Japan, Morocco Deepen Food Security Partnership Through OCP Cooperation

Agadir – Japan and Morocco reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen cooperation in food security and ensure a stable supply of phosphate fertilizers during talks in Tokyo held today, where both countries pledged to deepen their strategic partnership.

Japan’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ayano Kunimitsu, received Faris Derrij, CEO of OCP Nutricrops, for a courtesy meeting today to discuss bilateral cooperation in agriculture and fertilizer supply.

According to a statement from Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kunimitsu referred to the Japan-Morocco Joint Communique issued by the two countries’ foreign ministers in May, which reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation in food security and maintaining a stable supply of phosphate fertilizers.

She said Japan aims to further deepen its “strategic and mutually beneficial relationship” with Morocco by enhancing cooperation with the OCP Group in this field.

Derrij, in turn, expressed Morocco’s commitment to advancing cooperation with Japan in the fertilizer and food security sectors.

The two sides also reaffirmed the long-standing partnership between Morocco and Japan, highlighting decades of cooperation in areas including agriculture and water resource management.

“Both sides reaffirmed that the two countries have built a solid cooperation over many years across a wide range of areas, including agriculture and water resource management,” the statement said. 

Kunimitsu expressed hope that Derrij’s visit to Japan would help elevate cooperation between Japan and the OCP Group to the next stage, paving the way for further progress in the bilateral partnership.

“State Minister Kunimitsu expressed her expectation that this visit to Japan would serve as an opportunity for cooperation between Japan and OCP Group to advance steadily to the next stage,” the statement further reads. 

OCP deepens decades-long partnership with Japan 

The meeting comes weeks after Japan’s Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Norikazu Suzuki, visited OCP Group’s industrial platform in Jorf Lasfar, fostering the growing importance of agricultural cooperation in Morocco-Japan relations.

Suzuki, who was accompanied by an official delegation, toured the site as part of a longstanding partnership that has linked OCP with Japanese partners for more than six decades.

According to OCP, the partnership dates back to 1961 and has evolved into a strategic collaboration focused on agricultural development and the stable supply of phosphate fertilizers. 

The company said the cooperation contributes to food security efforts in Japan and across the ASEAN region while supporting Japan’s agricultural ambitions amid growing concerns over the resilience of global supply chains.

Morocco’s phosphate industry drives global food security 

The renewed cooperation also reflects Morocco’s growing strategic importance in global food security through its phosphate industry. 

Home to around 70% of the world’s phosphate reserves, Morocco is one of the world’s leading producers of phosphate-based fertilizers and among the top fertilizer exporters, supplying agricultural markets across multiple continents.

At the center of this position is OCP Group, one of the world’s largest producers of phosphate-based fertilizers. The company reported revenues of MAD 114 billion ($11.4 billion) in 2025, driven by strong international demand from major agricultural markets, including India and the United States.

OCP is also expanding its production capacity to meet rising global demand, with plans to increase fertilizer output from 12 million tonnes to 20 million tonnes by 2027. 

Alongside this expansion, the group is pursuing its goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2040 through investments in renewable energy, green ammonia, and sustainable fertilizer production.