Agadir -“The Green Deal should not be deemed a constraint, rather as an opportunity to continue modernizing our agricultural practices, boost our agriculture and reinforce our competitivity on international markets”, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Rural Development, Water and Forests, Mohammed Sadiki, said in Agadir on Friday.

Speaking at the opening of an international conference held by Morocco Foodex, an autonomous export control and coordination body, under the theme “The Green Deal and new sustainability issues for Moroccan exports to the European Union”, Sadiki underlined that the Green Deal, a set of measures designed to steer European Union and Mediterranean countries towards a sustainable model that respects natural resources, is a turning point in trade relations between Morocco and the European Union.

In this respect, he stressed the need to anticipate, adapt and innovate in order to meet the European plan challenge and the sustainability of Moroccan exports to the European Union.

The Minister highlighted in this regard the High Instructions of HM King Mohammed VI, who places the environment, sustainable management of water resources and food self-sufficiency at the heart of national priorities.

Morocco Foodex Managing Director, Ghita El Ghorfi, pointed out that the agri-food export sector ranks 2nd among Moroccan export sectors, noting that the European market remains the main destination for Moroccan products renowned for their exceptional quality.

For his part, Head of the Trade Section at the EU Delegation in Rabat, Paul Henri Presset, underlined that the Green Deal aims to make Europe the first carbon-neutral continent by 2050, by profoundly transforming production and consumption patterns, specifying that among the new requirements of the Green Deal come the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, the responsible use of natural resources and the adoption of more sustainable agricultural practices.

Luis Dias Pereira, economist at the Investment Centre of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), emphasized that this meeting is part of the ongoing dialogue between Morocco and the European Union, as two historic economic partners, adding that this meeting is examining a number of themes, including the strengthening of trade ties in the light of sustainability and environmental challenges.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Rural Development, Water and Forests, this conference reflects a commitment to the development of Moroccan agricultural, food and maritime exports.

It is part of a mission to support and raise the awareness of Moroccan exporters operating in the agri-food and fisheries sectors, to ensure a deeper understanding and concerted action by all national agricultural and maritime sectors to bolster Morocco’s position as an exportable offer in a context of acceleration of the agenda for the regulatory declination of the Green Deal on European Union markets.

The meeting provided an opportunity to discuss the implications of the Green Deal and examine its impact on the export of agricultural, food and maritime products to the European Union.

The conference featured several panels that were moderated by international experts on the themes of the transition to a sustainable agri-food system, the role of fruit and vegetables in the fight against climate change, and the new challenges of the Green Deal for fishing and aquaculture.