Morocco Green Generation Program For Results Project

Public Disclosure Authorized
FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

Report No: PAD 3800
INTERNATIONAL BANK FOR RECONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT

PROGRAM APPRAISAL DOCUMENT

ON A
PROPOSED LOAN
IN THE AMOUNT OF EUR214.2 MILLION

(US$250 MILLION EQUIVALENT)
TO THE
KINGDOM OF MOROCCO
FOR A
MOROCCO GREEN GENERATION PROGRAM-FOR-RESULTS
November 20, 2020
Agriculture And Food Global Practice

Middle East And North Africa Region
This document has a restricted distribution and may be used by recipients only in the performance of
their official duties. Its contents may not otherwise be disclosed without World Bank authorization.
CURRENCY EQUIVALENTS
Exchange Rate Effective October 31, 2020
Currency Unit = MAD
MAD 9.23 = US$1
US$1 = EUR 0.85667780
FISCAL YEAR
January 1 - December 31
Regional Vice President: Ferid Belhaj

Regional Director: Ayat Soliman
Country Director: Jesko S. Hentschel
Practice Manager: Marianne Grosclaude
Task Team Leader(s): David Olivier Treguer, Maria Claudia Pachon
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Morocco Green Generation Program-for-Results (P170419)
ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS
ADA Agricultural Development Agency (Agence pour le Développement

Agricole)
ADD Digital Development Agency (Agence du Développement Digital)
AFD French Development Agency (Agence Française de Développement)
ANAPEC National Agency for Employment and Competence Promotion (Agence
Nationale de Promotion de l'Emploi et des Compétences)
BDS Business Development Services
CAM Crédit Agricole du Maroc
Cat DDO Catastrophe Development Policy Financing with a Deferred Drawdown
Option
CDO Chief Digital Officer
CNCP National Commission for Public Procurement (Commission Nationale de la
Commande Publique)
COPIL Steering Committee (Comité de Pilotage)
COVID-19 Coronavirus Disease 2019
CPF Country Partnership Framework
CVE High Level COVID-19 Watch Committee (Comité de Veille Economique)
CSA Climate Smart Agriculture
CSAIP Climate Smart Agriculture Investment Plan
DDFP Directorate for the Development of Value Chains (Direction du
Développement des Filières de Production)
DEFR Directorate for Education, Training and Research (Direction de
l’Enseignement, de la Formation et de la Recherche)
DF Directorate of Finance (Direction Financière)
DGCL General Directorate of Local Authorities (Direction Générale des
Collectivités Locales)
DIAEA Directorate of Irrigation and Development of the Agricultural Space
(Direction de l’Irrigation et de l’Aménagement de l’Espace Agricole)
DLI Disbursement Linked Indicator
DLR Disbursement Linked Result
DPA Provincial Directorate of Agriculture (Direction Provinciale de l’Agriculture)
DPF Development Policy Financing
DRA Regional Directorate for Agriculture (Direction Regionale de l’Agriculture)
DSS Directorate of Strategy and Statistics (Direction de la Stratégie et des
Statistiques)
EBRD European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
EIA Environmental Impact Assessment
EIB European Investment Bank
ENA National Agriculture School of Meknès (Ecole Nationale d’Agriculture de
Meknès)
ERP Enterprise Resource Planning
ESIA Environmental and Social Impact Assessment
ESMP Environmental and Social Management Plan
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ESSA Environmental and Social Systems Assessment

EU European Union
FIMABIO Interprofessional Federation of Organic Products in Morocco (Fédération
Interprofessionelle du Bio au Maroc)
FAO Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
FDA Agricultural Development Fund (Fond de Développement Agricole)
FSA Fiduciary Systems Assessment
FY Fiscal Year
GDP Gross Domestic Product
GEF Global Environmental Facility
GIS Geographic Information System
GoM Government of Morocco
GRS Grievance Redress Service
GGS Green Generation Strategy (Stratégie Génération Green)
GHG Greenhouse Gas
HCP High Commission for Planning (Haut Commissariat au Plan)
IAV Agronomic and Veterinary Institute (Institut Agronomique et Vétérinaire)
IBRD International Bank for Reconstruction and Development
ICPC Central Body for Corruption Prevention (Instance Centrale de Prevention
de la Corruption)
IEG Independent Evaluation Group
IFC International Finance Corporation
IGA General Inspectorate of Agriculture (Inspection Générale de l’Agriculture)
IGF General Inspectorate of Finances (Inspection Générale des Finances)
IMF International Monetary Fund
INRA National Agronomic Research Institute (Institut National de Recherche
Agronomique)
IPF Investment Project Financing
IoT Internet of Things
IPCC Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
ISP Implementation Support Plan
KfW Kreditanstalt fuer Wiederaufbau
M&E Monitoring and Evaluation
MAD Moroccan Dirham
MAPMDREF Ministry of Agriculture, Marine Fisheries, Rural Development, Water and
Forests (Ministère de l’Agriculture, de la Pêche Maritime, du
Développement Rural et des Eaux et Forêts)
MEFRA Ministry of Economy, Finance and Administration Reform (Ministère de
l’Economie, des Finances et de la Réforme de l’Administration)
MENA Middle East and North Africa
MFD Mobilizing Finance for Development
MI Ministry of Interior (Ministère de l’Intérieur)
MICEVN Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Green and Digital Economy
(Ministère de l’Industrie, du Commerce, de l’Economie Verte et Numérique)
MIS Market Information Systems
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MISAGRI Integrated Financial Management System

MSME Micro-, Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises
MT Metric Ton
MTIP Ministry of Employment and Professional Insertion (Ministère de l’Emploi
et de l’Insertion Professionnelle)
NGO Non-Governmental Organization
ONCA National Agricultural Extension Agency (Office National du Conseil
Agricole)
ONSSA National Food Safety Agency (Office National de Sécurité Sanitaire des
Produits Alimentaires)
O&M Operation and Maintenance
OPRC Operational Procurement Review Committee
ORMVA Regional Agricultural Development Office (Office Régionaux de Mise en
Valeur Agricole)
PforR Program-for-Results
PAP Program Action Plan
PDO Program Development Objective
PEFA Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability
PMU Program Management Unit
PMV Morocco Green Plan (Plan Maroc Vert)
PNEEI National Program for Irrigation Water Saving (Programme National
d’Economie d’Eau en Irrigation)
POM Program Operational Manual
PPP Public Private Partnerships
RA Result Area
RISE Resilient, Inclusive, Sustainable and Efficient
SDL Local Development Company (Société de Développement Local)
SMAG Guaranteed Minimum Agriculture Wage (Salaire Minimum Agricole
Garanti)
SME Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises
SMIG Minimum Legal Wage (Salaire Minimum Legal)
SORT Systematic Operations Risk-Rating Tool
SPS Sanitary and Phytosanitary
ToC Theory of Change
UNDP United Nations Development Program
UNIDO United Nations Industrial Development Organization
US United States of America
USAID United States Agency for International Development
US$ United States Dollars
WB World Bank
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
DATASHEET........................................................................................................................................1
I. STRATEGIC CONTEXT ..................................................................................................................6
A. Country Context .....................................................................................................................6
B. Sectoral and Institutional Context ...........................................................................................8
C. Relationship to the CPF and Country Program Adjustment Responding to COVID-19 .............. 13
D. Rationale for Bank and AFD Engagement and Choice of Financing Instrument........................ 16
II. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION........................................................................................................... 18
A. Government Program .......................................................................................................... 18
B. Program Development Objective (PDO) and PDO Level Results Indicators ............................. 20
C. Program Scope and Description ............................................................................................ 20
D. Disbursement Linked Indicators and Verification Protocols ................................................... 33
E. Theory of Change ................................................................................................................. 36
III. PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION .................................................................................................. 37
A. Institutional and Implementation Arrangements .................................................................. 37
B. Results Monitoring and Evaluation ....................................................................................... 39
C. Disbursement Arrangements ................................................................................................ 39
D. Capacity Building ................................................................................................................. 40
IV. ASSESSMENT SUMMARY .......................................................................................................... 40
A. Technical ............................................................................................................................. 40
B. Program economic rationale ................................................................................................ 44
C. Fiduciary .............................................................................................................................. 44
D. Environmental and Social ..................................................................................................... 46
E. RISK ASSESSMENT ................................................................................................................ 48
F. PROGRAM ACTION PLAN...................................................................................................... 49
ANNEX 1. RESULTS FRAMEWORK MATRIX ........................................................................................ 50
ANNEX 2. DISBURSEMENT LINKED INDICATORS, DISBURSEMENT ARRANGEMENTS AND VERIFICATION
PROTOCOLS ..................................................................................................................................... 69
ANNEX 3. TECHNICAL ASSESSMENT .................................................................................................. 84
ANNEX 4. SUMMARY FIDUCIARY SYSTEMS ASSESSMENT ................................................................ 122
ANNEX 5. SUMMARY ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL SYSTEMS ASSESSMENT .................................. 141
ANNEX 6. PROGRAM ACTION PLAN ................................................................................................ 147
ANNEX 7. IMPLEMENTATION SUPPORT PLAN ................................................................................. 151
ANNEX 8. CATALYZING GROWTH, INCLUSION AND JOBS THROUGH AGRICULTURE IN MOROCCO..... 153
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ANNEX 9. GREEN GENERATION STRATEGY: BRIEF PRESENTATION ................................................... 157

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DATASHEET
BASIC INFORMATION
BASIC_INFO_TABLE
Country(ies) Project Name
Morocco Morocco Green Generation Program-for-Results
Project ID Financing Instrument Does this operation have an IPF component?
Program-for-Results
P170419 No
Financing
Financing & Implementation Modalities
[ ] Multiphase Programmatic Approach (MPA) [ ] Fragile State(s)

[ ] Contingent Emergency Response Component (CERC) [ ] Fragile within a non-fragile Country
[ ] Small State(s) [ ] Conflict
[ ] Alternate Procurement Arrangements (APA) [ ] Responding to Natural or Man-made Disaster
[ ] Hands-on Enhanced Implementation Support (HEIS)
Expected Project Approval Date Expected Closing Date
15-Dec-2020 31-Dec-2025
Bank/IFC Collaboration
No
Proposed Program Development Objective(s)
The PDO is to increase the economic inclusion of youth in rural areas and the marketing efficiency and
environmental sustainability of agri-food value chains in the Program area.
Organizations
Borrower : Kingdom of Morocco
Implementing Agency : Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Rural Development, Water and Forestry
Contact: Redouane Arrach
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Title: Director of Strategy and Statistics

Telephone No: 212657831993
Email: [email protected]
COST & FINANCING

FIN_SUMM_WITH_IPF
SUMMARY
Government program Cost 10,000.00

Total Operation Cost 487.00
Total Program Cost 487.00
Total Financing 487.00
Financing Gap 0.00
Financing (USD Millions)

Counterpart Funding 122.00
Borrower/Recipient 122.00
International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) 250.00
Cofinancing - Other Sources (IFIs, Bilaterals, Foundations) 115.00
FRANCE: French Agency for Development 115.00
Expected Disbursements (USD Millions)
Fiscal
2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026
Year
Absol
60.00 30.00 50.00 50.00 40.00 20.00
ute
Cumul
60.00 90.00 140.00 190.00 230.00 250.00
ative
INSTITUTIONAL DATA
INSTITUTIONAL DATA TBL
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Practice Area (Lead) Contributing Practice Areas

Agriculture and Food Digital Development, Water
Climate Change and Disaster Screening

This operation has been screened for short and long-term climate change and disaster risks
SYSTEMATIC OPERATIONS RISK-RATING TOOL (SORT)
Risk Category Rating

1. Political and Governance ⚫ Moderate
2. Macroeconomic ⚫ Moderate
3. Sector Strategies and Policies ⚫ Moderate
4. Technical Design of Project or Program ⚫ Moderate
5. Institutional Capacity for Implementation and Sustainability ⚫ Moderate
6. Fiduciary ⚫ Moderate
7. Environment and Social ⚫ Moderate
8. Stakeholders ⚫ Moderate
9. Other
10. Overall ⚫ Moderate
COMPLIANCE
Policy
Does the program depart from the CPF in content or in other significant respects?
[ ] Yes [✔] No
Does the program require any waivers of Bank policies?

[ ] Yes [✔] No
Legal Operational Policies
Triggered
Projects on International Waterways OP/BP 7.50 No
Projects in Disputed Areas OP/BP 7.60 No
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Legal Covenants
Sections and Description

Ref. section I.A.1(a) of Schedule 2:
no later than thirty (30) days after the Effective Date, or such later date as agreed by the Bank, establish within its
DSS and thereafter maintain, through Program implementation, a Program Management Unit (“PMU”),
responsible for the monitoring of day-to-day implementation of the Program, including the preparation of the
Program’s annual progress reports, preparation of pertinent financial statements, and staffed with adequate
professional, fiduciary, administrative and technical personnel, with qualifications, experience and terms of
employment acceptable to the Bank, all as described in the POM;

Ref. Section I.A.1(b) of Schedule 2:
no later than thirty (30) days after the Effective Date, or such later date as agreed by the Bank, establish and
thereafter maintain, throughout Program implementation, a Steering Committee, composed of representatives of
the entities and institutions participating in the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the Program,
responsible for strategic oversight and guidance under the Program, all under terms and conditions acceptable to
the Bank and described in the POM; and

Ref. Section I.B.1 of Schedule 2:
Prior to carrying out the construction of each of the modernized wholesale market in each of the Selected Cities
under Part 2.1(b) of the Program (DLR#5.4), the Borrower shall: (a) together with the relevant Borrower’s national
and subnational authorities, enter into a Convention Spécifique under terms and conditions set forth in the POM,
including the Borrower’s obligation to ensure that the construction works and oversight of the relevant
modernized wholesale market complies with the pertinent provisions of the POM (including the pertinent actions
under the Program Action Plan)

The Borrower shall, prior to the commencement of any construction works under Part 2.1(b) of the Program,
prepare, consult, publish and implement the corresponding ESIA/ESMP and, if applicable, a Resettlement Action
Plan, all in accordance with their terms.

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The Borrower shall: (a) no later than thirty (30) days after the Effective Date, or such later date as agreed by the
Bank, adopt a manual under terms and conditions acceptable to the Bank (“Program Operational Manual” or
“POM”); and (b) immediately thereafter, carry out the Program in accordance with the POM. The Borrower shall
not amend or waive any provision of the POM without the Bank’s prior written consent. In case of any conflict
between the terms of the POM and those of this Agreement, the terms of this Agreement shall prevail.

The Borrower shall carry out verification missions through the IGA for the verification of achievement of DLRs 1
through 9 which are set forth in the table in Section IV.A.2 of this Schedule in accordance with the Verification
Protocol, and furnish to the Bank not later than sixty (60) days after the verification of compliance of said DLRs, a
report on the results of said verification of compliance process of such scope and in such detail as the Bank shall
reasonably request.

Ref. Section 4.01:
The Co-financing Deadline for the effectiveness of the Co-financing Agreement is January 5, 2022.
Conditions
Type Description
Effectiveness The Additional Condition of Effectiveness consists of the following, namely, that
the Convention-cadre has been executed and is in full force and effect.
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I. STRATEGIC CONTEXT
A. Country Context
1. The proposed Green Generation Program-for-Results (PforR) co-financed by the World Bank (WB) and the
French Development Agency (Agence Française de Développement, AFD) aims to support the Kingdom of Morocco in
deploying a swift response to the economic hardship and job losses resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic while
helping prevent and mitigate the impacts of severe droughts such as the one that the country is currently facing1. A
focused effort to mitigate job losses and to improve employment opportunities for the most vulnerable groups is at the
core of the COVID-19 pandemic response by the Government of Morocco (GoM). The launch of the Green Generation
Strategy (GGS) 2020-2030 by King Mohamed VI in February 2020 represents a major shift in focus from a production-
centered strategy to a people-centered strategy and comes at a very opportune time to respond to the COVID-19 crisis.
It offers a clear pathway to job creation and increasing economic opportunities in Morocco’s relatively more
disadvantaged rural areas, as the country addresses and recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic. The GGS emphasizes
fostering the growth of the middle class in rural areas, job creation for the youth on- and off-farm and building human
capital and skills to facilitate higher productivity employment and labor mobility. The strategy also aims at accelerating
the transition towards a more climate resilient agriculture initiated under the Green Morocco Plan (Plan Maroc Vert,
PMV). This strategic thrust is fully consistent with the response needed to address the crisis brought by the COVID-19
pandemic, as well as to address the longer-term structural constraints in the agricultural sector, e.g. to address recurring
droughts.
2. Morocco has made significant social and economic progress over the past decade due to large public
investments, political, institutional and sector reforms, along with measures to ensure macroeconomic stability. The
resulting growth has led to dramatic progress in eradicating extreme poverty, a sharp decline in the national poverty
rate, increased life expectancy, greater access to basic public services, including universal access to primary education,
and significant public infrastructure development. In the 2000-2019 period, Morocco’s real per capita Gross Domestic
Product (GDP) almost doubled from US$1,727 to US$2,948. However, economic growth remains below potential,
dependent on natural resource sectors and constrained by low productivity. Real GDP growth slowed down in 2019 to
2.5 percent compared to 4.2 percent in 2017, due to the volatile performance of the rainfed agricultural sector and slow
growth in the tertiary sector.
3. Growth is projected to take a significant hit in 2020 compared to the pre-COVID-19 pandemic projections,
whereas the financing needs of the GoM will increase. The COVID-19 pandemic is posing a significant challenge for
Morocco’s public health system, with wide-ranging social and economic implications. Over the coming months, the
COVID-19 outbreak could claim more lives particularly amongst the most vulnerable and poor. COVID-19 has pushed the
Moroccan economy into a deep recession with real GDP growth expected to shrink by 6.3 percent in 2020, compared to
a 3.6 percent growth expected before the pandemic. The economic contraction is primarily due to the impact of the
COVID-19 pandemic on non-agricultural growth (-5.9 percent in 2020): it is mainly driven by a declining production of
goods and services and reduced exports due to social distancing measures and disrupted global value chains, as well as
by a decline in tourism in the context of border lockdowns. The crisis will also adversely affect the fiscal deficit and in
turn the central government’s debt as tax revenues, customs duties and grants are projected to decline, while the
authorities ramp up spending on healthcare and social safety nets.
1Preliminary forecasts for the upcoming 2020 harvest point to a total cereal production of about 4.1 million tons, almost one fourth lower than the
previous year’s already weather-stricken harvest and about 50 percent below average.
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4. Despite ambitious sectoral programs, the pattern of growth has not been sufficiently inclusive, particularly in
rural areas. Poverty rates in rural areas remain twice as high as those at the national level, while the rural population
accounts for 79.4 percent of the poor. Job creation is particularly weak, with inclusiveness and job quality posing
significant challenges, especially for the youth, women and educated workers. Net job creation has been insufficient to
keep up with the annual increase of the working-age force (over 300,000 per year) and the unemployment rate has
remained high (9.2 percent in 2019) and even higher among the youth and the educated. Female labor force participation
remains very low (25 percent in 2017), with women working predominantly in low productivity sectors and low-skill
occupations.
5. Recognizing these challenges, King Mohamed VI, in his speech for the 20th anniversary of the Throne on July
28, 2019, called for a new and inclusive development model, underlining a key role of the private sector in supporting
economic and social inclusion. He highlighted that while Morocco has made solid progress in infrastructure, connectivity,
and access to basic services, significant challenges related to human development, social and economic inclusion and
territorial disparities persist and require a revision of the country’s development model. He has created a special
commission tasked with delineating a new development model for the country and emphasized the need for deeper and
faster reforms to improve public services, spur economic openness, and enhance (and coordinate better) sectoral
strategies.
6. The GoM has also outlined a vision for economic growth and social inclusion in its five-year Government
Program (2017–2021). The Government Program builds on previous political, economic, and social achievements, while
renewing the development model to create enabling conditions to become an emerging economy. The program
emphasizes upgrading large export industries and supporting start-up companies and micro-, small, and medium-sized
enterprises (MSMEs) through a package of financial and non-financial resources. The ultimate objective is to develop a
more competitive private sector capable of creating quality jobs, while establishing Morocco as an attractive destination
for foreign investment and business expansion. The five main pillars of the program are governance, youth employment
through entrepreneurship support, climate change, human capital, and social cohesion.
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7. Morocco has also been Box 1. Plan Maroc Vert: Investment and Key Results
supporting green growth2 and
seeking to increase the resilience Over the 2008-2018 period, the PMV has catalyzed substantial investments in
Morocco’s agriculture. At the macro-level, it has led to impressive impacts by
and adaptation of rural populations
leveraging significant investment and improving the performance of the agricultural
to climate change through the PMV sector. Public investment financed through the PMV was mainly used to expand drip
and the recently launched GGS. The irrigation and improve water resources management and efficiency, diversification by
PMV was launched in 2008 with the shifting towards high value agriculture (olives, dates, fruit trees, and vegetables), and
aim of supporting the growth and to promote the large-scale adoption of climate-smart agriculture practices.
competitiveness of the agricultural Cumulative investment under the PMV reached MAD10 billion over 2008-2018 (40
sector, leveraging it to support percent public, and the remainder leveraged from the private sector, including
inclusive growth, particularly among farmers). Agricultural value added in real terms has almost doubled. A shift occurred
poor and rural populations, and towards higher value-added products, leading -- despite a challenging external
enhancing the resilience of the environment -- to more than doubling of Morocco’s agricultural exports and export
sector to weather volatility and growth rates of 9.5 and 8.2 percent for fresh and processed agri-food products , even
though cereals continue to dominate production and drive the trade balance. The
climate change (see Box 1). In late volatility of agricultural sector growth has significantly declined (due to a shift towards
2019, the mandate of the Ministry of a more climate resilient production and the expansion of drip irrigation). The areas
Industry and Trade was expanded to under drip irrigation have increased 3.7 times through the PMV (and cover nearly 40
also include the portfolios of the percent of total irrigated area), greatly enhancing resilience to droughts. The PMV has
Digital and Green Economy, further also led to the creation of 250,000-300,000 full-time equivalent jobs in agriculture over
highlighting GoM’s commitment to 2008-2018.
seizing the opportunity of green Source: Ministry of Finance and HCP data (2019), World Bank Ag Sector Review (2020)
growth and tackling head-on the
challenges posed by climate change.
On February 13, 2020, King Mohamed VI launched the new GGS to build on the success of the PMV and create a new
generation of agricultural workers and entrepreneurs particularly among young and rural populations, with innovative
support measures.
B. Sectoral and Institutional Context

8. The sizeable public and private investments—coupled with key reforms—under the PMV have led to a strong
sectoral performance over the last decade and a structural shift in the composition of agricultural GDP. Since the late
1990s, agricultural output in high-productivity subsectors has increased markedly. This positive momentum was further
accelerated by the PMV, with record achievements, notably for the arboriculture (olives, citrus, dates), vegetable and
the red meat subsectors3. The increase in the share of production that is less vulnerable to climatic variations has led to
a decrease in the variability of agricultural GDP overall4.
9. Moroccan agri-food exports also recorded sustained growth during the 2000-2018 period, reducing the agri-
food trade deficit. Exports grew at an average annual rate of 9.5 percent and 8.2 percent for exports of raw and processed
agri-food products, respectively. This positive trend has reduced the trade deficit of agri-food products, which fell by 47.1
percent over the 2008-2018 period5 (from MAD2.4 billion to MAD1.13 billion). Despite this decline, the coverage rate of
agri-food imports remains relatively low, standing at 52 percent over the 2008-2018 period. Morocco could increase its
2 Inhis 2009 and 2010 Throne Speeches King Mohammed VI called for comprehensive legislation on environment management, and explicitly set
“Green Growth” as a priority in government policy. Two Inclusive Green Growth development policy loans were financed by the WB in 2013 and
2015 (P127956 and P149747 for a total of US$600 million).
3 Their production recorded average annual growth rates of 7.8 percent, 6.3 percent and 4.8 percent, respectively, over the period 2008-2018.
4 Annex 8 provides more details on the recent performance of the agricultural sector in Morocco.
5 Ministry of Finance: “Le secteur agricole marocain : tendances structurelles, enjeux et perspectives de développement” (2019)
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agriculture exports further, provided it diversifies its export products and markets, and puts in place policies that allow
it to enhance its competitiveness. The country’s agricultural exports have remained concentrated on a very limited
number of products and markets, although the PMV has provided a set of subsidies for export promotion and
diversification. In 2018, 20 products6 accounted for 71 percent of total agricultural and agro-industrial exports, of which
only 9 products accounted for 51 percent. In 2018 and in terms of values, more than 71 percent of agriculture exports
were concentrated on the European Union (EU) and 72 percent of exports to the EU are concentrated on two countries
that are France (40 percent) and Spain (32 percent).
10. The agricultural sector remains the main provider of jobs in Morocco, with a contribution of nearly 38 percent
of total employment. In rural areas, this proportion increases to 74 percent, which positions agriculture at the center of
economic and social challenges.
Box 2. Regional Distribution of Agricultural Production and Growth
Despite the relative decline in its
share in total employment, The analysis of the regional distribution of agricultural production during the period of
agricultural employment in absolute 2001-2016 brings out dynamic overall picture, with sharp contrasts. The Fès-Meknès
terms has been mostly stable, Region recorded the largest share in the national agricultural GDP, with an average
evolving at an annual growth rate of share of 16.5 percent, followed by the Marrakech-Safi Region (14.2 percent), Rabat-
0.08 percent over the period 2000- Salé-Kénitra (13.4 percent) and the Casablanca-Settat Region (12 percent). In terms of
2017. While Morocco is growth, the Souss-Massa Region posted the best mean annual growth over the same
period (7.6 percent), followed by the Drâa-Tafilalet (7.4 percent) and Beni Mellal-
experiencing a relative stability in its
Khénifra Regions (5.7 percent). The regions which were the least dynamic are those of
agricultural employment, other Casablanca-Settat (2.7 percent annual growth rate) and the Oriental (3.3 percent).
comparable countries, such as Furthermore, with the exception of four regions, namely Guelmim-Oued-Noun,
Egypt, Turkey and Mexico, recorded Casablanca-Settat, Rabat-Salé-Kénitra and Tanger-Tétouan-Alhoceima, all the other
a relative increase in their regions of the Kingdom posted an average share of agriculture in their regional GDPs
employment in the sector, with higher than the national average which stood at 11.8 percent over the period of 2001-
annual growth rates of 1.51 2016. This situation shows the significant weight of agriculture in the economy of these
percent, 1.25 percent and 0.18 regions, in particular those of Fès-Meknès and Beni Mellal-Khénifra, where agriculture
percent respectively over the same contributed nearly 19 percent to their regional GDPs.
Source: Ministry of Finance and HCP data (2019)
period.
11. Climate change is putting increased pressure on water and land resources and is likely to have negative impacts
on agricultural production, which risks triggering food security issues. Overall, mean temperatures already have risen
by 0.9 degrees centigrade since 1960. The increasing variability of precipitation and the higher frequency of droughts are
likely to reduce the availability of water resources which would in turn negatively impact agricultural yields. Morocco has
already experienced a sharp decrease in water availability per capita of nearly 71.5 percent over the period 1950-2010,
below the threshold of water stress (1,000 m3 / person / year) and getting close to the threshold of absolute scarcity (500
m3/person/year). According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), additional temperature increases
of as much as three to seven degrees Centigrade are projected for Morocco by 2100. The largest increases (four to seven
degrees) are anticipated for the summer months (June-August). Annual precipitation is projected to decline by 10-40
percent, including a 10-30 percent decrease during the wet season from October to April, and a 10-40 percent decrease
during the dry season, from May to September. Consequently, droughts and other extreme weather events will increase
in frequency and intensity in Morocco and affect agricultural productivity substantially, considering that 83 percent of
the cultivated area is rain-fed. Additionally, climate change will affect food utilization primarily by reducing food safety
through a higher incidence of food-borne diseases and spread of novel pests and diseases. Moreover, agriculture and
land use activities represent the second main source of greenhouse gas emissions (20.6 percent) in Morocco, although
their overall volume remains low. To ensure the sector’s sustainability, Morocco has incorporated climate change into its
6 According to the 10-digit SH classification.
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development strategies to manage its impact and reduce vulnerabilities. Morocco’s vision is to make its territory and
people more resilient to climate change, while ensuring a rapid transition to a low carbon economy.
12. Based on lessons learned, the GoM is now looking under the GGS at ways to deepen and increase the positive
impacts of the PMV7. On the production and marketing side, the evaluation of the PMV carried out by the Ministry of
Agriculture, Marine Fisheries, Rural Development, Water and Forests (Ministère de l’Agriculture, de la Pêche Maritime,
du Développement Rural et des Eaux et Forêts, MAPMDREF) in 2018 highlights three main areas of improvement: (i)
better structuration of distribution channels; (ii) the modernization of slaughterhouses; and (iii) more value addition.
However, the same evaluation also points to the need for a more inclusive strategy, acknowledging that the PMV has not
benefited enough small-scale producers and other vulnerable groups, particularly women and youth. Lastly, the GGS
indicates that more needs to be done to develop a sustainable agricultural sector. Hence, building on the achievements
of the PMV, the new strategy focuses on creating a rural middle class with a strong focus on increasing human capital
and ensuring sustainable agricultural development. Figure 1 below presents an overview of how Morocco’s agricultural
policies and strategies have evolved since 19858.
Figure 1: Evolution of Agricultural Policies and Strategies in Morocco since 1985
Source: adapted from MoF/DEPF (2019)
13. Youth in rural areas represent an untapped potential for agricultural development through the creation of new
enterprises—a key pathway for responding to the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. As the agricultural
sector undergoes a successful structural transformation, the on-farm share of employment in agriculture tends to
decline, while employment in the broader agri-food sector grows significantly relative to on-farm employment (e.g. USA,
France, and Brazil)9. Morocco appears to be on the same transition path. In this respect, entrepreneurship programs for
rural youth have a critical role to play both from the demand side, through the creation of new enterprises, and, from
the supply side, through support to income-generating activities. Women may be able to benefit from these
opportunities to a greater extent than from on-farm activities, and efforts need to specifically target women against the
backdrop of the recent overall decline of women’s employment in agriculture.
7 A more detailed description of the GGS is provided in Annex 9.

