Stocks Market
World Bank Boosts Morocco’s Climate‑Smart Farming with $4 Million Digital Voucher Grant
The World Bank has approved an additional $4 million grant to reinforce a $250 million climate‑smart agriculture programme launched in December 2024. The new funding will provide electronic vouchers to about 1 200 small‑ and medium‑scale farmers across 20 000 ha, helping them shift from rain‑fed cereals to conservation agriculture, access mechanisation services, climate‑resilient seeds, finance and higher‑value markets. The initiative aims to boost yields, farmer incomes and greenhouse‑gas reductions while creating green jobs in rural Morocco.
Listen to this article
Unlock audio versions of premium articles and more with a Pro subscription.
World Bank adds $4 million to Morocco’s climate‑smart agriculture programme
The World Bank announced an extra $4 million grant to complement the $250 million programme approved in December 2024. Building on the original goal of scaling climate‑intelligent practices, the additional funding targets the demand‑side constraints faced by small‑ and medium‑scale farmers, accelerating the shift from rain‑fed cereal production to conservation agriculture.
The initiative will reach roughly 1 200 farmers operating on 20 000 hectares. Support will be delivered through electronic vouchers that lower production costs by providing mechanisation services such as direct‑seeding and giving access to climate‑resilient seed varieties.
Beyond cereals, the project will assist producers of legumes – including women and youth – to secure financing and connect to more rewarding markets by aggregating their harvests efficiently. This smart aggregation aims to improve financial inclusion and open up higher‑value market channels for participants.
Monitoring, evaluation and technical assistance
Project management, monitoring and evaluation will be strengthened to track the adoption of new practices, measure yield and income gains, and quantify climate‑mitigation benefits, especially reductions in greenhouse‑gas emissions. The World Bank will also provide technical assistance for designing and deploying the electronic‑voucher system and for impact assessment.
Why the sector matters
The agri‑food sector is a cornerstone of Morocco’s economy and the livelihoods of its rural population. Consecutive years of drought have exposed the fragility of rain‑fed cereal systems, underscoring the need to transition toward more resilient production models. The supplemental financing backs this transition by fostering conservation agriculture, which stabilises yields, improves soil‑ and water‑management and lessens exposure to climate shocks.
The programme also reflects the World Bank Group’s synergy approach, mobilising collaboration between the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the International Finance Corporation (IFC). It contributes to the AgriConnect initiative by supporting jobs along the cereal‑and‑legume value chains and strengthening food‑and‑nutrition security.
“By promoting climate‑intelligent practices and experimenting with innovative, digital support for smallholders, this additional financing will help Morocco create green jobs in rural areas and strengthen national food security,” said Ahmadou Moustapha Ndiaye, World Bank Division Director for the Maghreb and Malta. “It consolidates the momentum of last year’s programme and deepens our collaboration across the entire World Bank Group.”
Combined with measures that improve market access and build capacity among public and private actors, the programme seeks to enable farmers to produce safer, higher‑quality food while increasing their incomes, ensuring continuity with the original financing.