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Rabat — The African Development Bank (AfDB) Board of Directors has approved €100 million in financing for Morocco to launch a comprehensive agriculture support program targeting women and young entrepreneurs.
The initiative, called the Program for Supporting Inclusive Solidarity Agriculture for Women and Youth (PAASIFEJ), aims to create lasting opportunities for women and young people while strengthening food security and preparing Morocco’s small-scale farmers for climate change challenges.
The program will stimulate entrepreneurship among women and youth in rural areas by establishing tailored financing and incentive mechanisms.
It will also strengthen technical and financial support systems to help participants succeed in their ventures.
The initiative plans to deploy new agricultural production and service infrastructure, which will consolidate women’s participation in local value chains, enhance their skills, and increase their productivity.
According to the AfDB, these actions will foster the emergence of women entrepreneurs in agriculture, para-agriculture, processing, and digital sectors. The program supports Morocco’s new employment roadmap by promoting rural entrepreneurship.
Achraf Tarsim, the AfDB’s country manager for Morocco, outlined the program’s priorities. “Women who have the ambition to start businesses and succeed in agriculture are our priority,” he said.
“Through this new operation, we will accompany them step by step to build modern, inclusive, and resilient agriculture, capable of revealing the full potential of those who aspire to innovate and create value and employment in their territories,” Tarsim added.
The program aligns perfectly with Morocco’s priorities and will support the implementation of the “Generation Green” strategy 2020-2030, a national vision seeking to transform agriculture into a more inclusive, sustainable, and high-performing sector.
The initiative also backs the state-led National Solidarity Agriculture Program and the National Youth Entrepreneurship Program, creating synergies across Morocco’s larger development framework.
The African Development Bank has partnered with Morocco for over fifty years, building collaboration based on a shared and integrated vision of development.
The institution has mobilized nearly €15 billion to date, financing more than 150 high-impact projects in strategic sectors including transport, water, energy, agriculture, social protection, governance, and finance.
This latest approval demonstrates the bank’s continued commitment to supporting the North African country’s agricultural transformation while empowering women and youth as key drivers of rural development.