8 In terms of incentive structure, Morocco offers its farmers guaranteed prices for food and industrial crops and a large range of subsidies for the
purchase of inputs. Price support for essential goods and energy subsidies (for pumps) is also widespread.
9
World Bank (2007): Agriculture for Development. World Development Report 2008.
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14. Multipronged youth

employment programs are Box 3. Effectiveness of Youth Employment Programs, Including in Rural Areas
needed to tackle the supply- As suggested by the international literature on youth employment programs, most effective
and demand-side constraints approaches are comprehensive, underpinned by multipronged strategies with
faced by young men and complementary interventions aimed at removing both supply- and demand-side constraints
women in rural areas. Some and market failures, including influencing job creation and work opportunities for youth
750,000 young people (offered by firms and through self-employment), labor markets characteristics, and labor
operate very small businesses supply (skills and labor attributes). Demand-side exclusive interventions could also be
(around 17 percent of young effective, as demonstrated by the EU Youth Employment Initiative that targets “young people
not in employment, education, or training” (NEETs), through internships and hiring support
employed workers), but most
schemes. Moreover, a systematic review conducted by the WB Independent Evaluation Group
do so out of necessity. This (IEG) of 38 impact evaluations of youth employment programs found that factors increasing
proportion remains very low their success probability – on top of presence of complementary interventions – include
compared to other countries. participation of the private sector and personal monitoring and follow up of individual
Several factors explain the participants. In rural low-income areas, where most youth are active in agriculture and non-
low participation of young farm employment or self-employment, stimulating the market environment for growth of
people in entrepreneurship farms and rural agribusinesses has proven essential.
and the lack of dynamism of Zooming in on entrepreneurship trainings supported by WB operations in rural areas, positive
these small businesses: (i) impacts were demonstrated in Uganda and Colombia. More specifically, the participants of
lack of entrepreneurial spirit, the Youth Opportunity Program in Northern Uganda, which provided unconditional cash
grants to underemployed youth groups to pay about 10 weeks of full-time vocational training,
(ii) lack of structures to
tools, and business startup costs, reported a 45 percent increase in net earnings compared to
support entrepreneurship in their status before enrolling in the program. In Colombia, the WB-supported Young Rural
rural areas, (iii) limited access Entrepreneurs training program increased participants’ employment rate by about 14
to finance for young people, percentage points compared to the control group. At the same time, other similar programs
who have neither guarantees elsewhere have demonstrated mixed results, and the paucity of project data limits the ability
nor collateral to access a loan, to make any generalized statements on the impact of WB interventions targeting youth
(iv) limited access to land for employment on broader labor market outcomes.
young people wishing to
develop their agricultural Source: EU (2020) and IEG (2012)
holdings, and (v) agricultural
activities perceived by young people as a subsistence rather than buoyant income generating activities. Building on
international experience related to youth employment programs (see Box 3), a successful approach would entail: (i) on
the demand side— raising awareness on economic, technical and financial opportunities available and accessible to
young people, and (ii) on the supply side— improving rural entrepreneurship services delivery through the establishment
of an appropriate technical and financial support system specific to rural areas and dedicated to the youth.
15. Upgrading marketing infrastructure would help further strengthen agri-food value chains and increase their
resilience to crises like the one brought by the COVID-19 pandemic. Dysfunctional wholesale marketing and distribution
systems—for fruit and vegetables in particular—result in high marketing costs, low producer incomes and high consumer
prices in domestic markets, while undermining incentives for improving quality and food safety. Outdated wholesale
markets are also challenged to implement the necessary health protocols to ensure safe market operations made
necessary by public health crises (like the COVID-19 pandemic). This situation is mainly caused by an inadequate
regulatory framework, the lack of investments in wholesale markets facilities and the inefficiency of current business and
market management models which have also led to the development of informal markets. Tackling regulatory constraints
and increasing inter-institutional collaboration while modernizing the marketing infrastructure will increase the
competitiveness of value chains and increase their resilience to market shocks.
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16. Digital technologies offer some of the much-needed solutions to the challenges faced by Moroccan agri-food
value chains and represent key opportunities to adapt and respond to the COVID-19 crisis. Driven by both the public
and private sectors, the digital transformation of Moroccan agriculture has begun. The opportunities offered by digital
technologies enable the agricultural sector to move from an intensive production model to precision farming, responding
as much to the imperatives of productivity and competitiveness as to the challenges of climate change adaptation. More
concretely, digital technology can tackle various fields of agriculture, through a multitude of tools: the new sources of
spatial and temporal data, combined with networks of connected objects and weather data, provide a continuous flow
of information which contributes to improving the efficiency of agricultural activities. This evolution towards precision
farming, reinforced by new decision-making support tools for farmers via mobile internet can reduce risks by responding
to various problems in a timely manner (e.g. lack of water) and also help adapt to social-distancing measures enforced
during the COVID-19 crisis. Considering the structural bottlenecks in the agricultural sector, notably the binding labor
market and farm services constraints to further productivity gains and inclusive jobs growth, digital services and
information systems in the agricultural sector will be particularly effective as they can promote a more efficient and
integrated pool of labor and farm services. Furthermore, experience from other countries shows that technology can
make farming more attractive for young people in rural areas. Digital technologies can be increasingly used to engage
rural youth in farming and help strengthen the economic response to the COVID-19 crisis by spurring job creation10. A
review by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in 2018 showed that “Young people are often
more ready and eager to master these new technologies and apply them to agriculture to increase productivity and solve
challenges (World Farmers’ Organization, 2017). At the same time, these technologies can help demonstrate to youth
how agriculture can be a viable and profitable business opportunity, increasing the desirably of agriculture-related career
paths, in lieu of alternatives youth might otherwise be seeking”11. While the design of the proposed Program has been
devised before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the components included under the Program will support Morocco
in adapting and responding to COVID-19 as well as in responding to future similar crises.
17. Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) solutions—including more efficient irrigation systems— can sustainably
improve agricultural productivity, adapt and build the resilience of the agriculture and food systems, and reduce
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from agriculture. Irrigation has been an important contributor to agricultural
productivity growth, but it is also putting more pressure on water resources. Despite accounting for only 16 percent of
the cultivated area, irrigated agriculture generates 75 percent of agricultural exports and 15 percent of total exports.
Growing water scarcity, linked to an increasingly frequent pattern of droughts and overall declines in rainfall, has reduced
surface water availability and led producers to supplement supplies through groundwater, leading in turn to depletion
of aquifers. The GoM has developed a long-term program through 2030: the National Program for Irrigation Water Saving
(Programme National d’Economie d’Eau en Irrigation, PNEEI), the Irrigation Extension Program (Programme d’Extension
de l’Irrigation, PEI) and the Public-Private Partnership, particularly around seawater desalination to address the challenge,
including support for large-scale irrigation modernization to save water, by converting canal irrigation to localized
sprinkler and drip schemes, with widespread metering and the promotion of renewable energy utilization. More needs
to be done to support research institutions and the private sector to develop new technologies, make them commercially
viable, and foster technology adoption by farmers.
18. The launch of the GGS is very opportune considering the double crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic and the
ongoing drought. In particular, the following aspects will be critical in helping address and move beyond the crisis: (i) the
emphasis on youth employment in rural areas would be a key element of GoM’s economic response to the crisis; (ii)
support to food supply chains would help seize new opportunities in export markets and ensure that domestic supply
chains are resilient during such crises; (iii) interventions related to digital agriculture will help accelerate the digital
10 https://hbr.org/2017/05/how-digital-technology-is-changing-farming-in-africa
11 https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/15396/Feed-the-Future-CaseStudy-Youth-Ag-ICT.pdf
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transformation of the sector—made even more necessary by the COVID-19 crisis (e.g., e-extension service; e-marketing,
and e-labor pools and farm services— which are key responses to social distancing measures); and (iv) the green
dimension of the GGS—in particular related to water efficiency measures in irrigation— is a key element to prevent and
mitigate the impacts of severe droughts such as the current one.
19. MAPMDREF is responsible for designing and implementing the Government’s agriculture and rural
development policy. The Ministry coordinates the implementation of the GGS with the support of several autonomous
agencies that it oversees. Those agencies include: (i) the National Food Safety Agency (Office National de Sécurité
Sanitaire des Produits Alimentaires, ONSSA) which controls the application of norms and regulations related to food
safety and SPS (sanitary and phytosanitary products, seed and plant varieties, pests and diseases, traceability), (ii) the
National Agricultural Extension Agency (Office National du Conseil Agricole, ONCA), responsible for providing training and
advisory services to producers and their organizations, (iii) the Agricultural Development Agency (Agence pour le
Développement Agricole, ADA) which promotes private investment in both commercial and smallholder agriculture
projects, (iv) Morocco Foodex (Etablissement autonome de coordination et de contrôle des exportations) which is in
charge of the coordination, promotion and control of agri-food exports, and (v) the National Agronomic Research
Institute (Institut National de Recherche Agronomique, INRA) undertakes agricultural research in various areas (e.g.
adaptation to climate change, irrigation, productivity and soil conservation) through 10 regional agricultural research
centers. Other research institutions include the Agronomic and Veterinary Institute (Institut Agronomique et Vétérinaire
Hassan II, IAV) and the National Agriculture School of Meknès (Ecole Nationale d’Agriculture de Meknès, ENA).
20. The implementation of the GGS also involves close coordination with other government agencies. Those
include the Ministry of Interior (Ministère de l'Intérieur, MI), the Ministry of Economy, Finance and Administration Reform
(Ministère de l’Economie, des Finances et de la Réforme de l’Administration, MEFRA), the Ministry of Industry, Commerce,
Green and Digital Economy (Ministère de l’Industrie, du Commerce, de l’Economie Verte et Numérique, MICEVN), the
Wilayas, and the regional partners for the management of marketing infrastructures. The Crédit Agricole du Maroc (CAM)
provides financial services to producers through a range of financial products (commercial, intermediate and
microfinance).
C. Relationship to the CPF and Country Program Adjustment Responding to COVID-19
21. Over the past two decades, Morocco has achieved significant economic and social progress due to large public
investments, structural reforms, along with measures to ensure macroeconomic stability. High investment efforts and
a capital-intensive development model have contributed to sustained growth, significant progress towards eradicating
extreme poverty, increased life expectancy, greater access to basic public services, and significant public infrastructure
development. This approach however showed limitations in terms of creating sufficient jobs, especially for the young,
and reducing geographical and socio-economic inequities. The shock brought by the COVID-19 pandemic is now abruptly
pushing the economy into a recession, the first one since 1995, and threatening the social and economic gains reached
over the past years. The proposed Program is aligned with the World Bank Group (WBG) twin goals on ending extreme
poverty and promoting shared prosperity in a sustainable manner. The Program will contribute to alleviating the impacts
of the COVID-19 pandemic and it is aligned with the World Bank Group’s COVID-19 Crisis Response Approach Paper’s
Pillar 2 “Protecting Poor and Vulnerable People”, Pillar 3 “Ensuring Sustainable Business Growth and Job Creation”, and
Pillar 4 “Strengthening Policies, Institutions and Investments for Rebuilding Better. The World Bank Group’s engagement
under the Country Partnership Framework (CPF) 2019-202412, discussed by the Executive Directors on February 19, 2019
12The CPF is structured around three strategic focus areas, namely: (A) Promoting Job Creation by the Private Sector; (B) Strengthening Human Capital; and (C)
Promoting Inclusive and Resilient Territorial Development. The CPF has Governance and Citizen Engagement as its foundational pillar, as well as two cross-cutting
themes: Gender and Digital Technology.
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(Report # 131039-MA), has been readjusted to support the country in its focus on Relief, Restructuring, and Resilient
Recovery.
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Morocco and government response:

22. The Moroccan economy is expected to be severely impacted by the COVID-19 crisis impact on both domestic
economic activity and external demand. Real GDP is projected to contract by 6.3 percent in 2020 in the baseline scenario,
a sharp contrast to the 3.6 percent expansion projected before the outbreak. Few sectors have been spared but the
contraction is primarily driven by a drop in the production of goods and services, a reduction in exports, the disruption
of global value chains, as well as a decline in tourism due to travel restrictions and border lockdowns.
23. The labor market is facing a shock of historical proportion, with vulnerable workers, including those in the
informal sector being particularly affected. Enterprises have faced disruption of value chains, workers’ mobility,
temporary closures as well as slowing global demand. The combined negative effects have led to widespread job and
income losses – already at the end of April 2020, one third of households had lost their source of income. Albeit economic
activity estimates are likely going to be on the conservative side, early projections by the Bank pointed to an additional
10 percent of the entire population (more than three million people) to become vulnerable to falling into poverty.
24. Morocco’s twin deficits are projected to deteriorate but remain manageable. Despite lower imports, the
current account deficit is expected to widen to 6 percent in 2020 reflecting sharp declines in export and tourism revenues.
On the fiscal side, revenue will be lower than previously expected in 2020 and 2021 while expenditures are projected to
increase in 2020 on the back of additional spending on health, social protection, and other COVID-19 policy responses.
As a result, we expect the overall fiscal deficit to widen to 7.5 percent of GDP in 2020, almost 4 percentage points larger
than projected pre-COVID-19. Both public and external debt are projected to rise but will remain sustainable.
25. GoM’s response to date has been swift and decisive. In addition to quickly closing borders, building, and
strengthening the health system, GoM has created a high level COVID-19 watch committee (Comité de Veille Economique,
CVE) to monitor the situation and formulate policies and measures to support impacted sectors. The WB is supporting
the CVE with just-in-time policy notes and analysis for targeted sectors. A special COVID-19 Pandemic Fund13 has been
created to support economic recovery of impacted sectors as well as cash payments to households. The Pandemic Fund
aims to reach over 5 million people and households (950,000 formal sector workers affiliated to the National Social
Security Agency and 5.5 million workers operating in the informal sector). Health, private sector support and safety net
support measures have been put in place. These include short-term work arrangements, social security tax reductions,
and extension of credit to private sector enterprises. Safety net measures are being put in place with additional cash
payments for beneficiaries of large social programs and extension of such measures to the informal sector. GoM’s
response also included the preparation of a Revised Finance Law, the first in 30 years, which was adopted on July 7, 2020
with three main pillars: (i) support from the government and other institutions for the gradual recovery of economic
activity, (ii) preservation of jobs, and (iii) acceleration of administrative reforms.
26. WBG support for responding to the crisis: WBG current engagement has been adjusted according to the three
phases of Relief, Restructuring, and Resilient Recovery, and the FY21 pipeline was reprioritized to free-up lending space
to align with the priorities specified below:
1. Support to health for saving lives threatened by the virus: An additional financing and a restructuring of a
Health Support PforR (US$35 million) aiming at strengthening case detection, surveillance and case
management were approved by the Board on June 16, 2020. In addition, a Development Policy Financing
13 Budget and public enterprises (67%), banks (10%), the private sector (13%), and others (10%) contribute to the Fund.
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(DPF) with a Catastrophe Deferred Drawdown Option (Cat DDO) was restructured to include a health-related
catastrophe trigger and as a result, US$275 million were disbursed on April 3, 2020 [Relief].
2. Protecting the poor and vulnerable: One line of support includes the Financial and Digital Inclusion DPF
series. The first of this series (US$500 million) was approved by the Board on June 22, 2020. The operation
had been planned before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic but was adjusted to respond to urgent needs.
As such, the first DPF included policy measures for establishing the special COVID-19 Pandemic Fund that
finances cash transfers to formal and informal sector employees and households [Relief]. It also included the
development of a digital ID to facilitate financial inclusion and the expansion of social protection programs
[Restructuring], a regulatory reform for the development of inclusive insurance [Restructuring and Recovery],
and an expansion of access to broadband connectivity of underserved urban and rural areas [Restructuring
and Recovery]. The planned Morocco Covid-19 Social Protection Emergency Response project (FY21, Q2)
would support the Government’s safety net response while also laying the foundation for a more
comprehensive and inclusive income transfer program which the King announced in August 2020.
3. Ensuring sustainable business growth and job creation: The WB has restructured the Financing Innovative
Startups and SMEs Project to support startups and incubators that are hard hit by the pandemic
[Restructuring and Recovery]. As the COVID-19 crisis is expected to increase firms’ reliance on digital services,
the Financial and Digital Inclusion DPF (see above) promotes access to global digital services, crowdfunding
for innovative startups and cashless payments [Restructuring and Recovery]. To address the constraints to
access to finance due to the pandemic, the DPF also supports reforming the legal framework for minority
investors protection and investment in small businesses [Restructuring]. Finally, the DPF supports the reform
of the regulatory framework for e-procurement and the participation of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises
(SMEs), self-entrepreneurs and cooperatives in public procurement [Relief, Restructuring and Recovery].
4. Strengthening policies, institutions, and investment for rebuilding better: The WB is supporting this pillar
through its support to the CVE (see above) as well as various ministries by providing analytical work and data
analytics; as well as through support to the reforms to promote competition and investment in the digital
infrastructure markets [Restructuring and Recovery] and to the reforms of public procurement (mentioned
above) [Relief, Restructuring and Recovery]. Several of the planned FY21 operations have assumed higher
importance in the current COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 circumstances – including the Urban Transport
Program-for-Results Additional Financing recently approved by the Board (supporting urban public transport
capacity which will be key for a safe return to urban movements) and the Green Generation PforR which is
presented in this document.
27. Selectivity, complementarity, partnerships: Morocco’s partner countries and organizations are making a joint
effort to support the country during this crisis. A group of financing partners – African Development Bank (AfDB),
European Investment Bank (EIB), AFD, Kreditanstalt fuer Wiederaufbau (KfW), EU, European Bank for Reconstruction and
Development (EBRD) - has been meeting regularly since the beginning of the pandemic to discuss complementarity of
support. The WBG is conducting socio-economic monitoring analytics with the United Nations Development Program
(UNDP) and has recently published an economic monitor with a special focus on the impact of the COVID-19 crisis. On
April 7, 2020, Morocco drew US$3 billion of available resources under a Precautionary and Liquidity Credit Line with the
International Monetary Fund (IMF), thereby bolstering their official reserves and supporting economic stability. Further,
the authorities are mobilizing an additional (non-programmed) US$1 billion in bilateral and multilateral support in 2020
compared to their pre-COVID-19 plans from international financing institutions (WB, AfDB, EBRD, EIB, Islamic
Development Bank, Arab Monetary Fund) as well as bilateral agencies (KfW, AFD) and the EU.
Financing Needs and Sources of Financing: Overall, Morocco’s financing needs in 2020 amount to US$18.5 billion of
which US$12 billion are domestic, and US$6.5 billion are external. Sources of external financing include bond financing
as well as support from bilateral and international sources. IBRD financing in 2020 is estimated at 1.3 billion.
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28. The proposed operation contributes to the 2019-2024 CPF for Morocco. It is aligned with its Strategic Focus
Area A (Promoting job creation by the private sector) and Strategic Focus Area C (Promoting inclusive and resilient
territorial development). Specifically, it would support its Objective 2 (Increase opportunities for private sector growth
with a focus on MSMEs and youth employability) as well as its Objective 10 (Strengthen adaptation to climate change
and resilience to natural disasters). Under Objective 2, the CPF foresees crowding-in the private sector to generate further
growth and job opportunities. Under Objective 10, the CPF envisages support to climate adaptation and resilience in
sectors threatened by climate variability and change. Yet, the activities of the operation would also indirectly touch upon
Strategic Focus Area B (Strengthening human capital), as the Program aims at building, strengthening and protecting
human capital by extending academic curricula and developing digital extension services. Given the strong focus on
gender and digital technologies in the Program, the cross-cutting themes “Gender” and “Harnessing Digital Economy for
Jobs and Faster Growth” would equally be broadly covered.
29. The proposed operation is well-positioned to contribute to the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) enlarged
Regional Strategy on Economic and Social Inclusion for Peace and Stability. In particular, the Program is aligned with
the pillar on renewing the social contract as it emphasizes more inclusive economic growth and the protection of natural
resources which are considered public goods to be preserved as part of the intergenerational social contract, and the
pillar on strengthening resilience to shocks, such as climate shocks. The Program is also aligned with the strategy focus
on youth, entrepreneurship, and technologies. In particular, the Program contributes to: human capital development and
digital transformation. With respect to human capital development, the Program focuses on improving the quality of
extension services. With respect to digital transformation, the Program aims at improving skills for youth and women,
supporting entrepreneurship and SMEs and improving contestability in markets, including via disruptive technologies.
The regional strategy has an equally strong focus on gender equality and female empowerment, which is well reflected
in the operation. The Program also supports the Resilient, Inclusive, Sustainable and Efficient (RISE) approach to the post-
COVID-19 recovery.
D. Rationale for Bank and AFD Engagement and Choice of Financing Instrument
30. The World Bank has been engaged in the agricultural sector in Morocco for almost three decades and it has
supported the PMV since its inception, through policy and institutional reforms along with investments. This included:
(i) a DPF series in support of the PMV (2011 to 2014, US$408 million) with a focus on institutional and regulatory measures
to improve the efficiency of domestic markets by reducing marketing costs and improving marketing services through
the modernization of wholesale markets and slaughterhouses; improve the effectiveness of the agricultural innovation
system; and establish an effective food safety management systems; and (ii) two investment operations (Modernization
of Irrigated Agriculture in Oum Er Rbia Basin Project, 2010-2017, US$70 million– P093719; Large Scale Irrigation
Modernization Project, 2015-2022, US$150 million– P150930) with a focus on improving water service to small farmers
in large scale irrigation perimeters as a prerequisite to the adoption of improved irrigation technologies and to the
increase in agricultural water productivity. Furthermore, a PforR supporting the PMV (2018-2022, US$200 million –
P158346) aims to increase the volume of added-value products commercialized in the olive and citrus agri-food value
chains. In addition, the sustainability of the agricultural sector in rainfed marginal areas has been addressed through two
dedicated grants by the Global Environmental Facility (GEF): the Integrating Climate Change in the Implementation of
the Plan Maroc Vert Project (2010-2015, US$4 million – P117081); and the Social and Integrated Agricultural Project
(2013-2017, US$6.44 million – P129774) focusing on climate change adaptation, biodiversity and land conservation. The
proposed operation would complement and build on these earlier interventions by putting a stronger focus on equity,
job creation and resilience/environmental sustainability in agricultural value chains, while also ensuring the sustainability
of the investments made in earlier projects/programs, in particular the Irrigation Investment Project Financing (IPF) which
has initiated major changes in the irrigation sector (conversion to drip irrigation) that require long-term technical support.
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Furthermore, the Bank has been increasingly engaged in supporting the digital transformation, and more specifically is
gaining broader experience in promoting the adoption of digital technologies to improve the provision of agriculture
services, supporting the growth of the ag-tech innovation ecosystem, and assisting in responding to new challenges such
as those created by the current COVID-19 pandemic. The ongoing DPF series14 is further supporting the development of
the digital economy and strengthening digital foundations, including support to improve mobile broadband in rural and
urban areas. The reforms supported will create the enabling environment for the activities carried out in this operation.
31. The AFD has also been a major partner of the GoM in the agricultural sector, providing continuous support to
the country’s successive agricultural strategies. The AFD contributed to the PMV implementation through a series of
projects covering several complementary dimensions, with a focus on smallholders’ needs and their adaptation to climate
change. Hence, the AFD supported: (i) the Pillar II of the PMV through the financing of sub-projects supervised by ADA
(Programme d’Appui au Pillier II du Plan Maroc Vert, PAPMV project); (ii) the development of several irrigation schemes
aiming at improving access to irrigation and water use efficiency (Projet Moyen Sebou-Inaouen Aval and Projet de
Développement de l’Irrigation et d’Adaptation de l’Agriculture Irriguée aux Changements Climatiques); (iii) the adaptation
of rain fed agriculture to climate change through awareness raising on the impacts of climate change and the
development of a specific insurance for drought (ACCACRIMAG project); and (iv) financial inclusion of smallholders
through the development of tailored credit solutions with the CAM (Tamwil El Fellah project). In addition, the AFD is
supporting GoM in its efforts for reducing gender inequalities in the public administration, through the implementation
of annual gender-responsive budgeting for every ministry—including MAPMDREF. This broad experience in the sector
and the continuous constructive dialogue with MAPMDREF positioned AFD as a key partner for the implementation of
the first steps of the GGS.
32. The GoM is now seeking support from the World Bank and AFD for the implementation of the new GGS (2020-
2030). Despite the impressive performance in terms of increasing overall agricultural production under the PMV, some
challenges remain, which the Government is seeking to address under the GGS with support from the World Bank and
AFD. A key challenge is to further increase job creation, opportunities for youth in the rural space, and promote the
integration of smallholder farmers in mostly rainfed, fragile agro-ecological zones, in higher value markets and
agricultural value chains. Employment creation for the youth and creation of entrepreneurship opportunities in the rural
space is a high priority on the Government’s agenda across sectors, with a critical role envisioned for the agricultural
sector. There is a strong political commitment to that agenda. Furthermore, the GoM has demonstrated its commitment
to results and reforms through the implementation of the PMV and the development of the new agricultural successor
program (GGS) launched on February 13, 2020. During the preparation of the CPF 2019-2024, MAPMDREF has
continuously asked for the support of the World Bank to strengthen its agricultural sector, help design its new agricultural
strategy and support its implementation. Its request stressed specifically three aspects: youth inclusion, digital
technologies and CSA. The World Bank Group is well positioned to accommodate this request considering: (i) its extensive
international experience in developing inclusive and resilient value chains and supporting agribusiness development, and
(ii) previous support to the PMV. Building on the successful collaboration between MAPMDREF and AFD, the GoM has
requested AFD to support the GGS on two different levels: at the central level, through this PforR, and at the regional
level for two to three regions (Fes-Meknès, Oriental, Souss-Massa). This integrated approach is carried out as part of the
program « Revitalisation des Territoires Ruraux marocains par l’Emploi et l’Entrepreneuriat dans le secteur Agricole et
para-agricole (TREEA) » that AFD is preparing in parallel to this PforR with MAPMDREF and in coordination with the World
Bank.
33. A PforR instrument is best suited to support the implementation of the new agricultural strategy. In selecting
this instrument, the following factors were taken into consideration: (i) the proposed operation would support ongoing
14 Financial and Digital Development Policy Financing (P171587—first operation in a series of 3).
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institutional reforms and focus on implementing the ‘Green Generation’ program which is the successor program of the
PMV, (ii) the proposed operation would strengthen existing Government systems for the implementation of the GGS, (iii)
the proposed approach would be programmatic, including a mix of transversal activities benefitting all subsectors, and
(iv) the proposed instrument would support MAPMDREF’s continued focus on strategic outcomes. Furthermore, the
Program seeks to develop partnerships with other donors supporting the new agricultural strategy. The achievements of
the PMV to date and the newly developed agricultural strategy provide a robust foundation for the proposed Program.
Furthermore, the very solid implementation by MAPMDREF of the ongoing PforR on Strengthening Agri-Food Value
Chains (P158346, FY18) has increased the interest of the GoM in this instrument.
34. The PforR would also allow to harmonize World Bank and AFD support to the GGS. In accordance with the new
Joint Partnership and Co-Financing Agreement signed on June 13, 2018, by the World Bank and the AFD, the AFD would
align part of its future intervention aiming at supporting the GGS at central and regional levels, with the procedures of
the World Bank. The World Bank and AFD would thus co-finance (through the formalization of two loan agreements with
GoM) one single Program to support the GGS at the central level, with the same supervision and disbursement
procedures. In accordance with the provisions set forth in the “Cofinancing Framework Agreement” the World Bank
would lead implementation support, working in close consultation with AFD.
II. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
A. Government Program
35. The GGS launched in February 2020 by King Mohamed VI is the Government program for the agri-food sector.
This strategy is predicated on the adoption of a new vision for the agricultural sector, new governance arrangements and
the provision of modern tools for agricultural development. Furthermore, with the COVID-19 crisis, the GGS is expected
to be instrumental to the recovery and resilience of rural populations15. It is based on two overarching strategic
orientations, namely: (i) priority to the human element through the emergence of a new generation of rural middle class
(350,000 to 400,000 households), the advent of and support to a new generation of young entrepreneurs, notably
through the mobilization of one million hectares of collective land, the emergence of a new generation of agricultural
organizations supported by efficient inter-professions (inter-professional organizations), and the implementation of a
new generation of support mechanisms; and (ii) the sustainability of agricultural development through the consolidation
of the performance of agricultural value chains, with a view to doubling exports and agricultural GDP by 2030, and the
improvement of product distribution processes through the modernization of wholesale markets. The strategy also lays
the groundwork for strengthening the resilience and sustainability of agricultural development, as well as improving the
quality and capacity for innovation. The implementation of this strategy will require an annual increase in the sector’s
budget of almost 2.5 percent as of 2020. The GGS will be implemented over 2020-2030 period, in particular at the
territorial level, according to the comparative advantages of each region, in coordination with all stakeholders, and in
accordance with the principles of good governance, with close monitoring and evaluation of investment activities as well
as production efficiency and yield indicators.
36. The GGS is the natural continuation of the PMV launched in 2008 with the objective to further modernize and
foster the growth of the agri-food sector. The findings of the 2018 review of the results achieved under the PMV16 were
incorporated into the design of the GGS program. The review was carried out by MAPMDREF and quantified
implementation progress with respect to agricultural output growth and value added, yields, exports, job creation, as
15 In his speech dated October 9, 2020, King Mohamed VI highlighted agriculture as a key driver for the economic recovery from the COVID-19
outbreak.
16 Évaluation du Plan Maroc Vert, Synthèse des Réalisations 2008-2018 (MAPMDREF, 2020)
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well as the PMV’s transversal reforms. Considering the projected growth in production resulting from the investments
made during the first phase of the PMV (2008-2018), the review recommended a shift in emphasis towards the rural
youth as bona fide investors, the promotion of investments in value-addition, agri-food processing and a greater focus
on market diversification. Hence, like its predecessor program, the GGS aims to transform the agri-food sector into a key
source of economic growth that contributes to employment creation and poverty reduction in rural areas, enabling the
emergence of a rural middle class, while promoting the sector’s integration into the global economy, and helping the
sector adapt to climate change. The GGS program includes a set of transversal intervention areas, as well as an investment
support program based on public-private partnerships. The GGS also builds on the agricultural development plans
endorsed by each region.
37. The GGS covers a twin set of eight strategic intervention areas. (i) Human element: i.e., support to new
generations of: (a) Agriculture middle class: expanded and targeted incentives to improve incomes, enhanced social
protection and status of farmers, and improvement of the Guaranteed Minimum Agricultural Wage (Salaire Minimum
Agricole Garanti, SMAG) and working conditions; (b) Young agricultural entrepreneurs with a focus on providing
entrepreneurship grants for rural youth, assistance to start up and develop farming, and training and professional
qualification; (c) Agricultural organizations based on pursuing structuring, regrouping and aggregating farmers around
efficient agricultural organizations, and the strengthening and empowerment of the sector’s professional organizations;
and (d) Support mechanisms related to agricultural advisory services, improved access to digital agricultural services and
new community farming projects; and (ii) Sustainability of agricultural development: (a) Consolidation of agricultural
value chains with an emphasis on continued investment efforts, streamlining upstream incentives to value chain
development, accelerating the process of value addition of agricultural products, support to the emergence of new
sectors with potential and enhanced export competitiveness; (b) Modern and efficient trade and distribution channels:
modernizing distribution channels to maximize the value captured by farmers and improve the quality of products sold
to end-consumers, and improving access to high value export markets; (c) Quality, innovation and Green-Tech: Improved
product quality and food safety, diffusion of innovation, precision farming and investments in R&D; and (d) Resilient and
eco-efficient agriculture: pursuing water mobilization and saving programs, including the promotion of on-farm drip
irrigation and disseminating soil conservation techniques. The quantitative targets assigned to each area are presented
in Box 4 below.
Box 4. Green Generation: Program Intervention Targets

