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Doha – French President Emmanuel Macron declared himself “very happy and very proud” to welcome Morocco as the guest of honor at the International Agriculture Show (SIA) which opened Saturday in Paris, marking a historic first in the exhibition’s 61-year history.
“We are very happy and very proud to have Morocco as the guest of honor at SIA where it is present with a magnificent stand,” Macron asserted in a press statement before inaugurating the show alongside Moroccan Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch.
The French President pointed out that this decision follows his recent state visit to the North African country, made at the invitation of King Mohammed VI. “It is a great pride for our Agriculture Show and our farmers to have this very strong partnership,” Macron articulated.
For his part, Akhannouch, who inaugurated the Moroccan pavilion alongside Macron, French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot, Moroccan Agriculture Minister Ahmed El Bouari, and Morocco’s Ambassador to Paris Samira Sitail, voiced his satisfaction with Morocco’s honorary status.
The ceremony was also attended by French political figures, including National Assembly Vice-President Naïma Moutchou, France-Morocco Friendship Group President at the Senate Christian Cambon, and Senator Hervé Marseille, along with several members of the Moroccan community.
“We are delighted that Morocco is the guest of honor for this edition. This consecrates an entire strategic partnership work between the Kingdom of Morocco and France thanks to the leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI and the will of French President Emmanuel Macron,” he proclaimed.
The Moroccan Head of Government revealed that they chose to showcase regional products with participation from women’s cooperatives, stating that “this gives the image of the variety and richness of agricultural products we have in our country.”
France-Morocco: Twin agricultural powerhouses
The French media extensively covered this unprecedented partnership, while also projecting its various implications. France 24 disclosed that this event occurs amid warming diplomatic and economic relations between Rabat and Paris, following a period of tensions marked by the Pegasus scandal and visa restrictions in 2021.
The news outlet clarified that France supplied over 50% of Morocco’s soft wheat imports in 2023, with Philippe Heusele, president of Intercéréales’ international relations committee, asserting that “even if our countries have experienced tensions, our partnership isn’t new and it’s important to celebrate it.”
The media particularly highlighted Morocco’s strategic position as holder of the world’s second-largest phosphate reserves, a crucial component in fertilizer production, with France 24 noting the EU as one of the main buyers of this essential agricultural resource.
BFM TV espoused detailed trade statistics, revealing that agricultural products represented about 9% of French exports to Morocco in 2023 (approximately €610 million) and nearly 19% of French imports from Morocco (about €1 billion).
The outlet pointed out that Morocco exported 400,000 tons of tomatoes to France in 2023, representing 75% of all French tomato imports, a figure that has surged by 139% over two decades while Spanish imports declined by 57%.
Beyond tomatoes, Morocco exported 45,000 tons of peppers to France in 2023, marking a dramatic 1,040% increase over two decades. Additionally, the news source revealed that Moroccan fresh fruit imports reached 180,000 tons in 2023, with watermelons accounting for 69% of volumes and melons representing 22%.
Europe 1 broadcasted statements from Agriculture Minister Annie Genevard, who proclaimed that “our two agricultures have much to learn from each other. French agriculture in particular, gradually confronted with a climate that our Moroccan friends have learned to overcome for centuries, can usefully benefit from their expertise, particularly on quantitative water management.”
Sandrine Dury from the Center for International Cooperation in Agricultural Research for Development championed the partnership, stating that “Morocco has field experience that we can benefit from, both on technical and social and political aspects,” citing joint projects on olive cultivation adaptation and artificial intelligence in herd management.
However, some concerns were also voiced. France 24 mentioned that certain elected officials and farmers have denounced what they perceive as unfair competition.
The outlet quoted Claude Girot from the Peasant Confederation, who propounded that “labor costs are ten times higher in France, and workers – often women – are sometimes exploited for these harvests in Morocco, without even being given a work contract.”
The media also addressed regulatory concerns, with France 24 reporting that Republican deputy Antoine Vermorel-Marques advocated for “stricter regulations with financial penalties for importers” regarding products that don’t comply with European sanitary standards.
The outlet noted his assertion that “this is not a measure against Morocco. But we need more controls. This is about defending our public health and our farmers’ work.”
The 61st edition of the International Agriculture Show in Paris, organized under the theme “A French Pride,” will welcome more than 600,000 visitors. The exhibition features 4,000 animals and 1,000 exhibitors spread across 16 hectares with 9 pavilions.
Located at the heart of the exhibition at the Paris Exhibition Palace, Morocco’s 476-square-meter pavilion curates labeled Moroccan regional products from cooperatives with centuries-old expertise.
The national pavilion also features cultural and artistic performances, along with tastings of Moroccan products and dishes, offering visitors a comprehensive display of Morocco’s agricultural authenticity and specificity.
Read also: French TV Report Sparks Controversy About Moroccan Fertilizers as Rabat-Paris Ties Bloom
