The solidarity economy is driving a new era of cooperation between Morocco and Spain
The Oriental Region of Morocco is launching a new development dynamic: the social and solidarity economy. This type of economy is consolidating itself as a strategic engine for the inclusive and sustainable growth of the region thanks to its vision of openness, international alliances and a strong commitment to local cooperatives.
The Moroccan region is managing to position itself as a national and cross-border benchmark in this field. To this end, during two bilateral meetings with representatives from Andalusia and the Basque Country, the Council of the Oriental Region agreed to establish a structured cooperation with Spain around responsible investments based on the solidarity economy and sustainable development. This initiative is part of the regional strategic plan to attract foreign investment with social impact, capitalising on the European experience and the strong historical link between both countries.
The president of the Regional Council, Mohamed Bouarourou, speaking at an international forum held recently in Seville, emphasised the need to accelerate consultations to promote this cooperation in specific projects. Bouarourou advocated a participatory approach that takes advantage of the collective intelligence of public and private actors to boost the regional economic fabric. ‘We are working intensively to elevate the Eastern Region to the rank of a distinguished competitive pole in Morocco,’ he said.
The Moroccan solidarity economy has the backing of the Ministry of Tourism, Handicrafts and Social and Solidarity Economy, which oversees a national strategy focused on the inclusion of the most vulnerable sectors. This strategy seeks not only to generate employment, but also to improve human development indicators and provide decent living conditions for women, young people and disadvantaged communities.
In this context, key figures such as Celia Rosell Martí, director of the Andalusian Agency for International Cooperation, have shown interest in building cooperation based on the social economy, culture and environmental sustainability. This international collaboration has also borne concrete fruit, such as the ‘Mu'azra’ programme to support rural tourism, and the innovative ‘Motivation Nisaa’ programme, launched in 2024 to encourage female and youth entrepreneurship.
For her part, Khadija Douiri, president of the Regional Council's Economic and Social Development Committee, emphasised that more than 1,400 local cooperatives have already received financial support worth 45 million dirhams (4.43 million dollars). In addition, initiatives such as the creation of a single logistics platform in the country and the founding of the Social and Solidarity Economy Observatory reinforce the infrastructure necessary for these cooperatives to prosper and modernise.
In February 2023, the city of Nador hosted the Morocco-Spain Social and Solidarity Economy Forum, a key event where a pioneering agreement was signed that seeks to strengthen the capacities of 240 cooperatives in areas such as digitalisation, communication and entrepreneurship.
The impact of these projects is also reflected in the productive sphere. The Oriental region has valuable agri-food resources, such as the dates of Figuig, the citrus fruits of Berkane, the olive oil of Jerada and the truffles of Bouarfa. These products, managed by associations and cooperatives, represent a concrete opportunity for job creation and territorial valorisation.
At a structural level, the ‘Delo 3’ project, funded by the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation and developed together with the United Nations Development Programme and other organisations, is designed to run between 2024 and 2028 with an estimated investment of 5 million dollars. Its objective is to improve living conditions by training cooperatives and promoting their social and economic integration.