- New generation of rural middle class: 350,000 to 400,000 households entering in the middle-class and 3-4 million farmers
covered by social security programs;
- New generation of young agri-entrepreneurs: 1 million hectares of collective land being used (of which 25 percent by the
youth), 350,000 farmers and agri-entrepreneurs (180,000 new youth entrepreneurs and creation of 170,000 jobs in agricultural
and para-agricultural services) and 150,000 youth being trained;
- New generation of agricultural organizations: fivefold increase of the number of cooperatives/professional organizations and
30 percent of public budget related to agriculture managed by professional organizations;
- New generation of support ecosystems with two million farmers being connected to e-services and 5,000 additional
agricultural advisors;
- Consolidation of agri-food value chains: twofold increase each of agricultural GDP and exports, and processing of 70 percent
of total agricultural production;
- Modern and efficient supply chains, with 12 wholesale markets and local market (souks) modernized;
- Quality, innovation and green tech: certification of 120 slaughterhouses and twofold increase of food safety controls; and
- Resilient and ecologically efficient agriculture, with the aim to double hydrological efficiency and improve soil conservation.
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B. Program Development Objective (PDO) and PDO Level Results Indicators

38. The Program Development Objective is to increase the economic inclusion of youth in rural areas and the
marketing efficiency and environmental sustainability of agri-food value chains in the Program area. The Program will
thereby contribute to the broader, higher level objectives of the GGS, which are to boost investments in the agri-food
sector, increase the sector’s value added and agri-food exports, create additional jobs, and raise rural incomes—with a
strong environmental sustainability and climate resilience lens.
39. The PDO results indicators are: (i) number of young people who have created agriculture-related enterprises
that have been operational for at least six months (percent of whom are women); (ii) quantity of local products marketed
through wholesale marketing platforms; and (iii) number of producers adopting climate smart practices (percent of
whom are women).
C. Program Scope and Description
40. The Program’s scope and boundaries are predicated on the following considerations:
(i) The Program would be aligned with the recommendations of the final review of the PMV, particularly those
emphasizing agri-food value chains development. Substantial progress has been achieved at the farm level under the
PMV, in terms of increasing production and productivity, however important bottlenecks remain to be addressed beyond
the farm gate. The Program would support and help improve GGS interventions that address those bottlenecks, in order
to create new market opportunities and drive further investments in the sector.
(ii) The Program would apply the Mobilizing Finance for Development (MFD) principles and seek to attract private
investments in the agri-food sector by improving selected regulations, instruments and programs, impacting private
finance in the sector.
(iii) The Program would selectively support interventions that have the potential to accelerate the broader
transformation of the agri-food sector towards greater added-value and inclusion of small and medium producers,
including through measures to increase revenue generation by rural youth; the reform of wholesale markets; the use of
digital technologies for producers’ access to information on production technologies and markets; the promotion of
commercial partnerships between small producers and buyers; and strengthening the ecosystem for digitalization of CSA
practices and agribusiness development.
(iv) The Program interventions would be focused on key areas of the GoM’s program where the Bank’s global
experience can be brought in to improve existing instruments and continue the reform efforts supported under the
earlier DPF series.
(v) The Program would serve as a leverage to facilitate multi-stakeholder dialogue and reforms. It was designed with
the vision to provide a platform to facilitate dialogue and accelerate the implementation of reforms in areas that require
good intra-governmental coordination as well as public-private partnerships (such as the wholesale market reforms, and
the implementation of the food safety control system).
41. The Program would focus on three key areas of the GGS that are inherently interdependent: (i) Increased job
opportunities and income generation for rural youth; (ii) improved efficiency of agri-food marketing systems; and (iii)
enhanced digitalization of agriculture and adoption of climate-smart practices, as well as strengthened monitoring and
evaluation (M&E) capacity of implementing agencies. The Program would support the incentive schemes and ecosystem
with a focus on enabling the private sector to provide digital and climate smart technologies and getting farmers and
agri-food SMEs to adopt these technologies. Increased adoption of these technologies is expected to transform the
Moroccan agri-food sector and contribute to reaching the higher-level objectives of the GGS: (i) valorization of the human
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capital through the creation of a new rural middle class and support to a new generation of young entrepreneurs for the
creation of jobs in rural areas (especially for the youth and women); and (ii) sustainability of agricultural development,
through consolidated agri-food value chains and strengthened resilience to climate change. The Program would also
contribute to investments for green channels and digital transformation which are important to mitigate the impact of
the current COVID-19 pandemic (and prepare for future similar crises).
42. Program beneficiaries. While some of the Program’s activities would benefit a broad range of stakeholders in
the agri-food sector, the Program would include activities specifically aimed at promoting the inclusion of young people
in agriculture-related entrepreneurial activities, and small and medium producers and enterprises with modern value-
chains, including their capacity to produce and commercialize value-added products. Direct Program beneficiaries would
include young people in rural areas, small and medium producers and enterprises engaged in the agri-food sector (of
which 25 percent are female). Those beneficiaries and a broader range of stakeholders would also benefit from the
increased efficiency of wholesale markets, the development of innovations in digital agriculture and improved food safety
and quality. Those beneficiaries would include enterprises in the agri-food sector, such as aggregators, traders and
exporters, as well as Moroccan consumers, who will benefit from safer and better-quality products. It is estimated that
approximately 200,000 agri-food producers and entrepreneurs would benefit from one or more of the Program activities
in the regions included in the Program area. Finally, the Government agencies involved in the Program (MAPMDREF,
ONCA, ONSSA, ADA, Morocco Foodex, IAV, INRA, DRAs17, and ORMVAs18) would benefit from increased capacity to
implement their mandates and to monitor and evaluate the results of their respective programs.
43. Table 1 below summarizes the content of the GGS program, key achievements to date under the predecessor
PMV program, and outstanding issues as well as the scope of the proposed Program. It also stresses the links with the
ongoing Strengthening Agri-food Value Chains PforR. The Program would support selected activities of the eight areas of
intervention of the GGS over a five-year period (2021-2025). The Program geographic area would include: (a) the regions
of Béni Mellal-Khénifra, Casablanca-Settat, Drâa-Tafilalet, Fès-Meknès, Marrakech-Safi, Oriental, Rabat-Salé-Kénitra,
Souss-Massa and Tanger-Tétouan-Al Hoceïma; and (b) the provinces of Guelmin, Tan-Tan and Sidi Ifni.
Table 1: Key attributes and scope of the Program
Attributes Green Generation 2020-2030 PforR
Development The Green Generation Strategy 2020-2030 aims to reach a new The PforR aims to increase the economic inclusion of
objective level of development in Moroccan agriculture, by capitalizing youth in rural areas, and the efficiency and environmental
on the achievements made by the PMV, through: (i) a new sustainability of agri-food value chains, to be achieved
development vision, (ii) the adoption of a new governance, and under three Result Areas (RA):
(iii) the provision of modern means for the agricultural sector. − RA 1: Increased job opportunities and income
generation for rural youth.
− RA 2: Improved efficiency of agri-food marketing
systems.
− RA3: Enhanced digitalization of agriculture and
adoption of climate-smart practices.
17 The Directions Régionales de l’Agriculture (DRAs) are the deconcentrated entities of MAPMDREF in the different regions.
18 The Office Régionaux de Mise en Valeur Agricole (ORMVAs) are autonomous agencies tasked with developing the potential of agricultural land
through constructing new irrigation schemes and rehabilitating and modernizing existing ones; ensuring Operation and Maintenance (O&M) of
irrigation and drainage facilities; and providing irrigation advisory services to farmers.
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DO Indicators Deliver the following results, by 2030 and compared to 2020: − Number of young people who have created agriculture-
(i) up to 400,000 households entering the middle class, with 3 related enterprises that have been operational for at
to 4 million farmers with social protection; (ii) one million ha of least six months (percent of whom are women)
collective land developed, with 350,000 new farmers and − Quantity of local products marketed through wholesale
agricultural entrepreneurs and 150,000 young people trained; marketing platforms;
(iii) up to 70 percent of production undergoing processing; (iv) − Number of producers adopting climate smart practices
up to 2 million farmers connected to agricultural e-services; (v) (percent of whom are women)
up to twice the level of agriculture GDP and agricultural
exports; and (vi) up to twice the level of water efficiency.
Period 2020 - 2030 2021 – 2025
Global Budget US$10 billion US$487 million equivalent
Intervention Strategic Initiatives Keys Achievements Outstanding Issues Proposed Program
Area
IA1: New − Expanded and targeted − Reform of the system of − Limited access to
generation of incentives to improve assistance and incentives for finance and / or land
agricultural incomes; agricultural investment; for young people
middle class − Enhanced social − Improvement of agricultural wishing to develop
protection and status of insurance coverage. their agricultural
farmers; enterprises
− Guaranteed Minimum
Agriculture Wage
(SMAG) and working
conditions;
IA2: New − Entrepreneurship grants − Various policies carried out in − Entrepreneurial skills − Improving the
generation of for rural youth; recent years by the State limited among youth attractiveness of the rural
young − Assistance to start-ups; (INDH, Mokawalati, support − Lack of awareness by economy for young people
agricultural − Training and professional for young entrepreneurs, young people of − Identification and
entrepreneurs qualification. Taahil, and Idmaj) to promote investment communication regarding
and support youth opportunities in rural opportunities by region in
entrepreneurship areas favor of young people
− Implementation of several − Weak support − Reinforcement of the
programs and projects, co- structures for support system for
funded by donors and Non- entrepreneurship in agricultural
Governmental Organizations rural areas entrepreneurship
(NGOs), to stimulate and − Limited access to − Improvement of the
support rural youth finance and / or land financial support system
entrepreneurship (ex. PEJ, for young people for agricultural
PJEA, ALEF) wishing to develop entrepreneurship (targeted
their agricultural incentives for youth)
enterprises
IA3: New − Structuring, regrouping − Specific legal framework − Insufficient and − Not covered by the PforR—
generation of and aggregating farmers governing agricultural and irregular financial the strengthening of inter-
agricultural around efficient fishery inter-professions (Law resources of inter- professions is already
organizations agricultural 03-12 and attendant texts); professions to carry covered by the ongoing
organizations; − Public Private Partnerships out their missions Strengthening Agri-food
− Strengthening and (PPPs or Program Contracts) (interprofessional Value Chains PforR
empowerment of the by sector; agreements in
professional − Support for strengthening progress);
organizations. inter-professions; − Insufficient
− Partnership and contractual organization of certain
arrangements for the sectors.
implementation of sectoral
and territorial development
policies.
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IA4: New − Reform of agricultural − Strengthening of private − Poor access to − Definition of a national
generation of advisory services; contractual agricultural information, training scheme for the exchange of
support − Improved access to advice; and support services; agricultural information
mechanisms digital agricultural − Several successful − Weak synergies and (unifying project);
services; experiences in the knowledge sharing − Implementation of digital
− New generation of digitalization of services and between the various systems, information
community farming management processes in digitalization gathering devices and
projects. place (ASAAR, ARDNA, SABA, initiatives; decision-making tools;
CGMS-MAROC, and − Insufficient digital − Digitization of agricultural
FERTIMAP); systems, information advisory services (Digi-
− Reinforcement of financial gathering devices and Conseil)
support mechanisms (ex. FDA) decision-making tools
IA5: − Maintain the investment − Support for investment and − Weak value addition of − Not covered by PforR:
Consolidation effort and streamline integration of small and agricultural products. support for investment in
of agricultural incentives upstream of medium producers in processing units provided
value chains the value chains markets; under the ongoing
− Accelerate processing − Support for the development Strengthening Agri-food
and value addition of of agricultural product value Value Chains PforR
agricultural products addition;
− Support the emergence
of new sectors with high
potential
− Support export
competitiveness
IA6: Modern − Structure and modernize − Preparation of the master − Inadequate regulatory − Promulgation of a new
and efficient distribution channels to plan for wholesale fruit and framework governing legal and regulatory
distribution maximize the value vegetable markets; the wholesale fruit and framework governing the
chains captured by farmers and − Identification of a new vegetable markets; wholesale marketing of
improve the quality of management model for − Non-compliance of agricultural products;
products sold to end- wholesale markets; wholesale marketing − Development of four new
consumers; − Liberalization of the domestic facilities with wholesale markets with an
− Develop agricultural red meat market; international innovative delegated
exports. − Strengthening of Morocco standards; management model;
Foodex's intervention to − Recurrent deficiencies − Digitization of export
improve the efficiency and in municipal control;
control of agri-food exports; slaughterhouses − Development of online
− Support to organizations of regarding hygienic and commerce for local
producers for the marketing sanitary conditions as products.
of their local products. well as management
efficiency;
− Long delays in carrying
out technical export
control operations for
fresh products;
− Insufficient monitoring
of export markets;
− Limited marketing
outlets for local
products.
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IA7: Quality, − Improved product − Reinforcement of sanitary − Insufficient − Launch of a national call for
innovation quality; control of food (normative investments in R&D; pilot projects for the
and Green- − Diffusion of innovation, framework for several sectors − Low use of digital identification of innovative
Tech R&D and precision and inspection and control platforms for precision project leaders (digital and
farming; activities.) agriculture; climate-resilient);
− Investments in R&D. − Several successful projects in − Low use of digital − Implementation of digital
innovation and green tech tools. platforms for precision
(INRA, IAV, and Mohamed VI farming based on artificial
Universities). intelligence;
− Use of drones for
phytosanitary treatments.
− Increased number of agro-
food firms authorized by
ONSSA.
− Continuation of water − PNEEI; − Risk on the − Technical assistance to
IA8: Resilient mobilization and saving − Realization of several projects sustainability of support farmers in
and eco- programs; focused on climate-smart investments made in modernized irrigation
efficient − Dissemination of soil agriculture (rehabilitation of terms of sectors;
agriculture conservation techniques. “khettaras”—traditional modernization of − Support for the
irrigation structure— and irrigated areas for development of pilot
collective conversion to water saving projects, based on the
localized irrigation). principles of ecological and
organic farming, in
vulnerable and fragile
areas, particularly the
unfavorable Oasis,
mountain and marginal
village areas.
44. Result Areas. The PforR draws on selected activities of the GGS program, with a focus on the three following
interlinked Areas (see Annex 3 for a detailed description).
RESULT AREA 1 – INCREASED JOB OPPORTUNITIES AND INCOME GENERATION FOR RURAL YOUTH
45. Many promising dynamics support the growth of the agricultural sector and the rural economy in Morocco—
supply-side advantages, untapped markets, rising export opportunities, and policy support; yet, significant constraints,
if not addressed, can weaken the sector’s prospects and further marginalize the rural youth. These youth often lack
technical skills, managerial capacity and knowledge of business processes to create their enterprises or enter the job
market. Their performance is further limited by their lack of access to finance. Result Area 1 aims to address these
constraints holistically with the objective of increasing job opportunities and incomes of the youth in rural areas which
will also reduce out-migration from rural areas, exacerbated by climate change, and enhance the financial ability and
climate knowledge of young entrepreneurs and producers to undertake the necessary adaptation and mitigation actions.
This would be achieved through the following two interlinked sub-programs: (i) strengthening the ecosystem for rural
entrepreneurship development; and (ii) facilitating access to financial resources for young rural entrepreneurs to start
their agri-enterprises and/or pursue other agriculture-related services. All the activities developed as part of Result Area
1 would be instrumental in spurring the economic and climate resilience of the rural youth in the wake of the COVID-19
pandemic. The provision of viable agricultural livelihoods and the development of climate change-informed business
plans would increase climate change resilience and reduce youth out-migration from rural areas due to lack of
opportunities and the adverse impacts of climate change. Success for Result Area 1 would be measured based on the
number of businesses created and pursued by the youth. Result Area 1 will be key to generating a supply of innovative
firms that will then provide solutions for Result Areas 2 and 3.
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46. Strengthening the ecosystem for rural entrepreneurship development. Under this sub-program, the Program
would aim to improve the attractiveness of the rural economy for young people (with specific attention to women)
through the provision of specialized technical assistance and to strengthen the capacity of relevant support institutions
(both public and private) to raise the quality of their services and/or develop new services (leveraging digital and climate
smart agriculture technologies) in response to the needs of young rural entrepreneurs (particularly women) and market
trends. It would also finance the provision of standardized, quality technical services to selected rural youth to help them
prepare “bankable” business plans and support their implementation. Awareness raising about climate change mitigation
and adaptation strategies will be provided to inform the business plans.
47. Improving the attractiveness of the rural economy for young people. The Program would fund the provision of
specialized technical assistance to: (i) identify new and build on existing economic opportunities in priority agri-food
value-chains at provincial level, targeting both local and export markets and ensuring a more equitable inclusion of
women in the agri-food sector; (ii) organize communication and promotion campaigns related to these economic
opportunities at national and provincial levels, using different channels (media, promotion tours, seminars, and open
house days)—these campaigns targeted at rural youth would ensure a strong participation of female entrepreneurs and
rural women in the Program and build awareness of climate change issues; (iii) develop and integrate rural
entrepreneurial training modules in vocational training centers and training of trainers in entrepreneurship; (iv) organize
orientation and ideation sessions for young people to increase climate literacy and investigate potential economic
opportunities in their areas and available support services (targeting 90,000 young people) with 25 percent of these
sessions dedicated to young female entrepreneurs, and another 25 percent dedicated to finding solutions for closing the
gender gap in agri-food value chains; and (v) pilot a national call for projects, including two competitions to select 40
young promoters of digital and climate smart agricultural projects and support them in starting their projects (the two
competitions will serve closing the gender gap in agri-food value chains, at least 10 of the 40 selected young
entrepreneurs will be women). The rural entrepreneurial training combined with access to finance (see below) would
provide improved livelihoods and strengthen the climate resilience of vulnerable groups.
48. As part of the rural entrepreneurship development activities, the Program would finance the provision of
standardized, quality technical services to selected youth, including a dedicated technical assistance to help the youth,
particularly women, prepare “bankable” (and climate-informed) business plans and subsequent commercial loan
applications, leveraging credit access programs. This intervention is expected to benefit 10,000 youth.
49. Strengthening the capacity of relevant support institutions for rural entrepreneurship development. The Program
would finance the following activities: (i) capacity building of a pool of highly qualified agricultural advisers, focusing
particularly on the needs of women; (ii) revitalization and professionalization of agricultural cooperatives to improve
their operational capacities, climate knowledge, and modernize their management structure with an emphasis on
empowering female cooperative members to play stronger managerial roles; (iii) establishment of 10 incubators within
the Dar El Fellah network to enhance their outreach capacity so that they can provide last-mile services to young rural
entrepreneurs, cooperatives and other agri-service providers; and (iv) launch of an initiative focused on the emergence
and empowerment of agricultural service cooperatives for the youth to pilot state-of-the-art technologies geared to
promoting digital applications, provide advance warning for emergency events, including climatic hazards, and ensure
readiness at the grassroots level to address crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and climate-related events. The
Program would support the creation of 10 such service cooperatives (hiring a total of 200 young people).
50. Facilitating access to financial resources for young rural entrepreneurs. The Program would finance the
following activities: (i) review the Agricultural Development Fund (Fond de Développement Agricole, FDA) incentive
system and legal framework to specifically target young rural entrepreneurs; this would involve the enactment of legal
texts introducing incentives benefiting projects promoted by rural youth, including access to agricultural land; and (ii)
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implement financial incentive mechanisms for young people to: (a) start their individual projects (16,000 expected
beneficiaries); (b) grow their projects into structured agricultural enterprises (800 service companies would receive
incentives with up to 10 young people per company, implying 8,000 expected beneficiaries, 2,000 of whom would be
women); and (c) support the access to agricultural land (14,500 expected beneficiaries, 3,625 of whom would be women).
Among the objectives pursued, the Program will give: (1) adequate priority to initiatives predicated on eco-efficient and
climate smart technologies, as well as technologies geared to reducing risk factors such as droughts, pest outbreaks or
epidemics, and getting promoters equipped to face emergency events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic; and (2) due
attention to projects developed by young women to reduce the gender gap, as they need targeted incentives to
circumvent constraints related to their vulnerable status, and to have an even-playing field in seeking financial support.
The empowerment of young women will in turn increase their climate resilience as women tend to be more exposed to
climate risks compared to men due to fewer endowments and entitlements, they also have less access to information
and services, and are less mobile. All three measures under (ii) would be in line with GGS guidelines, from year 3 of the
Program, following prior adoption of related legal framework under (i).
RESULT AREA 2: IMPROVED EFFICIENCY OF AGRI-FOOD MARKETING SYSTEMS
51. The evaluation of the PMV carried out by MAPMDREF in 2018 indicates that sector performance is still hindered
by marketing constraints, including limited capacity for product innovation, and difficulties accessing modern marketing
networks, particularly for women. It also highlights the difficulty for small producers and SMEs to comply with stringent
food safety, quality, traceability, labeling and environmental sustainability requirements imposed by high-value export
markets. These constraints are affecting small producers’ ability to participate and benefit from the strong sector growth
registered over the last decade. Limited access to modern marketing networks also results in high post-harvest losses,
increasing the related carbon-footprint of farming and further exacerbates vulnerability to climate change. The difficulty
to comply with stringent food safety, quality, traceability can also increase the incidence of foodborne diseases and the
risk of spread of novel pests and diseases which are projected to be exacerbated as a result of climate change.
52. Result Area 2 aims at addressing these constraints through targeted investments to improve the efficiency of
Morocco’s agri-food marketing systems. The expected outcomes are: (i) improved commercialization on the local
markets; and (ii) increased exports of agri-products, which would result in improved linkages between producers and
buyers, enable greater integration of producers into modern value-chains, and increase incomes of farmers. Specific
emphasis will be put on addressing women’s constraints and strengthening their access to local and international markets
and reducing climate vulnerability. Ensuring efficient and resilient food supply chains has been critical during the COVID-
19 outbreak and will remain instrumental as the country is moving to the pandemic recovery but also to mitigate potential
future similar crises. Result Area 2 will provide the necessary climate-proof and energy-efficient market infrastructure
to facilitate the activities carried out in Result Areas 2 and 3. The Program would support the following three sub-
programs in order to reach the stated objectives.
53. Strengthening agri-food products marketing and distribution in the domestic market. The Program would
contribute to modernizing Morocco’s agri-food marketing infrastructure with a view to improving domestic market
efficiency and transparency benefiting both farmers and end-consumers, building on the lessons learned from the Rabat
wholesale market to be developed as part of the Strengthening Agri-Food Value Chains PforR (P158346). This would be
achieved through the following four interlinked activities: (i) preparation and, if approved, enactment of the regulatory
framework for the development of modernized wholesale markets: the associated texts will be subject to publication;
the MI would oversee and implement the process; (ii) development of four modernized wholesale markets: this would
involve financing related to engineering and financial feasibility studies, climate-proof and energy-efficient construction,
equipment, and bringing the market facilities to full operational level for the cities of Meknès, Agadir, Marrakesh and
Berkane; prior activities would comprise establishing a new management model for wholesale markets based on
territorial partnerships with involved communes and regional authorities by putting in place management structures for
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the modernized wholesale markets, and preparing an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) of the National
Wholesale Market Scheme (Schéma National d’Orientation des Marchés de Gros au Maroc) as well as Environmental and
Social Management Plans (ESMP) and if applicable, Resettlement Action Plans (RAP), for each selected individual
wholesale market. The establishment of management structures for each wholesale market would ensure a cost-efficient
management by the private sector and contribute to their successful long-term operation. The Directorate for the
Development of Value Chains (Direction du Développement des Filières de Production, DDFP) would oversee the process
together with the collective of institutions affected, particularly the Wilayas and other territorial authorities; and (iii)
development of e-commerce platforms for local products. This activity would support small producers, particularly
women, and their cooperatives to market their products through a wide range of virtual stores and facilitate their
integration into commercial value chains. This would put a strong emphasis on opening new avenues for income
generation and better access to national and international markets for women. The Agence pour le Développement
Agricole (ADA) will oversee the implementation of this activity. By developing an enhanced and energy-efficient market
infrastructure, Result Area 2 would improve the overall resilience of agricultural value chains to climate change; it will
also lead to reduced GHG emissions by spurring better logistical and energy efficiency overall.
54. The design of the wholesale markets would be cognizant of Eco-Industrial Park Guidelines19 with a focus on
mitigating climate change by promoting resource efficient technologies and buildings 20, and therefore, reduce GHG
emissions. Emphasis would also be put on reducing the gender gap by ensuring that required facilities and infrastructure
for women are taken into consideration as part of the design of these facilities (i.e., energy efficient street-lighting
throughout the planned infrastructure, and separate women’s and men’s restrooms). The potential climate risks would
be considered during the design stage. The e-promotion of local products by ADA would be based on the tagging of
products with special labels emphasizing traditional eco-resilient local practices, energy conservation and limited use of
chemicals; another marketing aspect would be production at the local village-community level by smallholders,
predominantly women.
55. Strengthening national food safety control system. The Program would support the digital transformation of
ONSSA’s operating procedures. It would also boost ONSSA’s capacity and preparedness to address sanitary emergencies
such as the current COVID-19 pandemic, foodborne diseases and the spread of novel pests and diseases for which risk is
exacerbated as a result of climate change. To this end, the Program would finance the costs related to: (i) the issuance of
phytosanitary certificates required prior to marketing agri-food products and the digitalization processes associated with
it; the Program’s target would be for ONSSA to issue 8,800 certificates for SMEs and undertake 15,000 sanitary control
visits; (ii) the upgrade of ONSSA’s laboratories and strengthening of its capacities in terms of analytical control of plants
and animal products, residues of veterinary drugs, residue of fertilizers, antibiotic resistance, etc.; the target would be
for ONSSA to carry-out annually 206,250 lab analyses; and (iii) implementing the awareness-raising campaigns about
potential spread of new pests and diseases due to climate change. The Program would fund the required technical
assistance and equipment to achieve the above; ONSSA would implement this sub-program, in partnership with the
Regional Directorates for Agriculture (Directions Régionales de l’Agriculture, DRAs) and territorial authorities. Increased
efficiency of the issuance of phytosanitary certificates will also improve the prevention of pests and diseases epidemics
which are exacerbated by climate change. Additionally, improved facilities for checking the residue of fertilizers will
contribute to reduced fertilizers use and GHG emissions. Finally, going paperless will reduce CO2 emissions and contribute
to climate change mitigation.
56. Improving agri-food export performance. This sub-program would involve digitalizing Morocco Foodex
operations on three fronts: (i) technical control process of exports, and related issuance and management of export
19 Mainstreaming Eco-Industrial Parks, World Bank Group, 2016.

