The World Bank’s Board of Directors has approved an additional $4 million grant to Morocco from the Livable Planet Fund (LPF) to further support the Transforming Agri-food Systems Program, aimed at strengthening the country’s resilience to climate change while improving food safety and quality.
In a press release, the Washington-based institution said the new grant complements the $250 million financing package approved in December 2024, reinforcing Morocco’s efforts to modernize and climate-proof its agri-food sector.
Building on the program’s initial focus on scaling up climate-smart agricultural practices, the additional financing targets demand-side constraints faced by small- and medium-scale farmers. The objective is to accelerate the transition of Morocco’s rainfed cereal sector toward conservation agriculture, particularly in the context of increasing climate pressures.
According to the World Bank, the program will directly benefit around 1,200 farmers across approximately 20,000 hectares. Support will be provided through digital e-vouchers designed to reduce production costs by facilitating access to mechanization services such as direct seeding, as well as climate-resilient seeds.
The project will also help cereal and legume farmers—including women and young producers—improve their access to finance and markets. This will be achieved by pooling harvests more efficiently, promoting financial inclusion, and enabling producers to reach more remunerative markets through smart aggregation mechanisms.
In addition, project management, monitoring, and evaluation systems will be strengthened to track the adoption of conservation agriculture practices, measure improvements in yields and farmers’ incomes, and quantify climate mitigation benefits, including reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. World Bank–executed technical assistance will also support the design and rollout of the e-voucher system, as well as the project’s impact evaluation.
The institution stressed that the agri-food sector plays a critical role in Morocco’s economy and rural livelihoods. Consecutive years of drought, it noted, have highlighted the vulnerability of rainfed cereal production and the urgent need to shift toward more resilient and sustainable production systems.
The additional financing is expected to support this transition by expanding conservation agriculture practices that help stabilize yields, improve soil and water management, and reduce farmers’ exposure to climate shocks.
The program also advances the One World Bank Group approach through collaboration between the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the International Finance Corporation (IFC). It contributes to the AgriConnect initiative by boosting employment across cereal and legume value chains and enhancing food and nutrition security.
“By reinforcing the shift to climate-smart practices and piloting innovative, digitally enabled support for smallholders, this additional financing will support Morocco in creating green jobs in rural areas and strengthening national food security,” said Ahmadou Moustapha Ndiaye, World Bank Division Director for the Maghreb and Malta.
Ndiaye added that the project “sustains the momentum of the program approved last year and deepens our partnership under the One World Bank Group approach.”
The World Bank concluded that, alongside measures to improve market access and build capacity among public and private stakeholders, the program aims to help Moroccan farmers produce and market higher-quality, safer food while increasing incomes, ensuring continuity and coherence with the initial financing package.
