Morocco’s meat self-sufficiency is a “myth” as livestock depend on imported feed, report says

Morocco’s apparent independence in meat production is misleading, according to the Moroccan Institute for Policy Analysis.

While most of Morocco’s poultry and red meat is produced locally, the animals depend heavily on imported feed, especially corn and soy from Argentina, Brazil, and the United States. This means Morocco’s food security still hinges on global markets and price fluctuations.

This heavy reliance on imported feed creates a false image of self-sufficiency. The report calls it a “statistical illusion,” saying that true food sovereignty cannot be achieved as long as livestock production depends on foreign inputs.

In recent decades, the country’s poultry industry has expanded massively. Egg production jumped from around 666 million units in 1980 to 6.4 billion in 2024, while chicken meat output rose from 70,000 tons to more than 734,000 tons. Behind these numbers lies a sharp rise in imported animal feed.

Experts say Morocco should rethink its strategy. Instead of focusing on poultry, which requires imported grains, the report suggests investing more in ruminant animals like cows, goats, and sheep. 

These animals can feed on local resources such as pastures, crop residues, and native plants, reducing costs and carbon emissions from overseas shipping. They also help preserve land and maintain soil health, benefits that imported feed systems don’t provide.

At the same time, Morocco is facing another challenge: the declining consumption of plant-based proteins like lentils, peas, and beans. The average Moroccan today eats almost three times less legumes than in the 1980s — dropping from 10.7 kilograms per person per year to just 3.6 kilograms in 2024, according to the National Institute of Agronomic Research (INRA).

Legumes now cover only about 3% of the country’s farmland, mainly in the northern regions such as Chaouia, the Rif, and Sidi Kacem. Imports fill the gap, with around 135,000 tons brought in annually, half of them lentils from Canada and Turkey.

The report says weak investment, low subsidies, and changing food habits are to blame. Meat — especially cheap chicken — has increasingly replaced traditional legume-based dishes like bean soup or lentil stews, now often dismissed as “poor people’s food.”