20 Thethree wholesale markets selected under the Program would also include renewable energy generation (photovoltaic—PV), thus contributing
to mitigation co-benefits.
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inspection certifications: the target is that Morocco Foodex would perform all technical control operations and issue all
exports agreements in digital format by the end of the Program; (ii) digitalized export approval process: the objective is
for Morocco Foodex to handle the entire process of granting export approvals, from the formulation of the request to
the issuance of the approval, in a digitalized manner; and (iii) strategic monitoring of export markets: Morocco Foodex
would digitize its export market monitoring process; the advantage would be in terms of real-time, larger scope and
lower cost service. The Program would finance the required technical assistance and equipment to achieve the above.
Morocco Foodex would implement this sub-program, in close liaison with MAPMDREF and the private sector. The digital
authorization process is also expected to contribute to the improvement of food safety by reducing foodborne disease
outbreak through reduced time in transitional storage with inappropriate humidity and temperature settings and reduce
the spread of novel pests and diseases exacerbated by climate change through improved traceability.
RESULT AREA 3: ENHANCED DIGITALIZATION OF AGRICULTURE AND ADOPTION OF CLIMATE SMART PRACTICES
57. Result Area 3 aims to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of agricultural support services; and enhance
the environmental sustainability and climate resilience of Morocco’s agri-food value chains. Planned interventions
under this Result Area would help MAPMDREF make informed decisions regarding where to target initiatives to help
value chain participants. It would also offer the potential to streamline agri-food supply chains, while providing trusted
information for producers and consumers. These interventions would be oriented towards promoting women’s access
to agricultural extension services and information. Greater productivity is expected to be achieved via on-time
agricultural advice and real-time information; for instance, on weather, climate-smart agriculture technologies, early
plant disease detection, better financial access, and improved linkages to quality agricultural input and reliable off-take
markets. The above would enable producers and other actors along the value chains to engage in practices to edge
against climate-related risks and be prepared for emergencies. Result Area 3 would be very closely related to Result Area
1 as the innovative firms created under Result Area 1 would develop solutions for digital and climate smart agriculture.
To this point, Result Area 1 would contribute to promoting digital entrepreneurship in rural areas and create the
incentives and support programs for youth to provide solutions to the key challenges identified in Result Area 2 and 3.
Strengthening the digital ecosystem, particularly in areas where agriculture is key to livelihoods, will support the
Program’s positive outcomes and is a prerequisite for the development of local digital solutions and adoption of digital
technologies. To achieve these objectives, the Program would finance the two following sub-programs:
58. Developing the digital agriculture ecosystem: A strong digital agriculture ecosystem will be a pre-requisite for
the development of innovative digital solutions. To develop such an ecosystem, interventions will need to be
appropriately sequenced. Amongst the priority actions are the development of a robust data platform that will provide
validated data to different stakeholders. This platform will be open, secure and protected. Data Governance, Privacy and
Protection will be key elements of the platform. To this end, MAPMDREF would leverage collaboration with the Digital
Development Agency (Agence du Développement Digital, ADD) mandated to lead the Government’s Open Data Initiative.
Agriculture can be the leader in Morocco on Open Data and an example of how to carry out such transformations in other
sectors. This sub-program would support the development of a comprehensive strategy for the digital transformation of
MAPMDREF that ensures optimal synergies amongst its different operating systems (MAPMDREF’s digital blueprint
transformation strategy); and the digital transformation of the agricultural extension and research information systems.
A focus of these systems would be on: (i) promoting knowledge and know-how on sustainable farming practices and CSA
technologies that help improve productivity and over the long term reduce costs (e.g., water and input use), and build
climate resilience and reduce GHG emissions intensity; and (ii) serving the needs of small producers who are still
generating the bulk of the agri-food supply, with a special focus on women who play a key role in certain sectors such as
fresh fruits and vegetables and often lack access to agricultural advice and information. Furthermore, the digital
transformation process will require the transformation of business and organizational activities, processes, competencies
and models to enable MAPMDREF to use and exploit digital technologies to improve business processes and outcomes.
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To this end, the MAPMDREF would also benefit from putting in place a Chief Digital Officer (CDO) who would be
responsible for transforming public sector services, business models and ways of working using digital technologies. This
person would also serve as the Chief Data Officer responsible for the asset represented by public sector data. As with all
assets, data will be both maintained and leveraged in order to gain full value. The CDO (Data) is responsible for extracting
data from public data and for ensuring that data is up to date and relevant. This position would be strategic as MAPMDREF
moves towards scaling the use of digital technologies and data to improve decision making. Specifically, the following
activities would be financed:
(a) Assessment and design of the MAPMDREF digital blueprint which would ensure the inter-operability amongst the
different data systems within the Ministry and with its affiliated organizations (INRA, IAV, ONCA, ONSSA, etc.);
and include a library of key information related to agriculture and livestock to be made accessible to sector
stakeholders and the industry in general. The blueprint would ensure that the proposed options focus on
improving data use by all agriculture stakeholders. In addition, the assessment and design process would
highlight any required organizational changes to enable the Ministry to become fully digitally-enabled.
MAPMDREF’s Directorate of Strategy and Statistics (Direction de la Stratégie et des Statistiques, DSS) would
oversee the preparation of this study;
(b) Support of the digitalization of agricultural advisory services: The Program would strengthen ONCA’s capacity to
generate digital advisory support services to farmers. This would involve: (i) the creation of a national agricultural
advisory data center with regional intermediaries, i.e., acquiring, storing and processing large volume of data
from farms (obtained through digital technologies such as satellite, drones and Internet of Things—IoT) and
subsequently producing suitable and easy-to-use advice for farmers, with specific adaptation to women’s needs;
(ii) capacity building of agricultural advisers on aspects related to the digitalization of agricultural advisory
activities to ensure the dissemination of knowledge to farmers, notably climate-smart agricultural practices and
technologies; the emphasis would be placed on training advisors regarding special methods tailored to reaching
out to women producers; ONCA’s field personnel, as well as its management support personnel, would be
provided with adequate IT equipment notably video conference systems and interactive terminals; and (iii)
upgrading ONCA's internal management systems to accommodate digital innovations, manage large amount of
agriculture data and set up a system for monitoring the quality of services and the level of satisfaction of ONCA's
digital agricultural advisory services by beneficiaries. A study on how to upgrade the existing ARDNA21 virtual
extension knowledge management platform to better contribute to the national digital extension system would
be conducted;
(c) Support to INRA for the dissemination of crop vocation maps (6.5 million hectares of agricultural land) and the
development and dissemination of an additional 0.5 million hectares. INRA would be also supported to: establish
a digital platform for precision agriculture based on artificial intelligence, image processing (drone or satellite
photos) and on agronomic calibration tests for effective spatiotemporal monitoring of crops; create a Big-Data
center grouping together the platforms already existing at INRA and networking INRA’s soil and plant protection
laboratories to ensure a supply of updated data across Morocco; and establish a system to estimate the area of
crops based on time series of satellite images and machine learning method. The above support would enable
INRA to make major headways regarding experimenting and designing solutions in such areas as eco-efficient
cropping and water saving in the context of climate change;
(d) Equip ONSSA with digital technologies regarding the management of palm trees (including tools for seismic
detection of red palm weevil larvae with a target of 15,000 palm trees that would be fitted with detectors);
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and satellite image processing technologies; machine learning solutions
21 “Our land”
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for image-based plant disease detection; use of drones for phytosanitary treatments (4,000 ha of forests and
palm trees would be treated); and establishment of a phytosanitary risk prediction and mapping system; and
(e) In addition, the Program would finance the installation of remote management systems in selected modernized
irrigation perimeters (by the Directorate of Irrigation and Development of the Agricultural Space/Direction de
l’Irrigation et de l’Aménagement de l’Espace Agricole, DIAEA, in liaison with ORMVA); the design and definition
of a digital transformation models in the context of agricultural aggregation projects (ADA); and the design and
implementation of an academic program in data science applied to agriculture with a target of 20 agronomists
graduating in applied data science (in partnership with IAV Hassan II).
59. By supporting, the above activities, the Program would allow the agriculture sector to leverage digital
technologies to achieve overarching developmental goals and help the efficiency and sustainability of the sector. It would
help support the creation of a strong foundation in the use of technology to improve service delivery and production.
60. Support for eco-efficient and climate resilient agriculture: This sub-program would aim at promoting precision
agriculture through research and extension regarding the best agro-ecological and resilient practices. It would fund: (i) a
pilot initiative to promote agro-ecology to improve resilience and eco-efficiency; the initiative would be undertaken by
ADA in liaison with the DRAs; (ii) a pilot initiative to promote organic farming by the DRA under the coordination of ADA
in partnership with the Interprofessional Federation of Organic Products in Morocco (Fédération Interprofessionelle du
Bio au Maroc, FIMABIO), the initiatives under (i) and (ii) will target 200 farmers, out of which 20 percent would be women;
and (iii) technical extension support for farmers operating in selected modernized irrigation sectors (i.e. converted to
drip irrigation systems) to help them adopt additional climate smart agriculture practices to use the new irrigation system
in an efficient manner; this would be undertaken through the contracting by ONCA of specialized private agricultural
irrigation advisers in liaison with ORMVA and DIAEA; 12,000 farmers would be targeted in six modernized irrigated
perimeters, out of which 15 percent would be women. It is estimated that GHG emission reductions through improving
irrigation systems would reduce demand for pumped groundwater to supplement insufficient supplies of surface water
and lead to GHG emission reductions.
61. The three Result Areas contribute to the eight Intervention Areas (IA) of the GGS (outlined in Table 1) as
presented in Figure 2 below. By supporting the youth, the Program aims at supporting the development of a new
generation of rural middle class. By strengthening the ecosystem for rural entrepreneurship development and improving
access to financial resources for young rural entrepreneurs, the Program aims at attracting the youth to the agriculture
sector and contributing directly to increased incomes for the rural youth. By improving the efficiency of agri-food
marketing systems and fostering the adoption of climate smart practices, the Program aims at supporting farmers in
establishing an eco-efficient and resilient agriculture sector while increasing related revenues. Sub-results Area 3.1 and
3.2 are complementary as the digital ecosystem put in place under 3.1 (such as the establishment of a National Data
Center or the capacity building and digitalization of agricultural advisers) will allow for an efficient implementation of
activities under 3.2, which aims to provide technical assistance for farmers and conduct pilot initiatives for agroecology
and organic farming.
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Figure 2: Contribution of Result Areas to Intervention Areas of the GGS
62. Table 2 summarizes mitigation and adaptation benefits associated with the Result Areas.
Table 2. Climate change mitigation and adaptation benefits associated with the Result Areas
Result Areas Climate Change Benefits

Mitigation Adaptation
Increased job The investment into the rural entrepreneurship ecosystem, provision of CSA training,
opportunities and development of the centralized online knowledge database and portal on CSA practices, and
income improved access to finance will build young rural entrepreneurs' capacity to integrate CSA
generation for measures into their projects. Beneficiaries are expected to have higher adoption rates of
rural youth (RA 1) CSA given the conditionality of financing and prioritization of these practices.
Under this area, the Program would This area would: (i) raise awareness about climate
provide capacity-building and change vulnerability of the agri-food sector and
awareness-raising on climate change provide information on adaption measures
mitigation practices such as improved (improved water and land management practices);
efficiency of energy use in traction, and (ii) reduce climate-induced youth out-
irrigation and other agricultural migration from rural areas by creating income
processes; renewable energy use in opportunities and providing financial means for
water pumping and measures to adaptation. The reduced men out-migration would
enhance carbon storage. decrease the stress and risk of female producers
being left behind and tasked with providing
agricultural production in a climate-stressed
environment.
Improved This area would reduce GHG This area would contribute to climate change
efficiency of agri- emissions by: (i) using resources and adaptation by: (i) constructing market
food marketing energy-efficient construction infrastructure adapted to climate change; (ii)
systems (RA2) materials, facilities and buildings (e.g., decreasing rural out-migration resulting from the
lighting, appliances) and renewable vulnerability to climate change impacts through
energy in markets; (ii) prioritizing business integration into the agri-food value
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refrigerators that use cooling systems chains; (iii) strengthening the national food safety
with lower potential; (iii) providing control system for reducing vulnerability from food
incentives to smallholders for the born disease and novel invasive pests and diseases
implementation of low-carbon- which risk is exacerbated as a result of climate
footprint farming; and (iv) spurring change; and (iv) potentially facilitate alternative
improved logistics and energy low carbon trade routes.
efficiency (e.g., using larger vs.
smaller storage facilities) through
improved aggregation.
Enhanced - This area would contribute to This area would contribute to climate change
digitalization of reducing GHG emissions through: (i) adaptation through: (i) implementation of
agriculture and renewable energy use; (ii) resource drought-sensitive climate-smart farming and
adoption of efficiency in irrigation (e.g. energy- employment of high-efficiency irrigation (mainly
climate-smart efficient pumping); (iii) optimized drip irrigation); (ii) e-extension services to provide
practices (RA3) resource efficiency through precision local agricultural advice on climate-smart
agriculture which reduces fertilizers practices, weather information, and timely alerts
use; (iv) improve land restoration about potential pest and diseases occurrences; (iii)
monitoring through satellite digitalization of land use maps to improve land use
imaginary; and (v) e-extension planning and policymaking; and (iv) seismic
services which provide information on detection of red palm weevil larvae and machine
practices that improve existing carbon learning to improve early warning systems against
pools (e.g., energy efficient tillage). pest and diseases.
Note: A detailed discussion of climate adaptation and mitigation benefits of the Program is provided in Annex 3.
63. MFD approach, collaboration with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and private sector involvement.
The Program would support the GoM in addressing the binding constraints to enabling private sector solutions in the
agriculture and food sector especially in youth inclusion, digital technologies and CSA. The involvement of the private
sector in the Program will be key to the sustainability of the outcomes. In this context, close collaboration with IFC would
be sought to improve the business environment and promote public-private dialogue. Through collaboration with the
newly launched IFC-led Global Platform for Rural Connectivity, the proposed Program would be strengthened by
deploying the appropriate partners to improve broadband connectivity in rural Morocco. The Program would also
leverage the programs from the Disruptive Technologies and Venture Capital teams in IFC to address key constraints—
e.g. providing the appropriate skills required by digital rural entrepreneurs to successfully raise private financing. In
particular, the IFC platforms and networks would be leveraged to support improvement in business skills (including on
digital skills and disruptive technologies) of rural youth, incubation and acceleration of ideas by rural youth (I.e. through
partnerships with companies in the IFC network), support to entrepreneurs and promising disruptive/digital technologies
(i.e. seed funding, venture capital, etc.). In addition, the Program will seek collaboration with IFC in the agribusiness
sector. Possible entry points include PPP opportunities around promoting entrepreneurship and professionalizing
farmers organizations.
64. Program Cost and Financing. The Program will be financed over five years (2021–2025) for a total of US$487
million equivalent, including an IBRD loan of US$250 million equivalent and an AFD loan of EUR100 million (Table 3).
Table 3: Program costs and source of financing (US$ million equivalent)
Source Amount % of Total
- IBRD 250.00 51.3
- Borrower 122.00 25.1
- Other development partners: Agence Française 115.00 23.6
de Développement (AFD)
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Total 487.00 100
D. Disbursement Linked Indicators and Verification Protocols

65. Disbursement Linked Indicators (DLIs). Table 4 summarizes the list of DLIs, with details presented in Annex 2.
Disbursements against DLIs take into consideration their contribution to the objectives of the Program. Several DLIs entail
sub-indicators, which increases scalability of disbursements.
Table 4: Disbursement Linked Indicators

DLI
DLI
(US$ million
Disbursement Linked Indicator scalability
equivalent)
(yes/no)
WB/AFD
Result Area 1: Increased job opportunities and income generation for rural youth
1 Number of business plans prepared by young entrepreneurs in rural areas eligible for a
15/5 Yes
commercial loan (DRAs/ONCA)
2 Reform of the legal framework of the FDA to include incentives for young rural
entrepreneurs (DF22): 10/6
- DLR 2.1: The governmental decree to provide incentives for young entrepreneurs to 5/3
No
start their rural investments has been adopted;
- DLR 2.2: The joint ministerial Arrêté by MAPMDREF, MEFRA and MI to provide 5/3
incentives to support agricultural service companies has been adopted.
3 Young entrepreneurs who benefited from FDA incentives for rural investments (ADA):
- Number of young entrepreneurs benefiting from FDA incentives to start up their
investment initiatives (16,000 beneficiaries, over three years subsequent to adoption 60/30 Yes
of new legal texts for FDA)
Result Area 2: Improved efficiency of agri-food marketing systems
4 Revised legal and regulatory framework governing the new modernized wholesale 20/10
markets established (DDFP/Ministry of Interior):
- DLR 4.1: The Borrower has enacted amendments to article 83 of the Organic Law No. 10/5
113-14 to clarify the relationship between the private sector and municipalities as
No
pertains to the setting up and management choice of modernized wholesale markets 10/5
- DLR 4.2: The MI’s Arrêté fixing the modalities regarding the creation and functioning
of the modernized wholesale markets, has been published in the Official Gazette
5 Modernized wholesale market program developed (DDFP): 34.375/21
- DLR 5.1: The national strategic environmental and social study for the Borrower’s 2/2
modernized wholesale market program has been prepared, consulted and published,
all in form and substance as set forth in the POM.
- DLR 5.2: The ESIA/ESMP and, as applicable, resettlement action plan, for each of the 12/6
modernized wholesale markets to be constructed in each of the Selected Cities, has
Yes
been approved and published (x4)
- DLR 5.3: The Management Structures in charge of operating each of the modernized 4/3
wholesale markets have been established (x4)
- DLR 5.4: The construction works and installation of equipment for each modernized 8.375/7
wholesale market have been completed (x4)
- DLR 5.5: The modernized wholesale markets are operational (x4) 8/3
6 Food export performance improved:
20/2 Yes
22 Direction des Finances (MAPMDREF’s Directorate of Finances)
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- Percentage of export inspection certifications issued in digital form (target 100%)

(Morocco Foodex)
7 Number of agri-food enterprises/organizations authorized by ONSSA for improved 30/20 Yes
market access and improved food safety:
Result Area 3: Enhanced digitalization of agriculture and adoption of climate-smart practices

8 Digital ecosystem for climate-smart agriculture established: 40/19
- DLR 8.1: Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and satellite image processing 10/5.5
covering 2 million hectares are operational and deployed (ONSSA)
- DLR 8.2: Land use digital mapping tool for climate-smart agriculture covering 500,000 10/2.5 Yes
hectares has been deployed (INRA)
- DLR 8.3: Remote management systems in selected modernized irrigation schemes 10/2.5
covering 8,000 hectares are operational and deployed (DIAEA)
- DLR 8.4: ARDNA platform upgraded and 7,500 users registered 10/8.5
9 Adoption of climate-smart agriculture practices for the efficient use of water: 20/2
- Number of producers in selected modernized irrigation schemes benefiting from 20/2
agricultural advisory extension services for the efficient use of water (12,000) and Yes
from the implementation of an M&E system measuring the related impacts
(ONCA/DIAEA/ORMVA)
Front-end Fee 0.625
Total 250/115
66. Rationale for selecting DLIs

(i) DLI #1: Number of business plans prepared by young entrepreneurs in rural areas eligible for a commercial loan.
This activity would assist youth to identify project ideas, prepare their business plans and provide the attendant
entrepreneurial coaching and training. The target is to enable 10,000 young people to develop business plans that are
eligible for commercial loans. The activity would involve the MAPMDREF’s DRAs at local level, as well as ONCA at central
and local level.
(ii) DLI #2: Reform of the legal framework of the FDA to include incentives for young rural entrepreneurs. This would
involve reforming the FDA so that it would better serve the needs of rural youth and women. FDA would function
according to operational guidelines predicated on specific rules and procedures in favor of youth and women, particularly
those who would have been coached under the Program on the preparation of their business plans. DLI #2 has two DLRs:
(a) DLR 2.1: The governmental decree to provide incentives for young entrepreneurs to start their rural investments has
been adopted; (b) DLR 2.2: The joint ministerial Arrêté by MAPMDREF, MEFRA and MI to provide incentives to support
agricultural service companies has been adopted. The process will be handled by MAPMDREF’s Directorate of Finance
(Direction Financière, DF). Disbursement will be done on a yes/no basis (non-scalable).
(iii) DLI #3: Young entrepreneurs who benefited from FDA incentives for rural investments. The financial assistance
under the Program would be released through FDA for agricultural start-up activities and agriculture-related service
activities initiated by young people, with a target of 16,000 beneficiaries over three years subsequent to the publication
of new legal texts for FDA under DLI #2. This DLI is the largest of the Program and covers the entire planned government
Medium-Term Expenditures item related to rural youth financing. It is scalable.
(iv) DLI #4: Revised legal and regulatory framework governing the new modernized wholesale markets established.
This DLI consists of two DLRs: (a) DLR 4.1: The Borrower has enacted amendments to article 83 of the Organic Law No.
113-14 to clarify the relationship between the private sector and municipalities as pertains to the setting up and
management choice of modernized wholesale markets; and (b) DLR 4.2: The MI’s Arrêté fixing the modalities regarding
the creation and functioning of the modernized wholesale markets, has been published in the Official Gazette.
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Compliance with DLI #4 will be the responsibility of the DDFP at MAPMDREF, and the Ministry of Interior including the
territorial authorities (Wilayas) at local level. Related disbursements will be on a yes/no basis.
(v) DLI #5: Modernized wholesale market program developed. This DLI relates to the construction of four agricultural
wholesale marketing platforms facilities under the Government’s larger program. DDFP will have the responsibility to
follow up on compliance with DLI #5. Disbursements will be conditioned on compliance with the following DLRs
sequentially. Related disbursements would be scalable. The Program will disburse against the following DLRs regarding
each of the four market facilities financed: (a) DLR 5.1 - The national strategic environmental and social study for the
Borrower’s modernized wholesale market program has been prepared, consulted and published, all in form and
substance as set forth in the POM; (b) DLR 5.2 - The ESIA/ESMP and, as applicable, resettlement action plan, for each of
the modernized wholesale markets to be constructed in each of the selected cities, has been approved and published;
(x4); (c) DLR 5.3 - The Management Structures in charge of operating each of the modernized wholesale markets have
been established; (d) DLR 5.4 - The construction works and installation of equipment for each modernized wholesale
market have been completed; (e) DLR 5.5 - The modernized wholesale markets are operational. The activities under DLI
#5 will be carried out in accordance with the inter-institutional framework agreement for agricultural wholesale
marketing platforms (Convention Cadre) between MAPMDREF, MEFRA, MI and MICEVN that is expected to be executed
prior to loan effectiveness.
(vi) DLI #6: Food export performance improved: This is a major objective of the GGS and a primary consideration in
terms of foreign exchange generation for Morocco. One major focus of the Program regarding Morocco Foodex is to
digitize export procedures, notably export inspection certifications which are the central administrative documents
required from exporters. Hence, the allocation of funds to this DLI is predicated on the percentage of export agreements
issued in digital form. The target is for the issuance of agreements to be fully digitized by the end of the Program. This
DLI is scalable.
(vii) DLI #7: Number of agri-food enterprises/organizations authorized by ONSSA for improved market access and
improved food safety. This DLI measures the number of health approvals/authorizations issued to small and medium-
sized establishments and organizations not approved/authorized by ONSSA. The DLI is scalable.
(viii) DLI #8: Digital ecosystem for climate-smart agriculture established. This is central to Result Area 3, particularly as
it concerns the establishment of information systems for planning, implementing and monitoring agriculture activities.
This DLI includes some of the critical activities regarding the digitization of agriculture processes, including preparedness,
prevention and support for public health emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The release of funds will occur
separately for four separate DLRs subject to compliance with the related conditions, on a scalable basis predicated on
the individually specified targets:(a) DLR 8.1 - Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and satellite image processing
covering 2 million hectares are operational and deployed (ONSSA) (scalable) ; (b) DLR 8.2 – Land use digital mapping
tool for climate-smart agriculture covering 500,000 hectares has been deployed (INRA) (scalable); (b) DLR 8.3 -
Remote management systems in selected modernized irrigation schemes covering 8,000 hectares are operational
and deployed (DIAEA) (scalable), and (d) DLR 8.4: ARDNA platform upgraded and 7,500 users registered (responsibility
ONCA) (scalable).
(ix) DLI #9: Adoption of climate-smart agriculture practices for the efficient use of water. Introducing digitalization as
part of the modus operandi of the extension advisory services (both public and private) is a major thrust of the Program.
One area where this will be the most appropriate and most visible is precision agriculture within modernized irrigated
perimeters to ensure an efficient use of water. Hence, the sizable amount of funds allocated to this DLI. The DLI is
scalable: Number of producers in selected modernized irrigation schemes benefiting from agricultural advisory extension
services for the efficient use of water (12,000) and from the implementation of an M&E system measuring the related
impacts (joint responsibility of ONCA, DIAEA and ORMVA).
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67. Verifying the achievement of the DLIs annually will provide the basis for disbursement. The Program envisages
disbursement throughout the Program implementation period based on the verification of achieved disbursement linked
results. For scalable DLIs, payment will be made in proportion to the achieved results for each period after verifying the
DLIs. Some DLIs will be non-scalable and, thus, only achieving the target in full would trigger the corresponding payment.
68. Verification protocols are as follows:
(i) Data source/agency: MAPMDREF, the lead implementing agency, through its DSS will collect and consolidate
data and report on the achievement of the DLIs. Data providers would be MAPMDREF’s DF and DDFP, and its affiliated
agencies such as ONSSA, ONCA, INRA, ADA, Morocco Foodex, etc.;
(ii) Verification entity: The MAPMDREF’s General Inspectorate of Agriculture (Inspection Générale de l'Agriculture
IGA) would be tasked with verifying the achievement of DLIs as per the defined verification protocols for each DLI; and
(iii) Verification procedures: The IGA would review and approve the reports prepared by the Program Management
Unit at DSS and submit them to the Ministry of Economy, Finance and Administration Reform (Ministère de l’Economie,
des Finances et de la Réforme de l’Administration, MEFRA) for onward submission to the Bank, along with the
accompanying evidence. In addition, the IGA will carry out site inspections and in-depth reviews of specific items, such
as investment initiatives by beneficiary SMEs/Professional Organizations (POs), on a random sample basis.
E. Theory of Change
69. Figure 3 below summarizes the Program’s Theory of Change (ToC). The ToC depends on five critical assumptions
related to internal and external factors: (i) even in the event of political changes, support to the agricultural sector as well
as to the implementation of the GGS would remain a top priority for the Government; (ii) political commitment to the
envisaged structural reforms (i.e. those related to wholesale markets; incentives targeted to youth; and access to
agricultural land) are implemented in a timely manner; (iii) all involved stakeholders support the Program implementation
in an efficient and coordinated manner; (iv) the public sector institutions, especially in rural areas, are willing to facilitate
the creation of an enabling business environment for rural enterprise development; and (v) commercial banks are
supportive of such program and provide loans to rural youth to start their agri-enterprises.
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Figure 3: Morocco Green Generation PforR - Theory of Change
III. PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION
A. Institutional and Implementation Arrangements

70. The Program’s institutional architecture relies on multiple stakeholders with clear roles and accountability lines.
Given the nature of the Program, its implementation would be based on the combined intervention of key stakeholders
comprising MAPMDREF Directorates, agencies under the supervision of MAPMDREF, and partner institutions linked to
MAPMDREF through specific agreements. The main institutional risk for Program implementation relates to the quality
of the coordination among those entities. These agencies are listed below:
(i) MAPMDREF Directorates and decentralized services: Four Directorates would be involved in Program
implementation: the DSS, DDFP, DIAEA, DEFR and DF; at sub-national level, MAPMDREF relies on its network of
decentralized offices in the Regional/Provincial Directorates of Agriculture (Directions Regionales/Provinciales de
l’Agriculture, DRAs/DPAs); the DRAs and DPAs play a central role in identifying, appraising and implementing projects
aligned with the regional agriculture strategy; they also host the FDA one-stop-shop (guichet unique), which is the point
of contact for producers applying for financial incentives granted by the FDA;
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(ii) MAPMDREF affiliated agencies: (a) ONCA, created in 2012, responsible for agriculture extension activities; (b)
ONSSA created in 2012, in charge of sanitary control of food products and organized around four central directorates,
with about 350 staff, as well as regional and provincial structures covering the entire territory; (c) ADA responsible for
supporting the development of high-potential value chains chains with a view to improving productivity; (d) Morocco
Foodex (Etablissement Autonome de Contrôle et de Coordination des Exportations), in charge of promotion of agri-food
export; (d) INRA in charge of agriculture research; and (e) IAV Hassan II in charge of higher education and research with
programs supporting digital agriculture and agricultural innovations;
(iii) Other ministries and affiliated agencies: (i) Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs and the National Agency for
Employment and Competence Promotion (Agence Nationale de Promotion de l'Emploi et des Compétences, ANAPEC)
which has programs in support of rural youth; and (ii) Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Green and Digital Technologies
and affiliated ADD (Agence du Développement Digital);
(iv) The decentralized structures of the MI, the Wilayas or regional governorates with coordination role across
decentralized services at regional level; the Wilayas oversee multi-stakeholder projects such as wholesale markets.
Program strategic oversight

71. Steering Committee (Comité de Pilotage, COPIL). Strategic decision-making responsibilities will rest with a
Steering Committee comprising representatives of MAPMDREF (relevant directorates and autonomous agencies under
the ministry), MEFRA (Directorate of Budget and Directorate of Treasury and External Finance – Coordination structure
for relations with the World Bank), Ministère de l’Industrie, du Commerce et de l’Economie Verte et Numérique (MICEVN),
MI, as well as the Wilayas involved. The Steering Committee will be chaired by the Secretary General of MAPMDREF (or
his representative) and will meet every six months to review progress and make decisions required for effective Program
implementation.
Coordination of Program implementation
(i) Overall coordination of Program implementation is vested with MAPMDREF. The Ministry would be the lead
agency responsible for the coordination of the overall Program implementation, through DSS for implementation
support.
(ii) MAPMDREF will establish a dedicated Program Management Unit (PMU) under DSS. MAPMDREF has
experience with large donor-funded programs. Considering the need for close coordination of the various entities
involved in Program implementation, the Ministry will establish a dedicated PMU within the DSS. The PMU will be
responsible for day-to-day program coordination, management, and monitoring and evaluation. It will include technical,
social and environmental, and M&E specialists. Its role will include: (a) Program monitoring and evaluation, (b)
coordination of the Program’s stakeholders at the operational level, within the extended PMU, and (c) secretariat of the
Steering Committee. The extended PMU includes representatives of all departments and institutions involved in Program
implementation, namely DF, DIAEA, DEFR, ONCA, ONSSA, ADA, INRA, IAV, Morocco Foodex, and ORMVAs, as well as the
Wilayas involved. Those representatives or focal points are designated by their respective entities.
(iii) The PMU would be supported throughout Program implementation by technical assistance. The DSS has good
technical capacities, experience in managing complex programs and substantial presence in the field through the
DRAs/DPAs. However, their capacity is constrained by limited staff resources and their monitoring systems need to be
upgraded. Technical assistance will be mobilized through the PMU to strengthen the DSS for the monitoring and
implementation of activities at central and field level, monitoring the financial management of the Program, preparing
annual progress reports, and the monitoring and reporting of DLIs.
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Fiduciary and environmental and social responsibilities

