Rabat – Morocco Foodex and the German Federal Office for Agriculture and Food have signed a three-year action plan to strengthen cooperation in several fields.
Under the agreement, the two institutions will work together to develop technical control skills, information and data exchanges, as well as interpretation of standards and guidelines for quality control of agricultural products designated for international markets.
Morocco Foodex and the German institution signed the agreement on Wednesday on the sidelines of the International Agricultural Exhibition in Morocco (SIAM).
“Shared joy over a MoU signed by #Morocco Foodex & the #Bundesanstalt für Landwirtschaft und Ernährung @BZL_aktuell on the margins of @SIAM_OFFICIEL – #GenerationGreen – for a sustainable food sovereignty,” the German embassy in Morocco said in a tweet.
Germany’s Parliamentary State Secretary Orphelia Nick, who attended the inauguration of SIAM, emphasized the importance of joint efforts to tackle existing crises.
“We have to learn from each other how to manage the crises,” she said.
According to the Moroccan Ministry of Agriculture, the memorandum of understanding signed between Morocco FoodEx and the German office also aims to promote the exchange of views on ways to modernize the quality of fruits and vegetables.
The two institutions also agreed to set up a monitoring committee of representatives from the two organizations to materialize the three-year action plan.
The committee will be in charge of monitoring and implementing the actions provided in the agreement.
Germany and Morocco have been expressing the desire to strengthen bilateral ties and cooperation following a year-long diplomatic crisis.
In May 2021, Morocco recalled its ambassador to Germany for consultations due to rising diplomatic tensions between Rabat and Berlin. Morocco’s move was a response to Germany’s stance on the Western Sahara dispute.
Diplomatic ties between the two nations experienced a turning point by the end of 2021 after Germany’s new government expressed its support for Morocco’s Autonomy Plan as a viable solution to resolve the Western Sahara dispute.
Since then, the two governments have expressed their mutual desire to cooperate in different fields, including renewable energies, trade, and security.
Germany is fourth in the EU and 10th globally when it comes to imports of Moroccan agricultural and maritime food products, according to Morocco’s Ministry of Agriculture.
Morocco’s agro-food exports experienced a 62% increase in 2022 compared to 2021. The data represents a growth of 156% compared to 2010.
