DGA of FAO: Morocco, a leader in agricultural research

Morocco is a leading country in agricultural research, said Maria Helena Semedo, Deputy Director General (DGA) of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), on Tuesday in Meknes.

Speaking at a High Level Conference, held on the sidelines of the 16th International Agricultural Show in Morocco (SIAM), Ms. Semedo, in this sense, highlighted the Moroccan research institutes that she had recently visited, including the gene bank, the biotechnology laboratory of the National Institute of Agricultural Research (INRA) and the Agronomic and Veterinary Institute (IAV) Hassan II.

This conference, initiated under the theme “Agricultural research facing the challenges of climate change”, was also an opportunity for the FAO DGA to highlight the urgency of concerted action in the face of the growing challenges of climate change in the field of agricultural research.

She emphasized the need to promote a holistic approach to resource management, integrating various disciplines and dimensions to strengthen adaptation to climate change and reduce its impact on the environment.

For her part, Josefa Sacko, Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment of the African Union (AU) Commission, noted that the risk and shocks for Africa’s agriculture and food systems, particularly those related to pests and diseases, the market and the economy, require special attention to food system resilience.

In addition to increasing productivity and resilience, it is essential that the agricultural system is environmentally sustainable and achieves the ultimate goals of improving food security, she advocated.

Research and innovation are essential tools to increase agricultural productivity, resilience, sustainability and achieve development objectives defined in the Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Program (CAADP), said Ms. Sacko, noting that the AU recognizes the critical role played by research and has set the target of concentrating at least 1% of its GDP on science and research.

And to maintain that agricultural research constitutes the spearhead of efforts aimed at achieving the development objectives of the AU Agenda 2063.

In addition, Ms. Sacko called for strengthening institutional capacities on the African continent and underlined the imperative to invest massively in research and innovation.

This High Level Conference constitutes a major event for the agricultural sector. It offers a platform for meetings and exchanges between the different players in the sector: researchers, farmers, agricultural businesses, inter-professional organizations and political decision-makers.

The said conference made it possible to discuss the issues and challenges of the agricultural sector, to identify avenues for development and to propose solutions. It also plays an important role in advancing agricultural research, disseminating knowledge, promoting innovation and improving the productivity and sustainability of the sector.

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