72. Fiduciary and environmental and social responsibilities for the Program would be distributed as follows: (i)
Fiduciary: MAPMDREF will be responsible for overall coordination of financial management and procurement under the
Program; the General Inspectorate of Finance (Inspection Générale des Finances, IGF) will carry out the financial audits
of Program expenditures incurred by MAPMDREF and Program affiliated entities; and (ii) Environmental and social
responsibilities related to Program implementation will be vested with DSS which will be responsible to ensure
compliance with and monitoring of social and environmental requirements across Program activities; they will be
supported in this task by the PMU to be staffed with social and environmental specialists.
B. Results Monitoring and Evaluation
73. MAPMDREF, through the DSS would coordinate the M&E activities of the Program. It would compile and
consolidate data and supporting documents, ensure data quality, and prepare and submit the reports to the Bank on a
timely basis. DSS, along with DDFP, DEFR, DIAEA, DF, ADA, ONSSA, ONCA, as well as the Wilayas, will collect data about
physical progress, achievement of results in each Program area, and the flow of financial funds. DRAs, ONCA and Wilayas
will support data collection efforts (refer to Annex 3 for further details). The DSS will report to the Bank on a semi-annual
basis, covering the following items: (i) expenditures, including transmission of audited accounts; (ii) physical progress;
(iii) results framework indicators; (iv) DLIs; (v) compliance with social and environmental requirements; and (vi)
grievances and any allegations of fraud and corruption. Reports will be endorsed by the Steering Committee and
submitted for decision during the semi-annual meetings. A Mid-Term Review will assess progress of Program
implementation towards the development objective, and, at the end of Program implementation, an independent
evaluation will assess the Program’s results and impacts.
74. The Program’s M&E system would draw on the existing Government’s systems used to track implementation
of the PMV and the new GGS. To collect, consolidate and report achievement of results and DLIs, the Program will take
advantage of existing tracking mechanisms and types of records put in place for the activities and investments under the
PMV which is being extended to the GGS. Additional data will be collected as follows: (i) investments under the FDA
through DF thanks to the system SABA that manages the information on awarded incentives; and (ii) data on agricultural
production, collected by DRAs by means of surveys and administrative records based on an online-based platform
(STATAGRI), administered at central level by the DSS. These existing M&E systems will be further strengthened by
improving their integration (web-based data administration system- Management Information System), making use of
digital technologies (i.e. geo-referenced data); and allowing for gender-disaggregated data. To ensure transparency and
strengthen citizen engagement, MAPMDREF would conduct at least one public consultation per year on the Program
throughout the implementation period. This would be monitored as an indicator in the PforR results framework.
C. Disbursement Arrangements
75. Disbursement arrangements. Disbursement of the Bank loan proceeds would be made at the request of the
Borrower upon achievement of (DLIs. Disbursements for some DLIs would be scalable, thus allowing for disbursements
to be proportional to the progress towards achieving the DLI target value. Disbursements under other DLIs would not be
scalable as the indicator relates to actions to be either achieved or not. For results not achieved, or partially achieved, by
the due date in a given year, the allocated amount outstanding would be carried over to subsequent years. The specific
amounts to be disbursed against achieved and verified results is determined in accordance with the formulas provided
in Annex 2.
76. Advances and prior results financing. An advance up to US$62.2 million equivalent representing up to 25 percent
of the loan amount may be requested by the Borrower once the loan becomes effective to facilitate the achievement of
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DLI results. The advance may prove necessary inter alia to support the first batch of investment projects for rural youth
under Result Area 1, to provide support to ONCA for its action plan to introduce digital approaches to provide advisory
services, as well as to contract technical assistance under the Program, and launch the development of the integrated
financial management system for MAPMDREF. This advance would be available throughout Program implementation on
a revolving basis. The Borrower has indicated its intention to avail itself of the full advance upon effectiveness.
77. Verification protocols. The verification of progress towards the achievement of the Program's objectives would
be carried out by the IGA in MAPMDREF. The verification missions would be carried out at least annually, in accordance
with the terms of reference set forth in the POM. The verification of achievement of Disbursement-Linked Indicators by
IGA would be supported by the PMU who would compile and make available the documentation required for verification.
Based on its validation, MAPMDREF, through MEFRA, would notify the World Bank of DLI achievement, supported by the
relevant evidence and documentation. Following the World Bank's review of the complete documentation, including any
additional information considered necessary, the World Bank would confirm the achievement of the DLI(s) and the level
of Program financing proceeds available for disbursement against each DLI, including any incremental disbursement.
78. Disbursement requests. MEFRA would submit to the World Bank the relevant evidence of the total or partial
achievement of DLIs. After analysis of that evidence, the World Bank would communicate to MEFRA and MAPMDREF the
results of its analysis with regards to the fulfillment of DLIs and the corresponding level of disbursement for each DLI. On
that basis, disbursement requests would be submitted to the World Bank by MEFRA. A copy of the World Bank's official
communications confirming DLI achievements would be attached to the disbursement requests.
D. Capacity Building
79. The need for capacity building and institutional strengthening to accelerate the implementation of key reforms
and investments supported by the proposed Program are substantial. The approach taken has been to incorporate the
related capacity building and institutional strengthening activities into the design of the proposed Program. Key
institutional strengthening efforts under the Program would be directed at MAPMDREF (building its capacity to
coordinate, manage, monitor and evaluate the implementation of the Program, etc.), ONCA, ONSSA, and Morocco
Foodex. Actions to strengthen ONCA’s, ADA’s and ONSSA’s capacity to carry out their mandates include specialized
training, improved management systems (e.g., expanded register of agri-food enterprises) and upgrades to its facilities
(such as computer facilities and laboratories). The Program would further support and strengthen the management
entities to be created for the management of the four new modernized wholesale markets. When relevant, related
indicators have been included in the PforR results framework, DLIs, and Program Action Plan (PAP).
IV. ASSESSMENT SUMMARY
A. Technical
80. Strategic Relevance. The Program would support the objectives of the GGS which is the Government’s medium-
term sector strategy for agriculture and rural development. Considering the average contribution of the agriculture sector
to total GDP (15 percent), the sector’s contribution to exports (10 to 15 percent of total exports), the high share of
employment generated by the agriculture sector (40 percent), and the high share of the rural population dependent on
agriculture for their livelihoods (85 percent), the GGS is of high strategic relevance for Morocco. The GGS, which the
proposed Program would support, will give particular emphasis to both export-led sector growth and socio-economic
considerations (increasing incomes in rural areas especially for youth and reducing the gap with urban areas). The
Program would also emphasize environmental considerations and, in particular, improved water management and
climate resilience, in view of the agriculture sector’s vulnerability to climate variability and climate change. Finally, job
creation and the creation of a rural middle class will be a key objective of the new agricultural strategy. The Program will
be designed to support the Government’s renewed thrusts towards the above objectives under the GGS, as a
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continuation of efforts undertaken as part of the PMV. The final evaluation of the PMV completed in 2018 points to its
large positive impact on agriculture and the well-being of the rural population.
81. The Program aims at accelerating progress towards the objectives of the newly launched GGS. The design of
the Program recognizes that reaching the objectives of the GGS with regards to the overall transformation of the
Moroccan agri-food sector— and, specifically, value-addition in the agri-food sector, agricultural exports, increased
private sector investments and job creation —will require progress in three areas: (i) the capacity of the institutions and
entities responsible for GGS implementation, including several of them still at nascent stage, will need to be strengthened
to enable them to fully implement their mandate, (ii) some of the key institutional reforms initiated under the PMV are
not yet fully implemented (such as reforms of the management of wholesale markets, a cornerstone of the strategy to
improve market efficiency and transparency) and enhancements can be made to the instruments (targeted incentives)
introduced under the PMV to support investment in the agri-food sector, innovation and value-addition, as well as small
and medium producers’ linkages with modern value chains.
82. Technical Soundness. The Program’s design rests on solid technical basis. Those include the analytical work and
diagnostics carried out specifically for the preparation of the PMV and successor GGS programs, and the experience that
the Government has acquired during the PMV implementation—in developing and implementing sectoral policies,
strategies and action plans, in working with farmers, their organizations and agribusinesses, in facilitating public-private
dialogue and collaboration, and in strengthening public institutions serving the agriculture sector. The Government has
clearly shown ownership of its sector policies and strategies throughout PMV implementation, under the leadership of
MAPMDREF. The Program design also integrates the lessons from existing evaluations of Bank and other donor-financed
support to the PMV, the Government’s own evaluation of PMV implementation, and it draws on a large body of studies
pertaining to agri-food value-chains. The Program includes some of the lessons learned through the Bank’s global
experience with similar operations, such as the need for a strong institutional champion (the Program relies on solid
leadership by MAPMDREF) and demonstrated continued support from central ministry’s policymaking and oversight
functions.
83. The Program technical soundness is predicated on the following key elements: (i) Result Area 1—Increased job
opportunities and income generation for rural youth: the lack of interest of youth for rural jobs is due to their lack of
attractiveness in terms of hardship and work environment; it is also contingent on the risks and challenges they face in
developing their enterprises. The Program builds on the lessons learnt from previous experience, pointing to the need to
respond to the youth’s needs in terms of information on available investment opportunities, appropriate technical
support to prepare projects and provision of financial incentives to fund youth enterprises; (ii) Result Area 2—Improved
efficiency of agri-food marketing systems: the wholesale marketing and distribution systems in Morocco is regulated by
outdated legislation; the Program would amend the regulatory framework for wholesale marketing and build four
efficient wholesale markets that would serve the needs of farmers and up-takers and result in better final prices for
consumers. Regarding food safety and quality control, the evaluation of the PMV suggests that it is weak whereas it is a
pre-requisite to adding value for agri-food products; the Program would help ONSSA address critical areas for
improvement of food safety. Finally, exports procedures need to be streamlined and made more efficient to take
advantage of export opportunities; hence, the Program support to Morocco Foodex to digitalize operations in that area;
and (iii) Result Area 3—Enhanced digitalization of agriculture and adoption of climate smart practices: a recent
diagnostic23 suggests that the potential for growth in digital agriculture is significant; both the public and private sectors
have a clear role in ensuring that Morocco can take advantage of new digital technologies to improve the equity,
sustainability and efficiency of agriculture activities. The Program would help fulfill this role by helping MAPMDREF,
affiliated organizations and the private sector to acquire a good knowledge of these technologies and reform accordingly,
23 World Bank (2019): Digital Agriculture: Diagnostic and Potential in Morocco.
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with a special attention to data access and management, the promotion of awareness and demonstration, support to
the necessary rural facilities, the promotion of digital supply capacity by domestic startups and SMEs, dissemination of
digital knowledge and improvement in academic curricula to address the market demand for digital expertise.
84. Climate Smart Agriculture. A Climate Smart Agriculture Investment Plan (CSAIP) has been prepared for Morocco
under the Morocco-led Initiative for the Adaptation of African Agriculture to Climate Change (AAA Initiative). It is a tool
to implement Morocco’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) in the agricultural sector. The CSAIP builds on a
track record of achievements under the PMV and has been developed within the framework of national sector
investment programs in water and agriculture. This first version of the Morocco CSAIP has selected projects according to
their contribution to CSA, as well as ease of implementation, broader economic feasibility, innovative aspects and socio-
economic importance. The projects focus on scaling up ongoing climate-smart projects, new projects directed to climate-
smart agriculture, and capacity building projects. One of the key projects outlined in the Morocco CSAIP—strengthening
extension services for areas recently converted to drip irrigation—is included in the proposed Program.
85. Digital Agriculture. A diagnostic of the digital agriculture potential of Morocco was prepared in 2018-19. The
diagnostic was conducted through interviews with the main domestic stakeholders in the public and private sector24. The
diagnostic’s conclusions suggest that: (i) Morocco is just starting the digital transformation process of the agriculture
sector and that process is promoted by both private and public sector; (ii) the potential for growth in digital agriculture
is considerable; (iii) as in other more advanced agriculture sectors, research and development of digital solutions is mostly
in the hands of the private sector; and (iv) the public sector has a clear mission in ensuring that these new technologies
contribute to improving the equity, sustainability and efficiency of agriculture activities. Fulfilling this mission requires
acquiring a good knowledge of these technologies in order to be able to regulate their use with a special attention to
data access and management, promoting awareness and demonstration, building and improving the necessary rural
infrastructure, fostering digital supply capacity by domestic startups and SMEs, disseminating digital knowledge and
improving academic curricula to address the market demand for digital expertise.
86. Gender – female entrepreneurship. While the proportion of women entrepreneurs remains below that of men
worldwide, it is particularly low in Morocco (World Economic Forum, 2010). It is currently estimated that only 10 percent
of entrepreneurs in the formal sector are women (Amina & Habiba Bensassi, 2018). Yet, this percentage masks female
entrepreneurship in the informal sector. Recent research shows that women face relatively more constraints in
comparison with their male counterparts in developing a business with respect to: (i) limited access to information and
insufficient support programs; (ii) limited access to networking opportunities; (iii) difficulties in accessing finance; and
(iv) cultural perceptions and obsolete societal representations, among others (Bouzekraoui & Ferhane, 2017). The
Program aims at supporting women in taking on entrepreneurial leadership roles and at contributing to closing the
gender gap they face in establishing their businesses by tackling the aforementioned constraints.
87. Gender – female participation along the agri-food value chain. In 2019, a gender study was conducted analyzing
women’s constraints and opportunities along three agri-food value chains in Morocco, particularly the olive, citrus, and
herb and medicinal plant value chains. The report identifies major gender gaps, such as: (i) disparities regarding the
occupation of positions involving decision making, with women generally involved in non-decision making positions; (ii)
disparities in access to information and advisory services, with women having limited access to extension services not
adapted to their needs; (iii) differences in the access to production factors (land, water, processing equipment) resulting
24 The main technologies analysed include cross-cutting technologies such as computational decision and analytics tools, the cloud, sensors, block
chain, robots and digital communication tools. In addition, field-based activities are enabled by geo-location technologies such as Global
Positioning Systems (GPS), geographical information systems, yield monitors, precision soil sampling, proximal and remote spectroscopic sensing,
unmanned aerial vehicles (drones), auto-steered and guided equipment. Animal-focused technologies include sensors and radio frequency
identification (RFID chips) and automated (robotic) milking and feeding systems, among others. Controlled-environment agriculture (greenhouses
and indoor farms) is also increasingly enabled by digital technologies such as sensors and robots.
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in lower productivity and access to financial services; (iv) disparities in the level of producer organization and hence,
limited access to national or international markets; (v) exclusion of women from tasks involving technical knowhow or
physical strength due to discrimination and stereotypes about women not being able to conduct technical or heavy labor,
(vi) differences in wages and working conditions, with women generally conducting seasonal work linked to precarious
working conditions and limited access to social security (due to the temporary nature of employment); among others.
The study presents the following recommendations: (i) improve women’s access to information and advisory services,
including training on quality promotion, marketing and marketing techniques; (ii) support the organization of women
cooperatives and by this improve women’s access to essential production factors, finance and markets; (iii) reduce the
wage gap, improve working conditions and social protection of seasonal workers; and (iv) optimize administrative
procedures, for example by setting up a one-stop shop for farmer support, among others. The Program would support
female cooperatives through investments in training on management and marketing techniques, and financial support
among others to meet the requirements stipulated by ONSSA and improve market access.
88. Citizen engagement. The Program aims at empowering citizens to participate in the development process and
integrating citizen voice considered as key accelerators to achieving results. Citizen engagement will therefore allow to
improve development results and contribute to building sustainable national systems for citizen engagement with
governments and the private sector. The objectives of citizen consultations include receiving input for improved decision-
making about the implementation arrangements of the Program, to contribute to improved results and sustainability.
This approach is in line with the 2011 Constitution, which requires strong participatory processes for planning public
investments, citizen feedback opportunities, robust grievance resolution mechanisms (GRM) and access to information.
89. Citizens targeted by the Program are both the youth and actors along the agri-food value chain benefitting from
activities being developed under the Program, particularly women. Under Result Area 1 the youth will be consulted
before/during/after the ideation workshops, and before and during business creation support. Under Result Area 2 and
3 actors along the agri-food value chain will be consulted ahead of the development of tools aimed at facilitating
marketing, commercialization and advisory services to get an in-depth understanding of concerns and needs as well as
during the roll-out of the developed tools to allow for improvements. The indicator “at least one public consultation on
the Program carried out each year by MAMPDREF” will allow for the continuous evaluation of citizen engagement
through the Program. The schedule and detailed content of the consultation will be defined in accordance with the
Program implementation schedule for each activity and a report will be prepared accordingly. Consultation methods will
include focus group discussions, household surveys and interviews, electronic consultations, and advisory/expert groups.
90. Program Expenditure Framework. The Program financing will amount to US$487 million equivalent over a period
of five years (2021–2025) of which IBRD will finance US$250 million equivalent and the AFD will finance US$115 million
equivalent (Table 3 below).
Table 3: Program costs and sources of financing (US$ million equivalent)
IBRD 250.00 51.3
Borrower 122 25.1
AFD 115.00 23.6
Total 487 100
91. The Program Expenditure Framework (PEF) is extracted at more than 86 percent from the MAPMDREF’s and the
six public entities’ budgets and will be included within the General Budget of the State (Budget Général de l’Etat). The
PEF is structured around three result areas: (i) Increased job opportunities and income generation for rural youth
(29.1percent), (ii) Improved efficiency of agri-food marketing systems (48.3 percent), and (iii) Enhanced digitalization of
agriculture and adoption of climate smart practices (22.6 percent). The Program expenditures under these three result
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areas can be grouped under four main procurement categories: (i) Civil Works (21 percent), (ii) Equipment and goods (30
percent), (iii) Consulting and non-consulting services (22 percent), and (iv) Funding or grant mechanism (27 percent).
92. Alignment with Government priorities. Alignment of the budget with Government priorities, classification,
sustainability, and predictability are assessed as more than adequate. The planned expenditures are adequate to achieve
the PforR results. The Program activities covered by the expenditure framework meet the directions set by the
Government, under the GGS. The Program budget structure specifies sources of funding, budgetary vehicles, and
categories of expenditures. A detailed assessment of the expenditure framework is provided in Annex 4.
B. Program economic rationale

93. Rationale for public intervention. The Program aims at accelerating the structural transformation of the agri-
food sector by addressing several market failures affecting its performance, mainly through the use of digital technologies
facilitating access to advice, and finance. These market failures occur due to: (i) lack of support services and access to
finance for young entrepreneurs; (ii) limited access to markets for small-scale producers linked to inadequate traceability,
inefficient inspections and certification processes for food safety among others; and (iii) limited access to knowledge and
skills on the adoption of improved agricultural or sustainable practices.
94. Economic impact of the Program. The Program aims at: (i) increasing job creation and income generation for
rural youth; (ii) developing efficient marketing systems; and (iii) enhancing the digitalization of agriculture and the
adoption of climate smart agriculture practices. This will result in improved incomes for the youth in rural areas, improved
marketing on local markets and increased exports of agri-food products, improved efficiency and effectiveness of
agricultural services, and improved sustainability of agri-food value chains.
95. World Bank and AFD value added. World Bank and AFD support is expected to improve the efficiency and
targeting of the activities supported under the Program, thereby increasing both its economic, social and environmental
benefits. The World Bank has global expertise in the design and implementation of innovative projects and programs in
the agri-food sector. In addition, the World Bank has been deeply involved with the GoM since the inception of the PMV
and during the preparation of the GGS, notably through the DPF series and a PforR supporting the PMV. The Bank is thus
in a unique position to support the GoM in designing and implementing the Program in order to maximize economic,
social and environmental benefits.
96. The economic evaluation analyzed the investments foreseen under the Program, carrying out (i) a financial
analysis of the main physical investments (i.e. the four wholesale markets), and (ii) an international benchmarking—done
by analyzing similar activities (i.e. technical and financial support of newly established enterprises, and establishment of
business incubators) in past projects/programs in countries depicting similarities with Morocco with respect to their agri-
food sectors. The analysis has confirmed the economic soundness of the interventions supported by the Program.
C. Fiduciary
97. An integrated Fiduciary Systems Assessment (FSA) of the MAPMDREF and other implementing agencies (ADA,
INRA, IAV, ONSSA, Morocco Foodex and ONCA) was prepared by the Bank based on: (i) the analysis of quantitative and
qualitative fiduciary data from the implementation of the existing Strengthening Agri-Food Value Chain PforR (P158346);
(ii) the Bank’s knowledge of the financial management and procurement systems in force in Morocco; (iii) the recent
national Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability (PEFA) report completed in 2017; (iv) the fiduciary data made
available by MAPMDREF and five autonomous agencies that it oversees, and (v) the audit reports issued by the oversight
bodies (IGF and Court of Accounts).
98. The fiduciary risk is rated Moderate. To ensure adequate implementation, the fiduciary systems will need to be
strengthened.
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99. Fiduciary risks and Mitigation measures. The following fiduciary risks were identified : (i) potential delays in the
procurement process for the execution of the civil works required for the construction of the four wholesale markets,
which represent 20 percent of the expenditure framework (Result Area 2); (ii) weak or lack of internal control systems to
ensure a correct execution of the financing mechanisms for youth entrepreneurs; and (iii) lack of standardization and
coordination between the fiduciary processes of the different entities responsible for program implementation.
100. To mitigate the abovementioned risks, the Program’s design includes a comprehensive set of measures. First,
the risk of delays in the procurement process for the execution of the civil works related to wholesale markets will be
mitigated by the definition of a set of indicators. They will be relating to the launch of bidding and signing of contracts
for the four wholesale markets by the end of the first 30 months of Program. Their monitoring will be ensured through
the submission of quarterly procurement performance monitoring report, to be carried out by the DDFP at MAPMDREF.
Second, the risk related to the financing of youth projects will be mitigated by the development of a detailed section of
the POM by the MAPMDREF that will include criteria and modalities for the selection of the beneficiaries and fiduciary
reporting arrangements. This will provide all the guidance for access to financing and subsidy measures, as well as a
Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM) to promote a consistent approach to handling complaints. The assessment of the
degree of compliance of youth projects with these guidelines will be included as audit diligence in the terms of reference
of the annual program audits to be carried out by the IGF. Third, the risk associated to the lack of standardization and
coordination between the fiduciary processes of the different entities responsible for Program implementation will be
mitigated by the adoption of a harmonized financial reporting framework to facilitate the consolidation of financial
information and which will be included in the POM.
101. Procurement exclusions. The Program excludes any activities which involve the procurement of high-value
contracts with estimated values exceeding the following monetary amounts, as may be amended from time to time, that
require mandatory review by the Bank’s Operational Procurement Review Committee (OPRC): (1) works, estimated to
cost US$115,000,000 equivalent or more per contract; (2) goods, estimated to cost US$75,000,000 equivalent or more
per contract; (3) non-consulting services, estimated to cost US$75,000,000 equivalent or more per contract; or (4)
consultants’ services, estimated to cost US$30,000,000 equivalent or more per contract.
102. Program Fiduciary Arrangements. MAPMDREF would be responsible for overall Program coordination. Program
activities would be executed by MAPMDREF and six other implementing agencies (ADA, INRA, IAV, ONSSA, Morocco
Foodex and ONCA). Seven entities would then have fiduciary responsibilities during the implementation of the Program.
The Program will follow those entities’ planning and budgeting processes. The lack of standardized and coordinated
fiduciary processes of the various autonomous entities under MAPMDREF has been identified as one of the main risks.
This risk will be mitigated through specific actions included in the Program Action Plan (PAP). The Program will apply
MAPMDREF’s and its partner agencies’ budget execution procedures combined with the adoption of a pre-defined
reporting format to be prepared by each entity. The Program will rely on MAPMDREF and other implementing agencies’
internal control procedures which were found adequate. Program funds will be disbursed directly to a country Treasury
Single Account opened in the books of the Public Treasury based on the achievement of results (DLIs).
103. Actions related to fraud and corruption. The Borrower would: (a) take all appropriate measures to ensure that
the Program is carried out in accordance with the Bank’s “Guidelines on Preventing and Combating Fraud and Corruption
in Program-for-Results Financing,” dated February 1, 2012, and revised July 10, 2015 (Anti-Corruption Guidelines); (b)
take all appropriate measures to prevent fraud and corruption in connection with the Program, including (but not limited
to) adopting and implementing appropriate fiduciary and administrative practices and institutional arrangements to
ensure that the proceeds of the Loan are used only for the purposes for which the Loan was granted; (c) promptly inform
the Bank of all credible and material allegations or other indications of fraud and corruption in connection with the
Program that come to its attention, together with the investigative and other actions that the Borrower proposes to take
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with respect thereto; (d) unless otherwise agreed with the Bank with respect to a particular case, take timely and
appropriate action to investigate such allegations and indications; report to the Bank on the actions taken in any such
investigation, at such intervals as may be agreed between the Borrower and the Bank; and, promptly upon the
completion of any such investigation, report to the Bank the findings thereof; (e) if the Borrower or the Bank determines
that any person or entity has engaged in fraud and corruption in connection with the Program, take timely and
appropriate action, satisfactory to the Bank, to remedy or otherwise address the situation and prevent its recurrence;
and (f) ensure that any person or entity debarred or suspended by the Bank is not awarded contract under or otherwise
allowed to participate in the Program during the period of such debarment or suspension. The Bank’s debarment list,
which is easily accessible, will be checked by all procuring entities before awarding contracts.
104. Audits. The IGF would carry out the financial audits of the Program expenditures incurred by all involved entities.
One financial statement will be produced, which will include the expenses made by MAPMDREF, ADA, INRA, IAV, ONSSA,
Morocco Foodex and ONCA, according to a format defined in the POM. They will indicate the budget expenditure lines
included within the framework of the Program as defined in the POM. Audits will be conducted in accordance with the
terms of reference of PforR audits agreed between the IGF and the Bank. The audits will cover the period corresponding
to a fiscal year of the Borrower from the year of first disbursement. One audit report will be produced for MAPMDREF,
ADA, INRA, IAV, ONSSA, Morocco Foodex and ONCA. The scope of those audits will include an opinion on the
procurement system. The audit reports will be produced no later than nine months after the closure of accounts.
105. Governance risks. As to broader governance risks, the Program would rely on local and national institutions such
as: (i) the National Commission of Public Procurement (Commission Nationale de la Commande Publique, CNCP) -
Morocco’s new public procurement regulatory body in charge of handling public procurement complaints and regulatory
oversight, including for municipalities; and (ii) the Central Body for Corruption Prevention (Instance Centrale de
Prévention de la Corruption - ICPC). The ICPC has recently drafted a National Strategy on Anticorruption based on the
International Convention on Anticorruption.
106. More details on the Program’s fiduciary system assessment can be found in the Annex 4.
D. Environmental and Social

