Casablanca – Morocco has obtained the certificate of admission for the Moroccan organic standard “Bio-Maroc,” indicating its alignment with the IFOAM – Organics International (OI) standards.
The certification was awarded during Biofach-2022, the world’s leading trade fair for organic food held between July 26-29 in Nuremberg, Germany, reported Morocco’s Ministry of Agriculture on September 19.
According to the ministry, the admission was awarded following a “comprehensive” evaluation of the national organic standards of Morocco’s “Bio-Maroc” in respect of the Common Objectives and Requirements of Organic Standards (COROS).
Upon receiving this certificate, Morocco gains international credibility as the country aligns itself with IFOAM-IO standards, the ministry’s statement noted.
It also positions the North African country amongst new international markets for organic products such as Saudi Arabia or Australia, which will help develop its exports, the ministry added.
According to the statement, this admission is the result of a “close” collaboration between the Moroccan-German bilateral cooperation project “Agricultural and Forestry Technical Dialogue (DIAF),” led by the IFOAM-OI and the ministry.
Read also: Morocco’s Expanding Organic Farming Sector
The Moroccan-German project is not the only initiative that Morocco has launched in its pursuit of a green economy.
In 2020, Morocco launched the “Green Generation 2020-2030” program as part of the continued development in the agricultural sector as part of the implementation of the “Green Morocco Plan.”
Aiming to grow 100,000 hectares of organic land by 2030, the Green Generation project has to date delivered more than 12,000 hectares, as well as plants such as argan, medicinal and aromatic plants, prickly pear and carob, and capers.
The olive, almond, citrus, and vegetable crops, as well as herbs and medicinal plants, are the main sectors cultivated.
Through this program, more than 17,000 tons of organic products were exported in 2019 compared to 10,000 tons in 2010.
The products that make up the Moroccan Bio label mainly consist of citrus fruits, orange juice, frozen strawberry, olive oil, and argan oil.
