pillar of Morocco’s economy and rural life, accounts for 13–14% of GDP and employs around 40% of the workforce, with more than 60% of rural people relying on it for their livelihoods.
Most of these farmers are smallholders, according to the report, working less than five hectares, often on rainfed land, making agriculture essential not just for food production but also for rural employment, social stability, and traditional farming knowledge across generations.
The report stressed that climate is changing faster than the system can adapt, with rainfall becoming erratic, alternating between destructive floods and prolonged droughts, and hitting hard Morocco’s agriculture, where 60% of the land relies on rain.
It added that fluctuating wheat yields force the country to import more cereals, “spending nearly 20% of export revenues, four times the global average, which poses a serious risk to national food security.”
The source also examined Morocco’s 2008 Green Morocco Plan, which aimed to boost competitiveness and productivity.
While the plan succeeded in expanding agricultural exports and irrigated areas and contributed to steady GDP growth, the report stressed that most of the benefits were captured by large, export-oriented farms, leaving many smallholders with limited gains in income or productivity.
It pointed out that wealthier farmers were better able to meet eligibility requirements and co-financing obligations, giving them disproportionate access to public funds and equipment, whereas smallholders faced high costs, fragmented plots, and restricted access to credit and markets.
It also said that many could not take advantage of the plan’s incentives and became more reliant on seasonal work or remittances.
The report views Morocco’s agriculture as growing, but not inclusively, with export-oriented farms thriving while smallholders face rising climate risks and minimal institutional support.
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