107. An Environmental and Social Systems Assessment (ESSA) has been prepared by the World Bank for the Program.
It assesses the national environmental and social management systems and those of the implementing and executing
agencies of the Program, against the ESSA core principles and exclusions of the World Bank’s Policy and Bank Directive
on Program-for-Results Financing, and the Bank Guidance on Program-for-Results Financing Environmental and Social
Systems Assessment 25. The ESSA is based on documentation review, engagement with stakeholders at national and local
levels, and engagements with a sample of Regional Directorates of Agriculture. The ESSA evaluates the track record of
previous operations funded by the World Bank in the agricultural sector in Morocco.
108. The draft ESSA report was shared with program stakeholders and discussed during a consultation workshop held
on September 8, 2020 during which all parties affected by Program activities were invited to participate. The ESSA final
report includes the comments received and is made public on the World Bank website and on the MAPMDREF website.
The participants in the public consultation endorsed the risk analysis presented in the ESSA and the proposed mitigation
measures and considered that the proposed action plan and follow-up program are sufficient to ensure its effective
implementation.
25https://spappscsec.worldbank.org/sites/ppf3/PPFDocuments/Forms/DispPage.aspx?docid=e6f1f05d-74b8-44b3-9d84-
a59afc3c4a32&ver=current
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109. An assessment of the portfolio of activities to be supported by the Program was undertaken to identify potential
environmental and social risks and impacts. The Program will have positive effects on the environment (introduction of
sustainable techniques) and on the population (improvement of income and living conditions). The Program will benefit
stakeholders by improving access for young people (including women) to investment opportunities in the agricultural
sector. The 2011 Constitution requires strong participatory processes for planning public investments, citizen feedback
opportunities, robust grievance resolution mechanisms (GRM) and access to information, which will be key aspects of
the proposed operation.
110. Considering the lack of leverage of the implementing agency over the executing agencies, no activities requiring
the involuntary acquisition of private land will be supported by the Program. Physical investments will be undertaken in
the public domain to avoid involuntary acquisitions of private land. Other resettlement risks to be managed will be limited
to restrictions on access to sites or to sources of income during the construction phase. To prevent or mitigate these
risks, design changes and mitigation measures will be implemented, including planning and sequencing of work,
alternative access options, consultation with affected people and easy access to appropriate GRMs. Plans to document,
supervise and manage voluntary land acquisition and other land-related impacts will be prepared and implemented by
the executing agencies of physical investments.
111. For major physical investments such as the construction of new wholesale markets, the necessary mitigation
measures (environmental and social assessment to be undertaken by the executing agencies, designation of an
environmental and social (E&S) focal point to ensure monitoring and reporting during design, construction and operation,
etc.) are to be included in the ESSA action plan and the Program Action Plan.
112. The environmental and social risks and negative impacts associated with the Program are considered
moderate. An ESSA was prepared by the Bank and assessed the environmental and social risks under the Program and
identified the necessary mitigation measures to be integrated into the Program Action Plan. The risks would be easy to
identify in advance and to prevent and minimize through effective mitigation measures. They would be subject to an
environmental monitoring and follow-up system that will allow for the identification and management of potential risks
in real time. Depending on the type, scope and extent of works under this Program, the negative social and environmental
impacts would be typical construction risks specific to the site and generally limited to the construction phase. For some
Program activities, in particular the wholesale markets, a strategic E&S assessment, ESIAs and social action plans will be
prepared to ensure inclusive planning of those activities and to avoid negative environmental and social impacts. Social
risks beyond land acquisition, notably aspects of diversity such as the inclusion of vulnerable groups, universal access for
people living with a disability, ensuring gender equity, and the establishment of functioning grievance redress
mechanisms will require measures new to the implementing and executing agencies. Environmental and social mitigation
measures will be developed with the relevant agencies, and a rigorous environmental and social monitoring and control
system will make it possible to minimize and manage risks and impacts. Those measures are included in the ESSA and
Program Action Plan, and will require improvements in funding, personnel, and capacity.
113. Due to the limited capacity of the agencies responsible for implementing the activities of the Program, and
their track record in managing E&S risks, the ESSA and Program Action Plan include specific measures aimed at
strengthening environmental and social management systems at the level of each executing agency and according to
their responsibilities in the implementation and monitoring of Program activities (see Annex 5). The Program would
support the development of practical tools for executing agencies to: (i) diagnose the environmental and social risks
associated with their activities, (ii) identify relevant risk mitigation measures, and (iii) monitor the implementation of
applicable risk mitigation measures. The use of these tools and the implementation of risk mitigation measures would be
monitored as part of the annual performance evaluation. The latter would include specific indicators on environmental
and social management under the Program.
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114. The PMU would include a dedicated environmental and social focal unit whose role will be to organize and
coordinate capacity building activities, to provide practical support to participating agencies in the application of the E&S
tools developed in the Program and to monitor and evaluate E&S management systems at the Program level. Each
participating agency in the Program would designate an E&S focal point whose role will be to implement the E&S systems
and support the E&S focal unit of the PMU in monitoring and reporting on the implementation of the management
system.
115. Morocco has several institutions responsible for handling and settling complaints. The national Grievance
Redress Mechanisms (GRM) and institutions available have been elevated to the rank of constitutional bodies to give
them the independence and financial autonomy necessary to validate their power of self-orientation. MAPMDREF as
implementing agency (IA) has experience with handling complaints and grievances related to national programs and the
ongoing PforR. The IA would be responsible for maintaining and supervising (and creating, if not yet existing) a GRM that
allow communities and individuals who feel they have been harmed as a result of a Bank-supported PforR operation, as
defined by applicable policy and procedures, to submit complaints to the complaints mechanism of the existing Program
or to the World Bank Grievance Redress Service (GRS). The communities and individuals concerned can submit their
complaints to the World Bank's Independent Inspection Panel, which determines whether damage has occurred or could
occur due to the World Bank's failure to comply with its policies and procedures. For more information on how to submit
complaints to the World Bank's GRS, please visit http://www.worldbank.org/GRS. For more information on how to
submit complaints to the World Bank Inspection Panel, please visit www.inspectionpanel.org.
E. RISK ASSESSMENT
116. Based on the assessments conducted, the overall risk rating for the Program is Moderate.
117. The technical program design risk is considered Moderate. The Government’s program has been conceived as
the continuation of its previous program for the agricultural sector, the PMV. In particular, the legal framework for
wholesale agricultural marketing platforms is a critical step for the Program to guarantee the efficient operational
management of this new generation of markets. However, the risk of the proposed legislation not being adopted in a
timely manner is considered low given the broad agreement among institutional stakeholders on the need to move
forward quickly.
118. Fiduciary risks are assessed as Moderate, and environmental and social risks are Moderate. Fiduciary risks are
primarily linked to procurement capacities of the different institutions. Environmental and social risks are associated to
perceived weaknesses of the existing environment and social systems at the national and regional levels, and relative
weakness of MAPMDREF (and the related agencies) in the management of adverse environmental and social impacts. To
mitigate those risks, the Program would strengthen both fiduciary and environmental and social capacities in MAPMDREF
and other agencies with continuous training and technical assistance.
119. Despite certain risks associated with this type of Program, MAPMDREF has a long-standing and strong operational
experience working on the implementation of several Bank-financed operations (including a recent one using the PforR
instrument). This would allow early identification and mitigation of potential risks.
120. Program beneficiaries and other participants can voice complaints and comments regarding Program
implementation, including those relating to other executing agencies. GRMs are currently established in the MAPMDREF
and several executing agencies using their institutional or national systems such as Chikaya.ma. The IA would ensure that
the GRM is in place from effectiveness of the Program so that potential complainants have confidence in the system. The
GRM would be widely announced and ensured to be accessible for all potential complainants.
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121. Neither OP 7.50 International Waterways nor OP 7.60 Disputed Areas is applicable to the Program. The Program
will not affect international waterways as defined under OP 7.50 and will have no cross-boundary impacts. No activities
will be financed through the Program in disputed areas as defined in OP 7.60.
Table 4: Systematic Operations Risk Rating Tool (SORT)
Risk Categories Rating (H, S, M or L)
1. Political and governance M
2. Macroeconomic M
3. Sector strategies and policies M
4. Technical design of program M
5. Institutional capacity for implementation and sustainability M
6. Fiduciary M
7. Environment and social M
8. Stakeholders M
9. Others
Overall Risks M
.
F. PROGRAM ACTION PLAN
122. Based on the risk assessment, the PAP includes actions aimed at strengthening the capacity of implementing
agencies in the following four areas: (i) Program management, (ii) fiduciary systems, (iii) environmental and social
management, and (iv) Program M&E. As such, it is focused on mitigating the moderate risks identified with regards to
Program implementation, which are: (i) inter-agency coordination and MAPMDREF’s staff resources to coordinate,
manage, monitor and evaluate the Program, (ii) weaknesses identified in the fiduciary systems and risks associated with
the number of Program implementing entities, and (iii) the need to increase the capacity of the Program implementation
entities with regards to social and environmental aspects. The PAP also includes critical actions necessary to
operationalize the adjustments to the government program supported by the PforR. Details are provided in Annex 6.
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ANNEX 1. RESULTS FRAMEWORK MATRIX
Results Framework
COUNTRY: Morocco
Morocco Green Generation Program-for-Results
Program Development Objective(s)

The PDO is to increase the economic inclusion of youth in rural areas and the marketing efficiency and environmental sustainability of agri-food value
chains in the Program area.
Program Development Objective Indicators by Objectives/Outcomes
RESULT_FRAME_TBL_ PD O
Indicator Name DLI Baseline Intermediate Targets End Target

1 2 3 4
INCREASED JOB OPPORTUNITIES AND INCOME GENERATION FOR RURAL YOUTH
Number of young people who

have created agriculture-
related enterprises that have 0.00 2,500.00 5,000.00 8,000.00 10,500.00 13,000.00
been operational for at least
six months (Number)
of which female
0.00 25.00 25.00 25.00 25.00 25.00
(Percentage)
IMPROVED MARKETING EFFICIENCY OF AGRI-FOOD MARKETING SYSTEMS
Volume of local products

0.00 865,000.00
marketed through modernized
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RESULT_FRAME_TBL_ PD O

1 2 3 4
wholesale markets (in metric
tons) (Metric ton)
ADOPTION OF CLIMATE SMART PRACTICES
Number of producers adopting

climate smart agriculture 0.00 0.00 3,000.00 9,000.00 12,000.00 12,000.00
practices (Number)
of which female
0.00 0.00 25.00 25.00 25.00 25.00
(Percentage)
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.
Intermediate Results Indicator by Results Areas
RESULT_FRAME_TBL_ IO

1 2 3 4
Increased job opportunities and income generation for rural youth
Young people informed,
identified and guided by the
entrepreneurship support
system on the service offer on
0.00 10,000.00 20,000.00 40,000.00 65,000.00 90,000.00
agricultural entrepreneurship
through communication
campaigns and ideation
sessions (Number)
of which female
0.00 25.00 25.00 25.00 25.00 25.00
(Percentage)
Trainers trained to develop the
capacities of agricultural
vocational training 0.00 30.00 60.00 60.00
establishments on agricultural
entrepreneurship (Number)
of which female
0.00 25.00 25.00
(Percentage)
Number of business plans
prepared by young
entrepreneurs in rural areas DLI 1 0.00 500.00 2,000.00 5,000.00 7,500.00 10,000.00
eligible for a commercial loan
(Number)
of which female
0.00 25.00 25.00 25.00 25.00 25.00
(Percentage)
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1 2 3 4
Young entrepreneurs who
benefited from FDA incentives DLI 3 0.00 3,000.00 8,000.00 16,000.00
for rural investments (Number)
of which female
0.00 25.00 25.00 25.00
(Percentage)
The governmental decree
to provide incentives for
young entrepreneurs to
The joint ministerial
The governmental start their rural
Arrêté by MAPMDREF,
Reform of the legal framework decree to provide investments has been
MEFRA and MI to
of the FDA to include incentives for young adopted. The joint
DLI 2 no provide incentives to
incentives for young rural entrepreneurs to start ministerial Arrêté by
support agricultural
entrepreneurs (Text) their rural investments MAPMDREF, MEFRA and
service companies has
has been adopted. MI to provide incentives
been adopted.
to support agricultural
service companies has
been adopted.
Service companies receiving an
incentive to support a
0.00 150.00 400.00 800.00
structured agricultural
entrepreneurship (Number)
Young people who have
benefited from aid for the
0.00 2,000.00 7,000.00 14,500.00
rental of agricultural land
(Number)
of which female
0.00 25.00 25.00 25.00
(Percentage)
Young people trained and
0.00 20.00 40.00 40.00
innovative projects awarded &
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1 2 3 4
supported (national
competition) (Number)
of which female
0.00 25.00 25.00 25.00
(Percentage)
Young people supported for
the emergence and
0.00 200.00 200.00
empowerment of agricultural
service cooperatives (Number)
of which female
0.00 25.00 25.00
(Percentage)
At least one public consultation
on the Program carried out
No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
each year by MAMPDREF
(Yes/No)
Improved efficiency and sustainability of agri-food marketing systems
The Borrower has enacted
amendments to article 83
The Borrower has
of the Organic Law No.
enacted amendments to
The MoI’s Arrêté fixing 113-14 to clarify the
article 83 of the Organic
the modalities regarding relationship between the
Law No. 113-14 to clarify
Revised legal and regulatory the creation and private sector and
the relationship
framework governing the new functioning of the municipalities as pertains
DLI 4 no revsion between the private
modernized wholesale markets modernized wholesale to the setting up and
sector and municipalities
established (Text) markets has been management choice of
as pertains to the setting
published in the Official modernized wholesale
up and management
Gazette. markets. The MoI’s Arrêté
choice of modernized
fixing the modalities
wholesale markets.
regarding the creation
and functioning of the
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1 2 3 4
modernized wholesale
markets has been
published in the Official
Gazette.
The national strategic
The ESIA/ESMP and, as
environmental and The construction works
applicable, resettlement
social study for the The Management and installation of
action plan, for each of
Borrower’s modernized Structures in charge of equipment for each
the modernized
Modernized wholesale market wholesale market operating each of the modernized wholesale
DLI 5 wholesale markets to be
program developed (Text) program has been modernized wholesale market have been
constructed in each of
prepared, consulted and markets have been completed. The
the Selected Cities, has
published, all in form established. modernized wholesale
been approved and
and substance as set markets are operational.
published.
forth in the POM.
Export approvals issued
digitally (filing of applications,
monitoring, granting and 0.00 50.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00
renewal of approvals)
(Percentage)
Food export performance
improved: percentage of
export inspection certifications DLI 6 0.00 50.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00
issued in digital form
(Percentage)
Number of agri-food
enterprises/organizations
authorized by ONSSA for
DLI 7 7,800.00 8,200.00 8,400.00 8,600.00 8,800.00 8,800.00
improved market access and
improved food safety
(Number)
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1 2 3 4
Enhanced digitalization of agriculture and adoption of climate smart practices
Study on digital transformation
of MAPMDREF prepared No Yes Yes
(Yes/No)
Land use digital mapping tool
for climate-smart agriculture
6,500,000.00 6,750,000.00 7,000,000.00 7,000,000.00
covering 500,000 hectares has
been deployed (Hectare(Ha))
Digital platform for precision
farming implemented and No Yes Yes Yes
operational (Yes/No)
GIS and satellite image
processing covering 2 million
DLI 8 0.00 2,000,000.00 2,000,000.00
hectares are operational and
deployed (Number)
Remote management systems
in selected modernized
irrigation schemes covering 0.00 3,800.00 8,000.00
8,000 hectares are operational
and deployed (Hectare(Ha))
ARDNA platform upgraded and
7,500 users registered 0.00 500.00 1,500.00 3,500.00 5,500.00 7,500.00
(Number)
of which female
0.00 25.00 25.00 25.00 25.00 25.00
(Percentage)
Number of producers
benefiting from a pilot
0.00 100.00 200.00 200.00
initiative for the promotion of
agroecology and organic
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1 2 3 4
farming (Number)
of which female
0.00 25.00 25.00 25.00
(Percentage)
Agricultural engineers
graduated in data science
0.00 10.00 20.00
applied to agriculture
(Number)
of which female
0.00 25.00 25.00
(Percentage)
Women cooperatives have
received training through
0.00 20.00 40.00 60.00 80.00 100.00
digital technologies developed
under the Program (Number)
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.
Monitoring & Evaluation Plan: PDO Indicators
Methodology for Data Responsibility for Data
Indicator Name Definition/Description Frequency Datasource
Collection Collection
List of
beneficiaries
and reports of
This indicator measures the communicatio
number of young people n campaigns
Number of young people who have Analysis of activity
who have created and ideation
created agriculture-related enterprises reports of the
agriculture-related Annual sessions PMU/DSS
that have been operational for at least six responsible
enterprises that have been provided by
months implementing agencies.
operational for at least six ONCA/DRA.
months. List of
recipients of
FDA
incentives.
List of
This indicator measures the
beneficiaries
number of new female
and reports of
entrepreneurs who created Analysis of activity
communicatio
their first agriculture- reports of the
of which female Annual n campaigns PMU
related enterprise. This responsible
and ideation
number includes newly implementing agencies.
sessions
established female
provided by
entrepreneurs only.
ONCA/DRA.
The indicator measures the Analysis of activity
Volume of local products marketed volume of local products reports provided by
through modernized wholesale markets marketed through Annual DDFP operational wholesale DSS/PMU
(in metric tons) modernized wholesale markets supported
markets. under the Program.
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Number of producers in
selected modernized
irrigation schemes
adopting climate-smart
agriculture practices (as
defined in the Program
Operational Manual—
POM) in synergy with the
newly deployed drip
irrigation technology.
This indicator represents a

climate change indicator Collected as part of the
(following corporate verification of DLI 9 by
Number of producers adopting climate ONCA/DIAEA/
guidelines, stipulating that Annual reviewing ORMVAs' DSS/PMU
smart agriculture practices ORMVA
beginning FY21 all IBRD- registers and official
financed operations with records.
20 percent or more Climate
Co-Benefits are expected
to include at least one
climate-related indicator in
their results frameworks),
as the climate smart
practices adopted and
measured under this
indicator will contribute to
an improved adaptation of
producers to climate
change.
of which female
.
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.
Monitoring & Evaluation Plan: Intermediate Results Indicators
Methodology for Data Responsibility for Data
Indicator Name Definition/Description Frequency Datasource
Collection Collection
90,000 young people will
take advantage of these
List of
sessions, to be organized in
beneficiaries,
seminars or workshops, to
Young people informed, identified and reports of
allow them to inquire Analysis of activity
guided by the entrepreneurship support communicatio
about the economic reports by the
system on the service offer on agricultural Annual n campaigns PMU
opportunities of their responsible institution
entrepreneurship through communication and ideation
territory and the technical (ONCA).
campaigns and ideation sessions sessions
and financial opportunities
provided by
offered by the support
ONCA/DRA.
system for agricultural
entrepreneurship.
List of
beneficiaries,
reports of
Analysis of activity
communicatio
25 percent of 90,000 youth reports from the
of which female Annual n campaigns PMU
will be women responsible institution
and ideation
(ONCA).
sessions
provided by
ONCA/DRA.
60 trainers will be trained, Summary note on
Attendance
Trainers trained to develop the capacities through technical the training provided
lists, training
of agricultural vocational training assistance, to deliver (themes, participants,
Annual materials, DEFR
establishments on agricultural training modules on documents attesting to
training
entrepreneurship agricultural the achievement of this
certificates
entrepreneurship to action, etc.)
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trainees in the vocational

training system in its
different modes and levels
of training
Summary note on the
Attendance
training provided
lists, training
25 percent of 60 trainers (themes, participants,
of which female Annual materials, DEFR
trained will be women documents attesting to
training
the achievement of this
certificates
action, etc.)
ONCA's
records on
young
10,000 young
entrepreneurs
entrepreneurs are
supported in
supported in pre-creation
the
by the support system for
development
agricultural Registration of business
Number of business plans prepared by of a business
entrepreneurship, through plans prepared and
young entrepreneurs in rural areas Biannual plan; ONCA's DRAs/ONCA
technical assistance reviews received from
eligible for a commercial loan records on
through group training, commercial banks.
reviews
personalized advice and
received from
internships in companies
commercial
over a period of 3 to 6
banks on the
months.
business plans
supported by
ONCA.
Files of young
Analysis of files (list of
25 percent of 10,000 entrepreneurs
of which female Biannual registered individuals, DRA/ONCA
youths will be women , service
business plans, etc.)
companies
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and
cooperatives
supported by
the
responsible
institution
16,000 young people will
Young entrepreneurs who benefited from State of subsidies
benefit from an incentive Biannual DF records DF
FDA incentives for rural investments established by the DF
to start their businesses
25 percent of 16,000 State of subsidies
of which female Biannual DF DF
youths will be women. established by the DF
Texts on the changes of the
incentive and legal
framework of the FDA for
the benefit of young
entrepreneurs in the
agricultural sector
promulgated:
1. The governmental
decree to provide Confirmation of the
Reform of the legal framework of the FDA
incentives for young transmission to the
to include incentives for young rural Biannual SGG DF
entrepreneurs to start their General Secretariat of
entrepreneurs
rural investments has been the Government
adopted.
2. The joint ministerial
Arrêté by MAPMDREF,
MEFRA and MI to provide
incentives to support
agricultural service
companies has been
adopted.
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800 service companies (10

Service companies receiving an incentive Statement of
young people per
to support a structured agricultural Annual System SABA subsidies as extract from ADA
company) will benefit from
entrepreneurship the System SABA
a financial incentive
14,500 young people who Statement of subsidies
Young people who have benefited from
benefit from aid for renting Annual System SABA extracted from the ADA
aid for the rental of agricultural land
agricultural land System SABA
Statement of subsidies
25 percent of 14,500
of which female Annual System SABA as extracted from the ADA
youths will be women
system SABA
Launch through call of
interest, list of
participants in the call
for projects, youth
Number of young people
submissions, minutes of
trained and supported
jury committee, note on
Young people trained and innovative following the launch of two
the training for young
projects awarded & supported (national calls for projects for the Annual ADA PMU
people selected (training
competition) identification of innovative
program and themes,
projects (digital and
beneficiaries, trainers,
climate-resilient)
etc.), list of winning
projects, report on
support actions carried
out.
Launch through call of
interest, list of
participants in the call
25 percent of 40 youths
of which female Annual ADA for projects, youth PIU
will be women
submissions, minutes of
jury committee, note on
the training for young
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people selected (training

program and themes,
beneficiaries, trainers,
etc.), list of winning
projects, report on
support actions carried
out
Number of young people
supported as part of a pilot Lists of young people
Young people supported for the initiative for the supported, partnership
emergence and empowerment of emergence and Annual ADA agreements, statutes of PMU
agricultural service cooperatives empowerment of cooperatives, activity
agricultural service reports
cooperatives
Lists of young people
supported, partnership
25 percent of 200 youths
of which female Annual ADA agreements, statutes of PIU
will be women.
cooperatives, activity
reports
The indicator measures
At least one public consultation on thewhether at least one public
Consultation Preparation of
Program carried out each year by consultation on the Annual DSS/PMU
reports consultation reports.
MAMPDREF Program was carried out
each year by MAMPDREF.
The revision of the
regulatory framework is Ministry of
Revised legal and regulatory framework key to implementing the Interior, Verification of the
governing the new modernized wholesale agricultural wholesale Biannual Official publication of texts in DDFP/PIU
markets established market program and needs Gazette the Official Gazette
to be completed upfront publications
before any development of
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market facilities would take

place.
Documents attesting to
the different
implementation phases:
Agreements signed,
Four modernized wholesale
Management Structures
markets are set up and Ministry of
Modernized wholesale market program of modernized
operational (Berkane, Biannual Interior, DDFP/PIU
developed wholesale markets are
Agadir, Meknes and Wilayas, DDFP
put in place,
Marrakech)
Environmental impact
study, etc. Followed by
the DDFP and the
Wilayas.
The indicator measures the Platform accessible to
Export approvals issued digitally (filing of percentage of the exporters, Morocco
Morocco
applications, monitoring, granting and formulation of requests Annual Foodex activity reports DSS/PMU
Foodex
renewal of approvals) and granting of export on export control
approvals done digitally. activity
The indicator measures the
Platform accessible to
percentage of inspection
exporters for
Food export performance improved: requests made by
Morocco formulating their
percentage of export inspection exporters on a dedicated Biannual DSS/PMU
Foodex requests, inspection
certifications issued in digital form platform and respective
certificates generated
inspection certificates
through platform.
issued digitally.
Number of agri-food
Number of health ONSSA Monthly reports by
enterprises/organizations authorized by
approvals/authorizations Annual progress ONSSA Regional DSS/PIU
ONSSA for improved market access and
issued. report Directorates
improved food safety
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Results of the Department

Study on digital transformation of Report on receipt of
of Agriculture's digital Annual DSI DSS/PIU
MAPMDREF prepared study results
transformation study
Land use digital mapping tool for climate- Deployment of a land use Maps and tables
smart agriculture covering 500,000 digital mapping tool for Annual INRA generated through the DSS/PIU
hectares has been deployed Climate-Smart Agriculture. platform
Digital platform for
precision agriculture based
on artificial intelligence,
image processing (drones
Reports and data
Digital platform for precision farming or satellites) and on
Annual INRA generated through the DSS/PIU
implemented and operational agronomic calibration tests
platform
for effective spatio-
temporal monitoring of
crops is established and
operational.
Acquisition and installation
GIS and satellite image processing of a Geographic ONSSA Maps and activity
covering 2 million hectares are Information System (GIS) Biannual progress reports generated DSS/PIU
operational and deployed and a satellite image report through GIS
processing system
Area equipped with remote
Remote management systems in selected recovery and remote
modernized irrigation schemes covering management systems for
Biannual
8,000 hectares are operational and controlling water
deployed distribution in modernized
irrigation sectors
Number of active users File generated
ARDNA platform upgraded and 7,500 registered on the ARDNA through the
Biannual ONCA
users registered platform (producers, ARDNA
agricultural advisers, platform
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researchers, ...).
Percentage of female
File generated
active users registered on
through the
of which female the ARDNA platform Biannual ONCA
ARDNA
(producers, agricultural
platform
advisers, researchers, ...)
Producers benefiting from
support for the retraining
Number of producers benefiting from a Conventions, project
of their projects for the
pilot initiative for the promotion of Biannual ADA sheets, list of producers, ADA
adoption of agroecological
agroecology and organic farming activity reports
or organic management
practices
25 percent of 200
Conventions, project
producers benefiting from
of which female Biannual ADA sheets, list of producers, ADA
the pilot initiative are
activity reports
women
Accreditation file
Agricultural engineers who
adopted by the Ministry
have received diploma
Agricultural engineers graduated in data of Higher Education
training over 18 months in Annual IAV Hassan II IAV Hassan II
science applied to agriculture 2021, lists of students
data science applied to
admitted in 2023,
agriculture
degrees awarded
25 percent of 40 Accreditation file
agricultural engineers who adopted by the Ministry
receive diploma training of Higher Education
of which female Annual IAV Hassan II IAV Hassan II
over 18 months in data 2021, lists of students
science applied to admitted in 2023,
agriculture are women degrees awarded
Women cooperatives have received Number of women ONCA Analysis of ONCA
Annual ONCA
training through digital technologies cooperatives who have progress progress reports
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developed under the Program received training through reports

digital technologies
developed under the
. Program.
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.
ANNEX 2. DISBURSEMENT LINKED INDICATORS, DISBURSEMENT ARRANGEMENTS AND VERIFICATION PROTOCOLS
.
Disbursement Linked Indicators Matrix
DLI_TBL_MATRI X
DLI 1 Number of business plans prepared by young entrepreneurs in rural areas eligible for a commercial loan
Type of DLI Scalability Unit of Measure Total Allocated Amount (USD) As % of Total Financing Amount
Intermediate Outcome Yes Text 15,000,000.00 0.00

Period Value Allocated Amount (USD) Formula
Baseline 0.00
Prior Results 0.00
CY 2021 DLR#1.1: 500 in CY2021, from a baseline of 0 750,000.00 D=BP/T*A
CY 2022 DLR#1.2: cumulative 2,000 in CY2022, from a 2,250,000.00 D=BP/T*A

baseline of 500

baseline of 2,000

baseline of 5,000

baseline of 7,500
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DLI_TBL_MATRI X
DLI 2 Reform of the legal framework of the FDA to include incentives for young rural entrepreneurs
Intermediate Outcome No Text 10,000,000.00 0.00

Baseline Existing legal framework not including specific
incentive measures for young people
Prior Results 0.00
CY 2021 DLR 2.1: The governmental decree to provide 5,000,000.00 Yes/No

incentives for young entrepreneurs to start their
rural investments has been adopted
CY 2022 DLR 2.2: The joint ministerial Arrêté by 5,000,000.00 Yes/No

MAPMDREF, MEFRA and MI to provide incentives
to support agricultural services companies has
been adopted.
CY 2023 0.00
CY 2024 0.00
CY 2025 0.00
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DLI_TBL_MATRI X
DLI 3 Young entrepreneurs who benefited from FDA incentives for rural investments
Output Yes Text 60,000,000.00 0.00

Baseline 0.00
Prior Results 0.00
CY 2021 0.00
CY 2022 0.00
CY 2023 DLR#3.1: 3,000 in CY2023, from a baseline of 0 11,250,000.00 D=P/T*A
CY 2024 DLR#3.2: cumulative 8,000 in CY2024, from a 18,750,000.00 D=P/T*A

baseline of 3,000
CY 2025 DLR#3.3: cumulative 16,000 in CY2025, from a 30,000,000.00 D=P/T*A

baseline of 8,000
DLI_TBL_MATRI X
DLI 4 Revised legal and regulatory framework governing the new modernized wholesale markets established
Process No Text 20,000,000.00 0.00

Baseline Current regulatory framework for wholesale
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markets
Prior Results 0.00
CY 2021 0.00
CY 2022 DLR 4.1: The Borrower has enacted amendments 10,000,000.00 Yes/No
to article 83 of the Organic Law No. 113-14 to
clarify the relationship between the private
sector and municipalities as pertains to setting up
and management choice of modernized
wholesale markets
CY 2023 DLR 4.2: The MoI’s Arrêté fixing the modalities 10,000,000.00 Yes/No
regarding the creation and functioning of the
modernized wholesale markets has been
published in the Official Gazette
CY 2024 0.00
CY 2025 0.00
DLI_TBL_MATRI X
DLI 5 Modernized wholesale market program developed
Output Yes Text 34,375,000.00 0.00

Baseline New wholesale market program not developed
Prior Results 0.00
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CY 2021 DLR 5.1: The national strategic environmental 2,000,000.00

and social study for the Borrower’s modernized
wholesale market program has been prepared,
consulted and published, all in form and
substance as set forth in the POM.
CY 2022 DLR 5.2: The ESIA/ESMP and, as applicable, 12,000,000.00

resettlement action plan, for each of the
modernized wholesale markets to be constructed
in each of the Selected Cities, has been approved
and published. (x4)
CY 2023 DLR 5.3: The Management Structures in charge of 4,000,000.00

operating each of the modernized wholesale
markets have been established. (x4)
CY 2024 0.00
CY 2025 DLR 5.4: The construction works and installation 16,375,000.00

of equipment for each modernized wholesale
market have been completed (x4, total: US$
8,375,000); DLR 5.5: The modernized wholesale
markets are operational (x4, total: US$
8,000,000)
DLI_TBL_MATRI X
DLI 6 Food export performance improved: percentage of export inspection certifications issued in digital form
Outcome Yes Text 20,000,000.00 0.00

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Baseline 0.00
Prior Results 0.00
CY 2021 DLR#6.1: 50% in CY2021 from a baseline of 0 in 10,000,000.00 D=E/T*A

CY2020
CY 2022 DLR#6.2: 100% in CY2022, from a baseline of 50% 10,000,000.00 D=E/T*A
CY 2023 0.00
CY 2024 0.00
CY 2025 0.00
DLI_TBL_MATRI X
DLI 7 Number of agri-food enterprises/organizations authorized by ONSSA for improved market access and improved food safety
Outcome Yes Text 30,000,000.00

Baseline 7,800
Prior Results 0.00
CY 2021 DLR#7.1: 8,200 in CY2021, from a baseline of 12,000,000.00 D=A/T*A

