Morocco reaffirms its commitment to food security in Africa

Morocco highlighted its expertise and continued commitment to food security in Africa at the UN High Level Political Forum on Tuesday, in the presence of senior officials, including Morocco's permanent representative to the UN, Omar Hilale, and the chairman of Morocco's OCP group, Mustafa Terrab.

According to Morocco World News, at the event, Terrab highlighted the untapped opportunities in Africa, recalling that the continent is home to 60 per cent of the world's unused arable land. He argued that there is a need to change the global perception of Africa's role in the race to achieve food security, stressing, "Africa must play a positive role globally in terms of food security."  

The OCP president also highlighted the crucial role of fertilisers in transforming land into fertile and productive assets, stating that without this essential component of modern agriculture, only half of today's food could be produced.  

Terrab further lamented that although Africa is the largest exporter of fertiliser-producing natural resources, the continent is ironically a net importer of processed fertilisers. "As a result, the African farmer faces the fundamental problem of having fertilisers that sometimes cost two or three times more than in other regions, despite the fact that these fertilisers are made from the continent's own natural resources," he explained.  

This is not the first time the OCP president has emphasised the critical importance of fertilisers and urged the continent to redouble its efforts to embrace domestic production of processed fertilisers. In an interview in May 2023, Terrab commented that the average fertiliser use in Africa, in terms of kilogrammes, is one-tenth of the global average. "The world average is about 150 kilograms per hectare. Africa has less than 15 on average," he added, noting that one way to address low fertiliser use is its inaccessibility.

Terrab's statements come as the OCP has repeatedly demonstrated its interest in making fertiliser more accessible to African countries, especially smallholder farmers. The group supplies customised fertilisers to some 40 African countries, according to the needs of farmers and the specificities of each country.  

The Moroccan company has also introduced several initiatives, including donations targeted at smallholder farmers. These initiatives include fertilisers at reduced prices to support smallholder farmers, providing 550,000 metric tonnes of fertilisers in 2022 to mitigate the impact of rising commodity prices and drought.  

Ultimately, Morocco, through the OCP and its engagement in international fora, highlights the importance of transforming the perception and role of Africa in global food security. Through key initiatives and support for smallholder farmers, it seeks to harness the continent's agricultural potential and improve its self-sufficiency in fertiliser production.