🇲🇦MoroccoNorth Africa
Food sovereignty requires refocusing on farmers and territories, expert says
via Le Matin9 min read
Soufiane Bouchakour, an expert, states that drought is now a structural element of agriculture, not a cyclical event. He emphasizes that the current exceptionally rainy season, with dams at 72.1% capacity compared to 36.6% a year ago, should not lead to complacency regarding adaptation efforts. Bouchakour proposes three key changes for agricultural policies: prioritizing water usage for strategic food security crops like cereals and legumes over water-intensive export crops; shifting towards conservation agriculture and improved rainfed agriculture, including direct seeding, soil cover, and drought-tolerant varieties; and revising agricultural zoning to match crops with agroclimatic regions, supported by financial aid for reconversion. He also suggests strengthening sovereignty over basic products, maintaining export positions for high-value, low-water-consuming sectors, and accelerating the use of unconventional water resources, citing the national roadmap's goal of 1.7 billion cubic meters per year of desalinated water by 2030. Bouchakour criticizes current aid mechanisms for livestock, noting their ineffectiveness despite significant investment, leading to national herd erosion and increased meat prices. He identifies three weaknesses: aid is often short-term for structural problems, poorly targeted, and lacks traceability and accountability. He advocates for counter-cyclical aid, including generalized multi-risk climate insurance and stabilization funds. To better structu
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The first Marrakech Comedy Festival concluded after three days of performances, laughter, and interactions, confirming the Moroccan public's enthusiasm for comedy. Held at the Palais des Congrès in Marrakech, the event brought together Moroccan and Francophone comedians to establish a new cultural event dedicated to comedy in the city. The opening night, directed by comedian Eko, featured an Arabophone gala that was sold out and immersed the audience in a world blending Moroccan traditions, self-deprecation, and social commentary. The show highlighted a new generation of Moroccan comedians while celebrating popular local figures, with a stage design inspired by Jamaa El Fna square. Eko, dressed as a "guerrab" and accompanied by the Bola Bola Dekka Marrakchia troupe and DJ Red Supa, launched the evening with a mix of music, humor, and Moroccan cultural references. He introduced artists like Amine Belghazi, Soufiane Figuigui, Ghita Kitane, Seifeddine Settif, Marouane Nbalsi, Ahmed Boudrouze, and Azzedine Fetouhi, each presenting their unique styles. A highlight was the appearance of Franco-Moroccan comedian Malik Bentalha, who shared segments with Eko, incorporating references to Moroccan culture. Organizers noted that the opening night exceeded expectations, with tickets selling out weeks in advance. Karim Debbouze, producer and co-founder of the festival with Malik Bentalha, stated that this successful launch is a significant step in establishing a long-term event. The festiv
Must ReadRachid Yazami, a world-renowned Moroccan electrochemist and inventor of the graphite anode for lithium-ion batteries, believes Morocco has significant advantages to become a major player in the global electric battery industry. Speaking from Singapore, Yazami highlighted Morocco's phosphate reserves, strategic geographical location, free trade agreements, established automotive industry, and skilled workforce as key assets. He emphasized that the global energy transition is a strategic necessity, driven by rising fossil fuel costs and geopolitical tensions, making countries capable of producing and storing energy better equipped for future shocks. Yazami sees the rise of LFP lithium, iron, phosphate battery technology as a major opportunity for Morocco, provided the country moves beyond raw material export to industrial transformation. He cited the upcoming gigafactory in Kenitra, a joint venture with Gotion High-Tech, as a historic turning point, fulfilling his 2014 prediction for a Moroccan lithium-ion battery plant. This factory, the first of its kind in Africa and the Middle East, could establish a new industrial sector for electric vehicles and renewable energy storage. Yazami stressed the critical importance of quality in battery production to compete with global leaders like China, Korea, and Japan. He expressed confidence in Moroccan engineers and technicians, foreseeing the development of fully Moroccan-owned gigafactories by 2032. Geopolitically, Morocco's strategic
A Francophone gala was held on Friday as part of the first Marrakech Comedy Festival, celebrating an evening of artistic exchange, audience engagement, and cultural outreach. The event featured a program uniting various contemporary Francophone comedic styles. Hosted by French comedian Malik Bentalha, the festival underscored Marrakech's role in hosting cultural events open to both Moroccan and international audiences, while also providing a platform for Francophone artists with diverse and complementary writing styles.