7,800
CY 2022 DLR#7.2: cumulative 8,400 in CY2022, from a 6,000,000.00 D=A/T*A

baseline of 8,200
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baseline of 8,400

baseline of 8,600
CY 2025 0.00
DLI_TBL_MATRI X
DLI 8 Digital ecosystem for climate-smart agriculture established
Output Yes Text 40,000,000.00 0.00

Baseline 0.00
Prior Results 0.00
CY 2021 0.00
CY 2022 DLR 8.1: Geographic Information Systems (GIS) 10,000,000.00 D=TA/T*A

and satellite image processing covering 2 million
hectares are operational and deployed (ONSSA)
CY 2023 DLR 8.2: Land use digital mapping tool for 10,000,000.00 D=TA/T*A
climate-smart agriculture covering 500,000
hectares has been deployed (INRA)
CY 2024 DLR 8.3: Remote management systems in 20,000,000.00 D=TA/T*A

selected modernized irrigation schemes covering
8,000 hectares are operational and deployed
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(DIAEA)--US$10,000,000; DLR 8.4: ARDNA

platform upgraded and 7,500 users registered
(responsibility ONCA)--US$10,000,000
CY 2025 0.00
DLI_TBL_MATRI X
DLI 9 Adoption of climate-smart agriculture practices for the efficient use of water
Outcome Yes Text 20,000,000.00 0.00

Baseline 0.00
Prior Results 0.00
CY 2021 0.00 D=P/T*A
CY 2022 DLR#9.1: 3,000 producers in selected modernized 5,000,000.00 D=P/T*A

irrigation schemes benefiting from agricultural
advisory extension services for the efficient use
of water and from the implementation of a
monitoring and evaluation system measuring the
related impacts, in CY 2022, from a baseline of 0
CY 2023 DLR#9.2: cumulative 9,000 producers in selected 10,000,000.00 D=P/T*A

modernized irrigation schemes benefiting from
agricultural advisory extension services for the
efficient use of water and from the
implementation of a monitoring and evaluation
system measuring the related impacts, from a
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baseline of 3,000
CY 2024 DLR#9.3: cumulative 12,000 producers in 5,000,000.00 D=P/T*A

selected modernized irrigation schemes
benefiting from agricultural advisory extension
services for the efficient use of water and from
the implementation of a monitoring and
evaluation system measuring the related
impacts, from a baseline of 9,000
CY 2025 0.00
.
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.
Verification Protocol Table: Disbursement Linked Indicators
DLI_TBL_VERIFICATI ON
DLI 1 Number of business plans prepared by young entrepreneurs in rural areas eligible for a commercial loan
This activity will assist youth to identify project ideas, prepare standard business plans, feasibility studies and other ways of
making their projects bankable, and provide the attendant coaching and training, including entrepreneurial support. The
target is to develop individual project dossiers for the benefit of 10,000 young people that are eligible to bank financing,
with specific criteria for eligibility set forth in the POM. The activity would involve the MAPMDREF’s DRAs at local level, as
Description
well as ONCA at central and local level. The DLI is scalable. Disbursements will be proportional to the annual targets,
calculated on the basis of the following formula: Disbursement (D) is equal to the number of business plans which have
received approval (BP), divided by the total number of business plan target under said DLR (T), multiplied by total amount
allocated to said DLR (A).
Data source/ Agency DRAs/ONCA
Verification Entity IGA
Verified by IGA using information provided by the DRAs/ONCA on business plans that have been thoroughly reviewed by a
Procedure
commercial bank and judged eligible for a commercial loan (the loan could be approved or not).
DLI 2 Reform of the legal framework of the FDA to include incentives for young rural entrepreneurs
Reform of the legal framework to facilitate access to financing for young entrepreneurs in agriculture-related activities. This
will involve reforming the Agriculture Development Fund (FDA) so that it can better serve the needs of the most vulnerable
people, particularly the rural youth and women. FDA will have to function according to operational guidelines predicated on
specific rules and procedures in favor of youth and women, particularly those who would have been coached under the
Description Program at pre-creation stage. DLI 2 has two DLRs of the following reform: - DLR 2.1: The governmental decree to provide
incentives for young entrepreneurs to start their rural investments has been adopted; - DLR 2.2: The joint ministerial Arrêté
by MAPMDREF, MEFRA and MI to provide incentives to support agricultural services companies has been adopted.
Allocated amounts will be disbursed on a "Yes/No" basis. - Following verification of DLR 2.1, an amount of USD 5 million will
be disbursed. - Following verification of DLR 2.2, an amount of USD 5 million will be disbursed.
Data source/ Agency DF
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Verified by IGA using FDA operating rules and procedures. ‘The realization of the DLRs will materialize by the adoption of
Procedure the decree and order and transmission to the Bulletin Officiel for their publication. The process will be handled by
MAPMDREF’s Directorate of Finance (DF).”
DLI 3 Young entrepreneurs who benefited from FDA incentives for rural investments
Number of young people benefiting from FDA incentives to start up their investment initiatives or agri-enterprises (16,000
beneficiaries, over three years subsequent to adoption of new legal texts for FDA) The financial assistance under the
Program will be released through FDA for agricultural start-up activities and agriculture-related service activities by young
people, with a target of 16,000 beneficiaries, over three years subsequent to publication of new legal texts for FDA under
Description DLI 2. This DLI is the largest of the Program and covers the entire planned government medium-term expenditures item
related to rural youth financing. The DLI is scalable. Disbursements will be proportional to the annual targets, calculated on
the basis of the following formula: Disbursement (D) is equal to the number of people who received incentives (P), divided
by the total target of number of people to receive incentives under said DLR (T), multiplied by total amount allocated to said
DLR (A).
Data source/ Agency ADA

Verified by IGA by reviewing DF records on investments supported by the FDA (certificate of eligibility and supporting
Procedure
documents).
DLI 4 Revised legal and regulatory framework governing the new modernized wholesale markets established
The regulatory framework is instrumental to implementing the agricultural wholesale market program and needs to be
completed upfront before any development of market facilities would take place. This DLI consists of two DLRs: - DLR 4.1:
The Borrower has enacted amendments to article 83 of the Organic Law No. 113-14 to clarify the relationship between the
Description private sector and municipalities as pertains to the setting up and management choice of modernized wholesale markets -
DLR 4.2: The MoI’s Arrêté fixing the modalities regarding the creation and functioning of the modernized wholesale markets
has been published in the Official Gazette Allocated amounts will be disbursed on a "Yes/No" basis. - Following verification
of DLR#4.1, an amount of USD 10 million will be disbursed. - Following verification of DLR#4.2, an amount of USD 10 million
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will be disbursed.
Data source/ Agency IGA

Verification Entity Directorate for the Development Value Chains (DDFP) at MAPMDREF
Verified by IGA with respect to the amended Organic Law and the Arrêté published in the Official Gazette.
Procedure Compliance with DLI #4 will be the responsibility of the Directorate for the Development Value Chains (DDFP) at
MAPMDREF, and the Ministry of Interior including the territorial authorities (Wilayas) at the local level.
DLI 5 Modernized wholesale market program developed

Support to the agricultural wholesale market program. This DLI relates to the construction of four wholesale market
facilities under the Government’s larger wholesale market program. DDFP will have the responsibility to follow up on
compliance with DLI #5. Disbursements will be conditioned on compliance with the following DLRs sequentially. The
Program will disburse against the following DLRs regarding each of the four market facilities financed: - DLR 5.1: The
national strategic environmental and social study for the Borrower’s modernized wholesale market program has been
prepared, consulted and published, all in form and substance as set forth in the POM. - DLR 5.2: The ESIA/ESMP and, as
applicable, resettlement action plan, for each of the modernized wholesale markets to be constructed in each of the
Selected Cities, has been approved and published. (x4) - DLR 5.3: The Management Structures in charge of operating each of
Description
the modernized wholesale markets have been established. (x4) - DLR 5.4: The construction works and installation of
equipment for each modernized wholesale market have been completed (x4) - DLR 5.5: The modernized wholesale markets
are operational (x4) Allocated amounts will be disbursed on a "Yes/No" basis. - Following verification of DLR 5.1, an amount
of USD 2 million will be disbursed. - Following verification of DLR 5.2, an amount of USD 12 million will be disbursed (3
million per study) - Following verification of DLR 5.3, an amount of USD 4 million will be disbursed (1 million per
Management Structure) - Following verification of DLR 5.4, an amount of USD 8.375 million will be disbursed (2 093 750 per
wholesale market) - Following verification of DLR 5.5, an amount of USD 8 million will be disbursed (2 million per wholesale
market)
Data source/ Agency DDFP
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- DLR 5.1: Verified by IGA by reviewing the study.

- DLR 5.2: Verified by IGA by reviewing the studies.
- DLR 5.3: Verified by IGA through the submission of evidence on the implementation of the management structures as
defined in the POM and in accordance with Organic Law no. 113-14 relating to municipalities.
- DLR 5.4: Verified by IGA by reviewing progress reports.
- DLR 5.5: Verified by IGA by reviewing progress reports indicating that the modernized wholesale market is operating in
Procedure
accordance with specific criteria defined in the POM (among others, operators from other markets have transferred to the
modernized market in line with the social action plan)
Verified by the IGA by reviewing progress reports.

DLI 6 Food export performance improved: percentage of export inspection certifications issued in digital form
Improving food export performance: This is a major objective of the GGS and a primary consideration in terms of foreign
exchange generation for Morocco. One major focus of the Program regarding Morocco Foodex is to digitize export
procedures, notably export inspection certifications which are the central administrative documents required from
exporters. Hence, the allocation of funds to this DLI is predicated on the percentage of export inspection certifications
Description issued in digital form. The target is for the issuance of certifications to be fully digitized by the end of the Program. This DLI
is scalable. Disbursements will be proportional to the annual targets, calculated on the basis of the following formula:
Disbursement (D) is equal to the percentage of digitized export inspection certifications issues (E), divided by the total
percentage target of export inspection certifications to be digitized under said DLR (T), multiplied by total amount allocated
to said DLR (A).
Data source/ Agency Morocco Foodex
Procedure Verified by IGA by reviewing Morocco Foodex's registers and official records.
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Number of agri-food enterprises/organizations authorized by ONSSA for improved market access and improved food
DLI 7
safety
Number of small- and medium-sized enterprises/organisations authorized by ONSSA. The DLI is scalable. Disbursements will
be proportional to the annual targets, calculated on the basis of the following formula: Disbursement (D) is equal to the
Description
number of health approvals/authorization issued (A), divided by the total target of health approvals/authorizations to be
issued under said DLR (T), multiplied by total amount allocated to said DLR (A).
Data source/ Agency ONSSA
Procedure Verified by IGA by reviewing ONSSA's registers and official records.
DLI 8 Digital ecosystem for climate-smart agriculture established

Digital ecosystem for climate-smart agriculture. This is central to Results Area 3, particularly as it concerns the
establishment of data information systems for planning, implementing and monitoring agriculture activities. This DLI
includes some of the critical activities regarding the digitization of agriculture processes, including preparedness, prevention
and support for sanitary emergencies such as the Covid 19 pandemic. - DLR 8.1: Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and
satellite image processing covering 2 million hectares are operational and deployed (ONSSA, scalable) - DLR 8.2: Land use
digital mapping tool for climate-smart agriculture covering 500,000 hectares has been deployed (INRA, scalable) - DLR 8.3:
Remote management systems in selected modernized irrigation schemes covering 8,000 hectares are operational and
Description
deployed (DIAEA, scalable) - DLR 8.4: ARDNA platform upgraded and 7,500 users registered (responsibility ONCA, scalable) -
Following verification of DLR 8.1, an amount of USD 10 million will be disbursed; - Following verification of DLR 8.2, an
amount of USD 10 million will be disbursed; - Following verification of DLR 8.3, an amount of USD 10 million will be
disbursed; - Following verification of DLR 8.4, an amount of USD 10 million will be disbursed. DLR 8.1, 8.2, 8.3 and 8.4 are
scalable. Disbursements will be proportional to the annual targets, calculated on the basis of the following formula:
Disbursement (D) is equal to the target achieved (TA), divided by the total target under said DLR (T), multiplied by total
amount allocated to said DLR (A).
Data source/ Agency - DLR 8.1: ONSSA - DLR 8.2: INRA - DLR 8.3: DIAEA - DLR 8.4: ONCA
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Verified by IGA by reviewing the records of the different entities.

