IFAD in the Kingdom of Morocco

Since 1979, IFAD has financed ten rural development projects in Morocco, for a total of US$165.1 million.

The first generation of projects, implemented over the period from 1979 to 1986, focused mainly on increasing rainfed and irrigated agricultural production on a nationwide basis, and on developing opportunities for short-term and medium-term credit for poor farmers.

The second generation of projects focused mainly on marginal areas and included activities such as soil and water conservation, upgrading rural roads and infrastructure — particularly water supply — and institution-building and institutional support.

Third-generation projects have the objective of socio-economic development in poor regions where rainfed agriculture is the main source of income. Design and implementation focus on active participation of poor rural people in rural investment projects, and on accountability for implementing and maintaining planned activities to ensure their sustainability.

IFAD programmes and projects in Morocco will continue to focus on three zones that have a high incidence of poverty but also have a development potential. They are mountainous zones, rangelands with poor productivity, and rainfed agricultural zones in the arid south. The latest country programme gives priority to mountainous zones.

In the poorest areas, IFAD’s target groups include poor smallholder farmers and landless farmers, small-scale livestock farmers, rural women and unemployed young people.

IFAD strategy in Morocco

The organization’s recent Country Strategic Opportunities Paper (COSOP) for Morocco, approved in December 2008, outlines IFAD’s strategic objectives, which have the aim of improving the incomes and living conditions of poor rural people. The objectives of IFAD’s strategy in Morocco are to:

• increase the participation of rural communities in the development process, building up the organizational and management capacities of rural people and their grass-roots organizations
• promote access of poor rural people, especially women and young people, to appropriate and sustainable financial services, particularly microfinance services that are tailored to their needs
• promote access to water and improved agricultural techniques, by giving poor people access to irrigation schemes and drinking water supplies and rural tracks in isolated zones

IFAD has built strong partnerships with the Government of the Kingdom of Morocco and with various public agencies, research institutions, professional associations and microcredit associations. IFAD programmes and projects are also developing broad partnerships with local-level development associations, agricultural waters users’ associations, women’s associations and microfinance cooperatives.

Country strategic opportunities programme (2008)

Source: IFAD