Procedure The release of funds will occur piecemeal for the four separate DLRs in compliance with the related conditions, on a
scalable basis with respect to the individual specified targets.
DLI 9 Adoption of climate-smart agriculture practices for the efficient use of water
DLI: Number of producers in selected modernized irrigation schemes benefiting from agricultural advisory extension
services for the efficient use of water (12,000) and from the implementation of an M&E system measuring the related
Description impacts. The DLI is scalable. Disbursements will be proportional to the annual targets, calculated on the basis of the
following formula: Disbursement (D) is equal to the number of producers (P), divided by the total target of producers under
said DLR (T), multiplied by total amount allocated to said DLR (A).
Data source/ Agency ONCA, DIAEA and ORMVA
Verified by IGA by reviewing ONCA's registers and official records, in collaboration with ONCA and in accordance with the
Procedure description of advisory services provided to farmers and the monitoring and evaluation system put in place in the selected
sectors, as set forth in the POM.
.
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ANNEX 3. TECHNICAL ASSESSMENT
1. Strategic Relevance. The Program will support the objectives of the GGS (the new phase of PMV) which is the
Government’s medium-term sector strategy for agriculture and rural development. Considering the contribution of the
agriculture sector to total GDP (15 percent), the sector’s contribution to exports (10 to 15 percent of total exports), the
high share of employment generated by the agriculture sector (40 percent), and the high share of the rural population
dependent on agriculture for their livelihoods (85 percent), the GGS is of high relevance for Morocco. The GGS, which
the Program will support, places emphasis on both export-led sector growth and socio-economic considerations
(increasing incomes in rural areas especially for youth and reducing the gap with urban areas). The Program would focus
on three key areas of the GGS that are inherently interdependent: (i) increased job opportunities and income generation
for rural youth; (ii) improved efficiency of agri-food marketing systems; and (iii) enhanced digitalization of agriculture
and adoption of climate-smart practices, as well as strengthened M&E capacity of implementing agencies. The Program
would support the incentive schemes and ecosystem with a focus on enabling the private sector to provide digital and
climate smart technologies and getting farmers and agri-food SMEs to adopt these technologies. Increased adoption of
these technologies is expected to transform the Moroccan agri-food sector and contribute to reaching the higher-level
objectives of the GGS: (i) the valorization of human capital through the creation of a new rural middle class and support
to a new generation of young entrepreneurs for the creation of jobs in rural areas (especially for the youth and women);
and (ii) sustainability of agricultural development, through consolidated agri-food value chains and strengthened
resilience to climate change. The Program would also contribute to investments for digital transformation which are
important to mitigate the current COVID-19 pandemic (and prepare for future similar crises). The Program will be
designed to support the Government’s renewed thrust towards the above objectives under the GGS program, as a
continuation of efforts undertaken as part of the PMV. The final evaluation of the PMV done in 2018 point to the its
large positive impact on agriculture and the well-being of the rural population26.
2. The Program aims at accelerating progress towards the objectives of the GGS. The design of the Program
recognizes that reaching the objectives of the GGS with regards to the overall transformation of the Moroccan agri-food
sector— and, specifically, value-addition in the agri-food sector, agricultural exports, increased private sector
investments and job creation — will require progress in three areas: (i) the capacity of the institutions and entities
responsible for the implementation of the GGS, including several of them still at nascent stage, need to be strengthened
to enable them to fully implement their mandate, (ii) some of the key institutional reforms initiated under the PMV are
not yet fully implemented (such as reforms of the management of wholesale markets, a cornerstone of the strategy to
improve market efficiency and transparency) and (iii) instruments (targeted incentives) introduced under the PMV to
support investment in the agri-food sector, innovation and value-addition, as well as small and medium producers’
linkages with modern value chains can be further enhanced.
A. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
RESULT AREA 1 - INCREASED JOB OPPORTUNITIES AND INCOME GENERATION FOR RURAL YOUTH
3. Result Area 1 would contribute to establishing a holistic entrepreneurship development program dedicated to
youth in rural areas. This would be achieved through a range of activities under two Sub-Result Areas: (i) strengthening
the ecosystem for rural entrepreneurship development; and (ii) facilitating access to financial resources for young rural
entrepreneurs to start their agri-enterprises and/or pursue other agriculture-related services. Experience has shown
that youth in rural areas face several challenges to develop their enterprises or enter the job market. They have limited
26 MAPMDREF (2020)
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access to information, advisory services, technology, and innovation (knowledge constraints), have limited access to
credit (finance constraints), and are more burdened by regulation and transactions (business environment constraints).
Limited job opportunities particularly make youth vulnerable to climate change impacts and foster out-migration from
rural areas. RA1 seeks to alleviate these constraints to increasing job opportunities and incomes for rural youth.
4. RA1 is aligned with the orientations of the GGS, in what pertains to its objective of developing a new generation
of agricultural entrepreneurs. The Program would achieve this objective through the following activities:
a) On the demand side, by making economic, technical and financial opportunities at the provincial level available
and accessible to young people. This is expected to lead to an increased interest of young people for rural
entrepreneurship through the mobilization of institutional, professional, associative and private actors at local
level;
b) On the supply side, by improving rural entrepreneurship services delivery through the establishment of an
appropriate technical and financial support system specific to rural areas and dedicated to the youth, ensuring
an individualized and on-site support, favoring the promotion of agri-enterprises, cooperatives and agricultural
service companies and aiming to improve the sustainability of those already in place; and
c) On access to finance, by helping young rural entrepreneurs benefit from financial incentives provided by the
GGS (incentives for start-up enterprises led by young people, for service companies and for agricultural land
rental), and from existing credit access programs.
5. The implementation of RA1 would also build on the lessons learned from the World Bank funded project
Supporting the economic inclusion of youth (P151169) which is piloting an innovative approach to entrepreneurship.
This project provides capacity building and financial support to newly created and young businesses to improve chances
of success and increase formal businesses’ survival rate. This includes both (i) business capacity support after
beneficiaries create their businesses: supporting entrepreneurs for a period of 12 to 24 months, through individual
coaching and group training sessions adapted to their needs, including those of female beneficiaries, covering a core set
of business development services (for instance in financial and cash management, market development, compliance
with administrative requirements and policies); and (ii) financial support to young entrepreneurs through the provision
of small grants (non-refundable matching grants) up to US$10,000, covering up to 60 percent of the project’s investment
plan (this may cover a diversity of capital and operating expenditures, including initial working capital and initial down
payment for access to commercial financing).
6. Based on the above, RA 1 would be implemented around two Sub-Result Areas, organized sequentially to act as
a channel with regard to information, orientation, selection and technical and financial support to young people towards
developing their agri-enterprises.
7. Sub-Result Area 1.1 – Strengthening the ecosystem for rural entrepreneurship development. Under this Sub-
Result Area, the Program will support the following set of interventions: (i) Improving the attractiveness of the rural
economy for young people; and (ii) Strengthening the capacity of support institutions for rural entrepreneurship
development.
8. Improving the attractiveness of the rural economy for young people:
a) Identification of economic opportunities at provincial level: Project portfolios would be developed along priority
agriculture value-chains at provincial level, targeting both local and export markets. This would be achieved
through financing specialized technical assistance and the mobilization of ONCA advisors who will be responsible
for coordination between DRAs and business networks;
b) Communication and promotion around project opportunities: Regional communication campaigns as well as a
national campaign would be organized based on an effective communication strategy targeting young people
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(media, promotion tours, seminars, open days, etc.). The campaign would include: (a) information related to
the technical and financial services available for rural youth to initiate their projects; (b) a specific strategy to
enhance participation and outcomes for women from project interventions under the overall goal of enhancing
the proportion of women-owned enterprises in rural areas; and (c) awareness on climate change on the
agriculture sector and potential mitigation/adaption measures;
c) Development and integration of rural entrepreneurial training modules in vocational training centers: Existing
agricultural vocational training centers would benefit from this activity. Their capacity covering rural
entrepreneurship development would be strengthened through: (a) the design of training modules on
entrepreneurship and project management and their introduction in different cycles of the centers curricula;
and (b) training of 60 trainers to strengthen their capacities in the delivery of training and advice on rural
entrepreneurship development;
d) Organization of orientation and ideation sessions for rural youth: 90,000 young people (out of a total of 180,000
planned as part of the GGS) would benefit from this activity. The Program would organize individual sessions,
seminars or workshops to enable the rural youth: (i) gain an understanding of the potential economic
opportunities in their areas, and available technical and financial resources they can access to help them develop
their ideas and finance these. It is expected that at the end of these orientation and ideation sessions, youth
who would have developed ideas for climate-informed “bankable” projects would be selected to receive
technical assistance for up to 18 months to support the implementation of their plans (including for selecting
the appropriate technology, procurement, market linkages, developing lead-buyer supplier agreements in
partnership with IFC, etc.). These sessions can potentially include the development of digital solutions for local
agriculture challenges particularly those highlighted under Result Areas 2 and 3.
e) Launch of a pilot national call for innovative projects: A national competition would be organized yearly to
encourage young innovators of digital and climate smart agriculture develop and implement their ideas. 50
projects would be selected from all regions and three would be awarded and supported in setting up their
projects.
9. To enhance outcomes for rural women enterprise development, the Program will address their constraints
(increased reliance on informal networks; limited mobility and access to public spheres; and cultural norms that promote
their concentration in lower value “traditional food” sub-sectors). Interventions will include counseling and mentorship
support adapted to women’s needs; ensuring an equitable participation of men and women in trade fairs; developing
platforms and associations for women to facilitate networking amongst women entrepreneurs; delivering support
services at convenient timings and locations to maximize participation of women; and tracking women-owned
enterprises in higher value packaged and processed food enterprises.
10. Strengthening the capacity of support institutions for rural entrepreneurship development:
a) Capacity building of a pool of highly qualified agricultural advisers: 60 agricultural advisers (of whom at least
30 percent will be female) would be trained on management counseling and the management of incubators
established with ONCA structures (at the Dar El Fellah level). These advisors would: (a) provide guidance to the
Program beneficiary rural youth on existing services, economic opportunities, financial incentives, and will act
as “facilitators” that match the demand and supply of technical services; and (b) support cooperatives and agri-
service companies in managing and expanding their businesses;
b) Establishment of incubators (10) within the Dar El Fellah network to enhance their outreach capacity so that
they can provide last-mile services to young rural entrepreneurs, cooperatives and other agri-service providers.
This will include rehabilitation/construction of buildings, supply of equipment and provision of technical
assistance;
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c) Pre-launch support for the Program beneficiary rural youth. 20,000 young people identified and selected during
the orientation and ideation sessions would benefit from support to develop their project and related business
plan. It is expected that, subsequently, 10,000 youth would obtain funding from commercial banks under
existing credit access programs. The Program will finance the provision of a dedicated and hands-on technical
assistance (technical services) to assist the beneficiary develop his/her idea, prepare a detailed bankable
project and subsequent commercial loan applications. The TA would extend over a period of 3 – 6 months. It
would include group training in entrepreneurship and business development, through practical exercises and
personalized advice, as well as internships in companies and training in cross-cutting skills (gender, climate
change, communication, etc.);
d) Revitalization and professionalization of agricultural cooperatives. The Program will support the organization
by ONCA of 120 forums, with participation of all relevant institutional and key stakeholders with the objective
to improve the cooperatives’ operational capacities and modernize their management capacity; and
e) Launch of a pilot initiative for the emergence and empowerment of agricultural service cooperatives for youth:
The Program would support the creation through ADA of 10 service cooperatives (200 youth in total). These
cooperatives would receive support in financial terms to acquire premises with the necessary materials and
equipment and in the form of training and counseling for their members. They would serve to pilot state of the
art technologies geared to promoting digital applications, including to provide advance warning for emergency
events such as COVID-19.
11. Activities under Sub-Result Area 1.1 would be implemented under the oversight of MAPMDREF’s DSS and in
partnership with the DRAs and ONCA.
12. Sub-Result Area 1.2 - Improving access to financial resources for young rural entrepreneurs. Activities under
SRA 1.2 will facilitate access to finance for rural youth by encouraging commercial banks to scale up their outreach to
this segment of entrepreneurs.
13. The Program will finance the following main interventions:
(a) Review of FDA’s incentive system and legal framework to specifically target young rural entrepreneurs. This
would involve the promulgation of new legal texts favoring financial incentives benefiting projects promoted
by rural youth; including access to agricultural land. In addition, the FDA may also provide incentives and
subsidies to investors with job-creating projects. These proposed changes in FDA’s operations require the
promulgation of new texts on the Agricultural Investment Code, to establish the necessary mechanisms for
granting corresponding subsidies to beneficiaries;
(b) Establishment of a financial incentive mechanism for young people to start their individual projects: 16,000
young people would benefit from this mechanism, in accordance with the guidelines of the GGS, from year 3
of the Program, following the adoption of the new FDA legal texts (MEFRA/MAPMDREF joint orders) to that
effect;
(c) Establishment of an incentive mechanism to support structured agricultural entrepreneurship: 800 service
companies with up to 10 young people per company, i.e., 8,000 young people, would receive incentives in
accordance with the guidelines of the GGS, from year 3 of the Program, following the adoption of the
governmental degree to provide incentives for young entrepreneurs to start their rural investments; and
(d) Financial aid for the rental of agricultural land for the benefit of young people: 14,500 young people would
receive incentives, in accordance with the guidelines of the GGS, from year 3 of the Program, following the
adoption of the new FDA legal texts to that effect (MEFRA/MAPMDREF joint orders).
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14. The Program aims to (i) give adequate priority to initiatives predicated on eco-efficient and climate smart
technologies, as well as technologies geared to reducing risk factors such as droughts, pests and diseases, and getting
promoters equipped in the face emergency events such as the COVID-19 pandemic; and (ii) due attention to projects
developed by young women, as they need special incentives to circumvent the constraints they face due to their
vulnerable status, and get to have an even-playing field as they request financial support. Sub-Result Area 1.2’s
implementation would be led by ADA, the DRAs and the decentralized entities of MAPMDREF, and the DF will be in
charge of revising the texts that govern the FDA.
RESULT AREA 2 - IMPROVED EFFICIENCY OF AGRI-FOOD MARKETING SYSTEMS
15. Result Area 2 has two long term objectives: improved marketing on the local market, and increased exports of
agri-products. It would support three sets of activities: (i) strengthening of the marketing and distribution of agri-food
products on the domestic market, with a focus on the creation of four priority wholesale markets, and the development
of e-commerce of local agri-food products; (ii) improving food safety management; and (iii) digitalization of the
promotion and control process for exports. The activities under (ii) would be part of the measures taken by the GoM to
deal with the fall-out of the COVID-19 pandemic and foster preparedness for similar sanitary crises in the future.
16. The evaluation of the PMV carried out by MAPMDREF in 2018 indicates that agriculture performance is still
hindered by marketing constraints, particularly limited capacity for product innovation, and difficulties accessing
modern marketing networks. It highlights the difficulty for small producers and SMEs to comply with stringent food
safety, quality, traceability, labeling and environmental sustainability requirements imposed by high-value export
markets. These constraints affect small producers’ ability to participate and benefit from the strong sector growth
registered over the last decade and increase vulnerability to climate change through reduced livelihood opportunities.
Hence, improving the efficiency of agri-food value chains through the development of modern wholesale markets, as
well as the related food safety and sanitary issues ought to be addressed as a priority under the new GGS.
17. Boosting exports is considered one of the levers of agricultural development in the new GGS strategy, as much
as taking advantage of the increasing demand on the domestic market. The GGS aims to double agri-food exports over
the next ten years. One area of emphasis of the GGS to develop exports is to ease the constraints to the administrative
and sanitary control process, as well as strengthen the economic intelligence on strategic external markets so that
Morocco takes advantage of the opportunities to develop its exports on these markets.
18. The Program would support activities in three sub-programs:
a) Strengthening agri-food products marketing and distribution in the domestic market: This sub-program
regards the construction of four new climate-proof and energy efficient wholesale marketing platforms and
the establishment of an e-commerce platform. The new wholesale markets would make it possible to: (i) set
up organized marketing circuits, and thus limit informal circuits which distort active competition and negatively
impact the incomes of small and medium-sized farmers; (ii) provide traders and producers access to quality
logistical services; and (iii) improve the quality and safety of marketed products in accordance with
international norms and standards. The e-commerce platform would serve the needs of small agricultural
cooperatives of local products from different regions of the Kingdom. It would enable them to improve the
online marketing of their products, and connect also directly to the end consumer;
b) Strengthening the national food safety management system. The Program would focus on the upgrading of
ONSSA’s central capacities and laboratories for plant and animal control. This would involve strengthening the
sanitary status and safety of agri-food products, through the upgrading of the processing of requests for
sanitary certificates and authorizations for small and medium-sized establishments (SMEs). Additionally, it
would raise awareness about potential spread of new pests and diseases due to climate change impacts. It
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would involve also strengthening of the quality and sanitary status of agri-food products through the
improvement in laboratory analyses in the fields of plant and plant products, animal and products of animal
origin, residues of veterinary drugs and antimicrobial resistance; and
c) Improving agri-food export performance. The strengthening of Moroccan producers’ export performance and
competitiveness is one of the pillars of the GGS. The Program would involve digitizing the control and
monitoring procedures to enhance the traceability of agricultural and agri-food products intended for export.
The Program would also involve improving access for Moroccan exporters to information and data relevant to
target markets, and the regular update of these data. Access to this information would allow Moroccan
exporters to better anticipate the development of their markets (regulatory or normative framework,
competitive environment, etc.) and respond to their needs, as well as offer them the possibility of opening up
to new markets with high potential.
19. Sub-Result Area 2.1 - Strengthening agri-food marketing and distribution in the domestic market. Sub-Result
Area 2.1 would support three main sets of activities:
a) Promulgation of the regulatory framework for wholesale marketing platforms of agricultural products: the
current regulatory framework governing the wholesale marketing of agricultural products dates back to 1962.
It has become obsolete and presents several constraints penalizing the competitiveness of the agri-food sector.
Hence, the development of a new generation of wholesale marketing platforms will require a revised legal
framework governing this activity (via the amendment of the Organic Law regarding the municipalities), and
the attendant publication of an Arrêté for its application. The Program would also support the preparation of
the ESIA of the Schéma National d’Orientation des Marchés de Gros au Maroc;
b) Development of four new wholesale marketing platforms for agricultural products: The regions selected under
the Program for the creation of the wholesale marketing platforms are those which are of strategic importance
for the agri-food sector at the national level, namely Meknès-Fès (Meknès), Souss-Massa (Agadir), Marrakeh-
Safi (Marrakesh), and the Oriental (Berkane). The completion of each market will go through key stages: the
signing of the partnership agreement between the various stakeholders including local authorities and private
partners, putting in place of a management structure for project management, the completion of the ESIA for
each individual facilities, the construction of the platform, and finally support to its full operation. The Program
would finance the related engineering and financial feasibility studies, construction, equipment, and bringing
the market facilities to full operational level;
c) Development of electronic commerce of local products: This activity will involve developing an e-commerce
platform for the benefit of 200 producer organizations of local products. It would make it possible to improve
the scope of the marketing of these products and their visibility, both on the national and export markets, the
pooling of costs (e.g., operations and maintenance, management, etc.) and logistics (e.g., storage spaces,
delivery channels, etc.). It would also permit to boost the interaction between producer organizations and their
clients.). The current COVID 19 crisis has shown that the development of local e-commerce platforms is serving
to connect small agriculture producers directly to consumers. Solutions range from startups serving as the
connector between producers and consumers by providing not only the platform but logistics services; all the
way through consumers ordering directly from farmers via Facebook, Whatsapp, or SMS for delivery at farmers
markets or wholesale markets. The e-promotion of local products by ADA would be based on the tagging of
products with special labels emphasizing traditional eco-resilient local practices, energy conservation and
limited use of chemicals; another marketing argument would be production at the local village-community level
by smallholders, prominently women.
20. The following entities would be responsible to oversee the implementation of the above sub-programs: (i)
regulatory framework for wholesale markets: MAPMREF’s DGCL and the Ministry of Interior; (ii) construction of
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wholesale markets: MAPMDREF’s DDFP, in close liaison with the Wilayas and other territorial authorities; and (iii)
electronic commerce of local products: the Agence de Développement Agricole (ADA).
21. Sub-Result Area 2.2: Strengthening the national food safety control system. Sub-Result Area 2.2 would support
two sets of activities with ONSSA:
a) Digitization of processes associated with the issuance of phytosanitary certificates: This regards the processing
of requests for sanitary certificates and authorizations for small and medium-sized establishments (SMEs)
with a target of 1,000 establishments certified in sanitary terms by ONSSA and issuance of related 8,800
certificates. The Program would also fund additional control visits for the follow-up of certified establishments
in terms of health and sanitary status with a target of 15,000 additional control visits at the end of the
Program; and
b) Upgrading of ONSSA laboratories for plant and animal control: This activity aims to strengthen analyzes by
carrying out 1,250 additional analyses by 2025, i.e., an annual average of 250 additional analyses per year. It
will involve upgrading and equipping three laboratories (Agadir and Tangier laboratories, and Control and
Expertise Service belonging to MAPMDREF’s Division of Pharmacy and Veterinary Inputs) with efficient and
adapted devices, strengthening laboratory skills, implementation and validation of certain analytical
techniques, and execution of analytical controls. This activity would strengthen the quality of products
through the improvement of official controls based on laboratory analyses in the fields of plant and plant
products, animal and products of animal origin, residues of veterinary drugs and antimicrobial resistance.
22. The Program would fund the required technical assistance and equipment to achieve the above. ONSSA would
implement this sub-program, in partnership with DRAs and territorial authorities.
23. Sub-Result Area 2.3 - Improving agri-food export performance. Sub-Result Area 2.3 would support three sets
of activities with Morocco Foodex:
a) Technical control process of exports, and related issuance and management of export agreements: The sub-
program would involve: (i) developing a digital platform to entirely process the requests for technical control
of products intended for export and issue all related inspection certificates digitally by the end of the Program.
This platform would be deployed initially with a sample of tomato exporters in Agadir before it is generalized
to all sectors on a national scale. The use of the platform would result in reducing the processing time and the
risk of error, and (ii) designing a digital platform, accessible to exporters for formulating their requests (new
registration and/or renewal), monitoring the processing status of their files and obtaining their approvals
directly via the platform. This is expected to result in diminished processing time and reduction of the risk of
error linked to the manual of processing of registration and/or approval requests. The target under (i) and (ii)
would be for Morocco Foodex to process all exporters’ requests by the end of the Program;
b) Monitoring export markets: The aim is for Morocco Foodex to acquire a new monitoring system capable of
improving access for Moroccan exporters to relevant information on export markets, and, consequently,
better anticipate the development of their target markets and also exploit the opportunities offered in new
markets with high potential; and
c) Internal administrative functions: the sub-program would establish a digital Enterprise Resource Planning
(ERP) system regarding Morocco Foodex internal administrative functions related to human resource
management, personnel services and procurement, with expected gains in terms of efficiency, effectiveness
and transparency. As with any digitalization process, success will be accompanied with a transformation in
mindset towards the use of digital solutions that are more user focused. To this end, a Chief Digital Officer for
Morocco Foodex would be in charge of leading the digital transformation.
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24. The Program would finance the required technical assistance and equipment to achieve the above; Morocco
Foodex would implement this sub-program, in close liaison with MAPMDREF and the private sector.
25. Result Area 3’s objectives are to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of agricultural support services; and
enhance the environmental sustainability of agri-food value chains. To achieve these objectives, Result Area 3 would
finance two main sub-programs: (i) developing the digital ecosystem for informed decision-making regarding climate
smart-agriculture: this would include the definition of a comprehensive strategy for the digital transformation for
MAPMDREF that ensures optimal synergies amongst its different operating systems, the digital transformation of
research and information programs and the digitalization of the agriculture extension services delivered both by public
(ONCA) and private service providers; and (ii) support to eco-efficient and climate-smart agriculture to improve the
resilience of Moroccan agriculture in the face of climate change, with a focus on investing in water and energy efficiency
in order to conserve natural resources and create new activities that generate income and employment. The above
would enable producers and other actors along the value chains to engage in practices to edge against risks and be
prepared for emergencies. Digital operations would enable producers to manage crop and animals remotely, hence
acting as a barrier to the spread of diseases such as the COVID-19.
26. Sub-Result Area 3.1 - Developing the digital agriculture ecosystem. Sub-Result Area 3.1 would support the
development and improvement of digital systems and tools to better inform decision-making in agriculture. The
Program would fund the following twin set of activities:
(a) Study of options for MAPMDREF’s digital transformation and preparation of related digital blueprint: The
diffusion of innovation, R&D and precision farming constitutes one of the structuring pillars of GGS. In this
context, the Department of Agriculture has planned a study on its digital transformation. The preparation of
this study is also part of the Morocco Digital Strategy regarding digital smart government practices. This digital
transformation would capitalize on the achievements of initiatives carried out by the various structures
affiliated with MAPMDREF (ONCA, ADA, ONSSA, IAV, INRA) and also those undertaken by other institutional
and private partners (Université Mohamed VI Polytechniques—UM6P, Office Chérifien des Phosphates—OCP,
Groupe COSUMAR, etc.). The digital transformation of MAPMREF will be accompanied by the development of
various digital devices and systems to aid decision-making (e.g., digital platform for precision agriculture based
on artificial intelligence, image processing by drones or satellites, phytosanitary risk prediction and mapping
system, etc.), taking into account the necessity of a holistic approach in terms of efficiency, quality of services,
pooling of activities and cost control. The deployment of certain systems will require punctually an adjustment
of the regulatory framework governing the use of digital technologies (e.g., the use of drones). As the
MAPMDREF and the sector move towards a more digitally-enabled sector, it will be important to assure a well
thought leadership structure, with the appropriate skills. The MAPMDREF will benefit from having a person
that can fill the roles of Chief Digital Officer and Chief Data Officer;
(b) Developing the digital ecosystem for informed decision-making regarding climate-smart agriculture. The
Program aims to implement a new generation of digital support mechanisms to professionalize Moroccan
agriculture, a central focus of GGS, in particular through the strengthening and modernization of research and
information services to (i) promote eco-efficient and climate smart agriculture, and (ii) serve the needs of small
producers who are still generating the bulk of agri-food supply, with a special focus on women who play a key
role in certain sectors such as fresh fruits and vegetables. The Program will achieve these objectives through
the following support activities with beneficiary institutions:
Activities with ONCA regarding the digitization of agricultural advisory services:
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- Establishment of a National Data Center for agricultural advice with regional relays: This activity will consist
of setting up a central Datacenter and 10 regional Datacenters with the aim of (i) storing and managing the
database of technical and economic benchmarks which constitutes the main source for the production of
knowledge transferable by agricultural advice, (ii) mapping of offers in public and private agricultural advice,
(iii) identifying territorial needs for agricultural advice; and (iv) collecting data linked to farmers, rural
women and young beneficiaries of agricultural advisory programs;
- Equipment and capacity building of agricultural advisers on aspects linked to the digitalization of agricultural
advisory activities: This will involve equipping agricultural advisers with digital devices (tablets, software,
etc.) to enable them access Datacenters and also exchange platforms (e.g., ARDNA) in order to interact in
real time with agricultural producers and provide local agricultural advice. This activity will be accompanied
by capacity building for agricultural advisors in e-advisory services; emphasis would be placed on training
advisors regarding special methods tailored to reach out to women producers;
- Upgrade of the "ARDNA" system: This activity will involve the launch of technical assistance for the upgrade
of the virtual communication and advisory support platform "ARDNA", which today constitutes the platform
benchmark for the management of agricultural knowledge, through the development and reorganization of
the functionalities of this platform and its enrichment with practical support services for agricultural advice.
The upgrade of this platform would make it possible to bring the number of its users (farmers, agricultural
advisers, researchers, etc.) to 7,500 by 2025; and
- Establishment of a videoconferencing system and interactive terminals: The aim will be to set up a
videoconferencing system at the level of the Agricultural Advisory Centers (CCA) to be equipped with
interactive information and agricultural knowledge transfer terminals. These interactive terminals will be
connected to the Datacenter set up and accessible to different users (farmers, agricultural advisers,
researchers, etc.).
Activities with INRA:
- Development of agricultural land use maps: The Program will finance the development of such maps over
an area of 500,000 ha, which will increase the total area mapped available nationwide to 7.5 million ha. This
mapping will provide information on the potential of soils taking into account the agro-climatic parameters
of the areas studied. It will be an important tool for planning assistance;
- Development of a digital platform for precision farming: Design and implementation of a digital platform
and development of methods for spatial monitoring of crops, based on artificial intelligence, image
processing (drones or satellites) and on agronomic calibration tests for effective spatio-temporal monitoring
of crops;
- Creation of a Big-Data Center: Creation of interoperable gateways between the different platforms already
existing at INRA for the creation of Big-Data, able to allow cross-checking and cross-analysis between data
and information from different databases (fertility map, soil use, climate data, etc.). A web platform will be
set up and will be accessible to researchers, agricultural advisers and professionals. INRA will network its
soil and plant protection laboratories to provide updated data on a national scale. This platform would
provide open access to different stakeholders and provide data for startups to develop local digital
solutions. Broadly, studies have shown that for startups in the digital agriculture space 80 percent of the
initial costs are for data collection. Thus, an open data platform will significantly reduce the barrier to entry
for the development of data driven digital solutions;
- Project for estimating the area of crops based on time series of satellite images and machine learning
methods: Acquisition by INRA of the necessary equipment (software and hardware) and implementation of
a survey system based on the analysis of time series of satellite images. This project will initially concern six
crops, including four annual crops and two perennial plantations before its generalization to other crops.
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The above support would enable INRA to make major headways regarding experimenting and designing
solutions in such areas as eco-efficient cropping and water saving in the context of climate change;
Activities with ONSSA:
- Seismic detection of red palm weevil larvae: Equipping 15,000 palm trees with a “Palmonitor” seismic
detection system of red palm weevil larvae. This project will enable ONSSA to detect larvae early in the palm
infection, streamline the treatment operation by targeting only infected palm trees, and also reduce the risk
of spreading this disease;
- Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and satellite image processing: Acquisition and implementation of a
GIS and a satellite image processing system. These systems would allow ONSSA to better program
prospective operations based on the precise location of outbreaks due to plant and animal pathogens,
follow the real-time evolution of the spatiotemporal development of levels of infestation, and delimit
quarantine geographic zones, buffer and free of phytopathogenic agents to meet the requirements of
international standards of phytosanitary measures. It will also generate geographic representations and
ONSSA performance reports by area of activity and by region;
- Machine learning solution for the detection of plant diseases based on images: Acquisition of a remote
detection solution for plant diseases based on artificial intelligence, in particular machine learning based on
picture. This solution will allow plant protection services to carry out remote prospecting for diseases, detect
infected plants and target the farms to be treated. It will also increase climate change resilience through
early warning;
- Use of drones for phytosanitary treatments: Acquisition of drones for phytosanitary treatment of an area of
4,000 ha of tall or inaccessible plantations (palm and forest);
- Establishment of a phytosanitary risk prediction and mapping system: Acquisition of a computer system for
predicting and mapping potential phytosanitary risk distributions. This system would make it possible to
predict the potential distribution of exotic harmful organisms, to map the probability of the potential
introduction and establishment of harmful organisms and to ensure better orientation of phytosanitary
surveillance means in the field; and
- Establishment of a videoconferencing system and interactive terminals: The aim will be to set up a
videoconferencing system at the level of the Central Directorate of ONSSA and also of the Regional
Directions of the Agricultural Council.
Activities with DIAEA, ADA and IAV:
- Installation of remote reading and remote management systems (DIAEA in liaison with ONCA and ORMVA):
The establishment of these systems would make it possible to control and control remotely (from a central
unit), the hydraulic devices at key points in the networks, to rationalize the collection of charges for water
actually consumed by farmers, and to reduce the human resources needed to manage the modernized
sectors.27
- Study of definition of a digital transformation model / concept of an aggregation project (ADA): preparation
of a study of definition of a digital transformation model / concept within the framework of an aggregation
project, by capitalizing in particular on the digitalization of the sugar industry by COSUMAR.
- Creation and launch of a training specialty in Data Science applied to agriculture (IAV): Launch of a training
course in Artificial Intelligence applied to agriculture entitled "Data Science in Agriculture". Aimed at
27 The activity would include providing technical assistance to DIAEA though ORMVA and ONCA to enable support to producers in modernized
irrigation areas. Around 20 agricultural advisers would receive in-depth training and would provide detailed advice in water management techniques
and water saving agricultural practices. The beneficiaries of this activity would be 30,000 producers and their families practicing irrigated agriculture
in the 63,000 ha covered by the activity. Most of these are smallholders farming 2 ha or less.
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Agronomy students, this training will allow them to acquire the knowledge necessary to qualify for a job as
a research manager (statistics, marketing, big data, IoT) or scientific expert (data scientist, machine learning,
deep learning). After accreditation of this new specialty, 10 engineers will graduate in Data Science per year,
of whom 20 under the Program.
27. Sub-Result Area 3.2: Support for eco-efficient and resilient agriculture. In support of eco-efficient and resilient
agriculture, the Program would finance the following twin activities:
(a) Technical assistance to support farmers in modernized irrigation sectors: This sub-program would consist in
providing 30,000 producers within six already modernized irrigation schemes (converted to drip irrigation),
with technical assistance and local support for the adoption of additional climate smart agriculture to maximize
the benefits of the drip irrigation technology. This initiative will help promote more efficient and sustainable
management of water and land and strengthen the resilience of projects to climate change. Concretely, it will
involve investing in water and energy efficiency in order to conserve natural resources and create new activities
that generate income and employment; and
(b) Pilot initiatives for the promotion of agroecology and organic farming: Launch of two pilot initiatives for the
benefit of 200 farmers in vulnerable and fragile areas, in particular the areas of Oasis, Mountains and
unfavorable rainfed areas for promotion of sustainable and resilient agriculture, based on the principles of
agroecology and organic farming. A group of 100 producers will benefit from support for the adoption of
agroecological practices, such as direct seeding, rainwater harvesting, the use of solar and biomass energy, the
production and use of organic fertilizers, etc. A second group of 100 producers will receive support for the
adoption of organic farming practices. The beneficiaries of these two initiatives will act as a relay for the
dissemination of these practices to other farmers.
B. TECHNICAL ASSESSMENT
28. The design of the Program was informed by recent evaluations and analytical work. It benefitted from the results
and the recommendations of the recent evaluation of the PMV carried out by MAPMDREF in 2018. It also benefitted
from recent sector work carried out by the Bank28, as well as other partners such as the Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations (FAO)29.
29. The Program’s design rests on solid technical bases. Those include the analytical work and diagnostics carried
out specifically for the preparation of the PMV and successor GGS, and the experience that Government has acquired
during the PMV implementation in developing and implementing sectoral policies, strategies and action plans, in
working with farmers, their organizations and agribusinesses, in facilitating public-private dialogue and collaboration,
and in strengthening public institutions serving the agricultural sector. The Government has clearly shown ownership of
its sector policies and strategies throughout PMV implementation, under the leadership of MAMPDREF. The Program
design also integrates the lessons from existing evaluations of Bank and other donor-financed support to the PMV,
Government’s own evaluation of PMV implementation until 2015, and it draws from the large body of studies available
about selected value-chains (including the Bank’s ongoing programmatic sector dialogue in agriculture in Morocco). The
Program also includes some of the lessons learned through the Bank’s global experience with similar operations, such
as the need for a strong institutional champion (the Program relies on solid leadership by MAPMDREF) and
demonstrated continued support from central ministry’s policy making and oversight functions.
28 Diagnostic on Digital Agriculture in Morocco (2019) and Morocco Climate Smart Agriculture Investment Plan (2018).
29 Morocco: Investing in collective action – Opportunities in Morocco’s agri-food system, final draft, FAO and EBRD, June 2017.
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RESULT AREA 1 – INCREASED JOB OPPORTUNITIES AND INCOME GENERATION FOR RURAL YOUTH
30. While most economic opportunities in rural areas will remain in agriculture in the foreseeable future, youth
are losing interest in sector activities. The lack of interest of youth for rural jobs is not only predicated on their lack of
attractiveness in terms of hardship and work environment. It is also contingent on the risks and challenges they face in
developing their enterprise. Hence the record of high failure of rural enterprises. In rural areas, youth are more likely to
fail as entrepreneurs. As shown by many studies, failure rates are higher for younger and older entrepreneurs than for
middle-aged owners, and higher for female-owners than males. Firm death rates are highest for firm owners with no
education, and then fluctuate with no simple pattern among firm owners with some education30. The above is
particularly relevant for Moroccan youth. Indeed, according to the latest Labor Force Survey (HCP, 2018), 42 percent
only have completed primary school. To succeed as entrepreneur and given their profile, youth in rural areas require a
curriculum adapted to a lower level of education, and more intensive training programs. Anecdotical evidence suggests
that ideation is also an important part for this population as they tend to mimic others’ ideas without any consideration
of markets and/or alignment between their expertise and the business. This may partly explain the high rate of business
bankruptcy among youth.
31. Entrepreneurship in rural areas is facing a number of barriers. Some 750,000 young people operate very small
businesses (around 17 percent of young employed workers), but most do so out of necessity. This proportion also
remains very low compared to other countries. Several factors explain this low participation of young people in
entrepreneurship but also the lack of dynamism of these very small businesses: (i) a lack of entrepreneurial spirit, (ii) a
lack of structures to support entrepreneurship in rural areas, (iii) limited access to finance for these young people, who
have neither guarantees nor collateral to access a loan, (iv) limited access to land for young people wishing to develop
their agricultural holdings, and (v) an agricultural sector perceived by young people as a subsistence activity and not as
a buoyant income generating sector.
32. In Morocco as elsewhere many projects have focused on rural entrepreneurship. While some were more
successful than others, one commonality is the importance of access to finance which requires sound and bankable
business plans. Young rural entrepreneurs who are approved to receive a commercial loan will receive technical
assistance for 12 months to support the implementation of their business plans. These will receive direct assistance in
selecting the appropriate technology, procurement, market linkages, developing lead-buyer supplier agreements, and
in general making optimal use of their commercial loan financing. To enhance outcomes for women entrepreneurs, the
Program will address their specific constraints31 by including additional counseling and mentorship support for women;
supporting their participation in trade fairs; developing platforms and associations to promote networking amongst
women entrepreneurs; ensuring that all support services are delivered at convenient timings and locations to maximize
participation of women; and tracking and promoting women-owned enterprises in higher value packaged and processed
food enterprises.
33. Effectiveness of Youth Employment Programs, Including in Rural Areas. Most effective approaches for youth
employment programs are comprehensive, underpinned by multipronged strategies with complementary interventions
aimed at removing both supply- and demand-side constraints and market failures, including influencing job creation and
work opportunities for youth (offered by firms and through self-employment), labor markets characteristics, and labor
supply (skills and labor attributes). Demand-side exclusive interventions could also be effective, as demonstrated by the
European Union Youth Employment Initiative that targets young people not in employment, education, or training
30 McKenzie D. and Pauffhausen A.L., Small Firm Death in Developing Countries, forthcoming.
31 For instance, reliance on informal networks; limited mobility and access to public spheres; and cultural norms that promote their concentration
in lower value “traditional food” sub-sectors.
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(NEETs) through internships and hiring support schemes32. Moreover, a systematic review conducted by the World Bank
Independent Evaluation Group (IEG) of 38 impact evaluations of youth employment programs found that factors
increasing their success probability – on top of presence of complementary interventions – include participation of the
private sector and personal monitoring and follow up of individual participants33. In rural low-income areas, where most
youth are active in agriculture and non-farm employment or self-employment, stimulating the market environment for
growth of farms and rural agribusinesses has proven essential. Zooming in on entrepreneurship trainings supported by
World Bank operations in rural areas, positive impacts were demonstrated in Uganda and Colombia. More specifically,
the participants of the Youth Opportunity Program in Northern Uganda, which provided unconditional cash grants to
underemployed youth groups to pay about 10 weeks of full-time vocational training, tools, and business startup costs,
reported a 45 percent increase in net earnings compared to their status before enrolling in the program. In Colombia,
the Bank-supported Young Rural Entrepreneurs training program increased participants’ employment rate by about 14
percentage points compared to the control group. At the same time, other similar programs elsewhere have
demonstrated mixed results, and the paucity of project data limits the ability to make any generalized statements on
the impact of interventions targeting youth employment on broader labor market outcomes.
Figure A3.1 Demand and Supply Sides in Youth Employment Projects
Source: Adapted from Solutions from Youth Employment (2017). New and Promising Approaches in Youth Employment
Programs.
34. The Program would build on the lessons learned from the World Bank-funded project Supporting the
economic inclusion of youth (P151169) which is piloting an innovative approach to entrepreneurship. This project
provides capacity building and financial support to newly created and young business to improve chances of success
and increase formal businesses’ survival rate. This includes both (i) business capacity support after beneficiaries create
32 A recent evaluation of the YEI implementation in Portugal found a positive and long-lasting effect on the individuals’ labor market outcomes, as
per Duarte, N., Geraci, A., Granato, S., Mazzarella, G. and Mortagua, M.J., The evaluation of the Youth Employment Initiative in Portugal using
Counterfactual Impact Evaluation Methods. Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 2020. Available at:
https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en/publication/evaluation-youth-employment-initiative-portugal-using-counterfactual-impact-evaluation-methods.
33 IEG, 2012. Youth Employment Programs: An Evaluation of World Bank and IFC Support. Available at:
http://ieg.worldbank.org/sites/default/files/Data/Evaluation/files/ye_eval.pdf.
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their businesses: supporting entrepreneurs for a period of 12 to 24 months, through individual coaching and group
training sessions adapted to their needs, including those of female beneficiaries, covering a core set of business
development services (for instance in financial and cash management, market development, compliance with
administrative requirements and policies); and (ii) financial support to young entrepreneurs through the provision of
small grants (non-refundable matching grants) up to US$10,000, covering up to 60 percent of the project’s investment
plan (this may cover a diversity of capital and operating expenditures, including initial working capital and initial down
payment for access to commercial financing). The operationalization of the proposed activities under this
entrepreneurship program are realized through a network of Business Development Services Providers (BDS), selected
through a competitive bidding process. In order to ensure successful project implementation, technical assistance is
provided under the project to support the actors in charge of the entrepreneurship support program at central, regional
and provincial level.
35. The Program design was also informed by the lessons learned from past experiences in Morocco, including:
(a) Matching training program with employment in agriculture project - Projet Adéquation Formation-Emploi en
agriculture (1991-94): MAPMDREF, with technical support from FAO and funding from UNDP, implemented a
project regarding matching training and employment, and increased entry rates for graduates into the labor
market. This program unfortunately was not sustained for the following reasons: (i) the agricultural vocational
training establishments, and a fortiori the Training-Employment Equality Units that had been created there, did
not have the status and scope that would have enabled them to assume their role vis-à-vis other partners, and
(ii) the program put an emphasis on pre-creation capacity building but did not address access to finance as
incentives and post-creation support;
(b) ALEF project (2008-2010): ALEF was carried out in 2008 over a period of two years by the Department of
Agriculture and Marine Fisheries in collaboration with USAID. In collaboration with the Department of
Education, Research and Development, ALEF developed tools and mechanisms aimed at improving the
employability of agricultural laureates and their integration into the labor market. In order to strengthen the
intervention capacity of agricultural vocational training institutions, the project set up a program of training of
trainers and developed new tools to support the integration and creation of agricultural enterprises;
(c) Promotion of Youth Employment in Rural areas Project – Projet Promotion de l’Emploi des Jeunes en Milieu
Rural (PEJ). The project, operated by the Ministry of Employment and Professional Insertion (Ministère de
l'Emploi et de l'Insertion Professionnelle, MTIP) and ANAPEC with the support of GIZ, has developed an
integrated approach to promoting employment in rural areas based on: (i) observation of the labor market at
the local level and dialogue at the provincial level, (ii) expansion of the network of information and guidance
centers for employment in order to accompany youth in their job search, facilitate their placement and support
young entrepreneurs, and (iii) improvement of employability, in particular through short-term training adapted
to the rural context. The support is provided by NGOs. In the first phase of the project (2015-2017), around
2,500 young women and men aged 15 to 35 who were unemployed or underemployed benefited from the
project and 47 percent of the supported young people found a job or were able to increase their income;
(d) The Moukawalati program. This program, operated by the ANAPEC, was launched in 2006 to assist business
creation. It was initially intended for young Moroccans, aged between 20 and 45 years, holding a diploma. In
2010, it was extended to young people without a diploma. The program includes five implementation stages:
reception and registration of youth, pre-selection of the candidate, final selection by the regional committee
of the "Moukawalati" program, support of young entrepreneurs, and monitoring and evaluation of the support.
The project was moderately satisfactory with a low success rate of business creation explained by: (i) selection
of beneficiaries who were lacking entrepreneurial mindset, (ii) the problem of land tenure, (iii) the low quality
of the business services providers; and
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(e) Young Agricultural Entrepreneurship Promotion Project (YEPP). This project was financed by the African
Development Bank (AfDB) and aimed to promote entrepreneurship among young farmers. The project was
executed by the Agricultural Development Agency (ADA) supported by technical assistance from the United
Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS). The project objective was twofold: promote employment
opportunities, and support 160 micro-enterprises through training, integration and technical advice to selected
young agricultural entrepreneurs which ended with access to finance with the Credit Agricole du Maroc. While
the project aimed at nurturing high potential microenterprises with technical assistance and access to finance,
in practice, very few projects obtained a loan with CAM.
RESULT AREA 2: IMPROVED EFFICIENCY OF AGRI-FOOD MARKETING SYSTEMS
36. The wholesale markets network in Morocco includes 38 municipal markets faced with decaying
infrastructure, inadequate management, limited marketing services and sanitary conditions which require
improvement. This situation remains a significant issue. Dysfunctional wholesale marketing and distribution systems,
for fruit and vegetables, in particular, result in negative impacts on producers’ incomes, marketing costs, high final prices
for consumers and the development of informal market. The 1962 wholesale marketing regulatory framework is
outdated. Indeed, the Charte Communale stipulates that municipalities have a monopoly on decisions regarding the
establishment and management of fruit and vegetable wholesale markets in their jurisdictions. Prices are in principle
set by the market management and a fixed tax of 7 percent on the gross sales value of each transaction is levied by the
communes at the markets, which penalizes high-value products. These fixed taxes represent a high share of municipal
budget resources.
37. The lack of uniform rules governing the operation of markets and the inadequate reinvestment of market
revenues have contributed to an inappropriate management and a deterioration of the physical and sanitary condition
of Moroccan wholesale markets. Furthermore, current regulation prohibits farmers and traders from selling directly to
food retailers and supermarkets in urban communes. As they often lack the resources to transport their products to
distant wholesale markets they are often first traded in a wholesale market closer to the farm where the tax is levied,
before being marketed through a second wholesale market of the commune where the retailer is located which levies
an additional tax before selling to the retailer. The current system reduces producer revenues due to high transaction
costs, but also increases final prices for consumers, which hurts the urban poor disproportionately. It weakens incentives
for value addition, constrains producers’ integration in value chains, and distorts domestic trade flows. This context has
additional consequences with the development of informal markets, and new competitive distribution channels (hyper
and supermarket chains). The National Strategy for the Development of Wholesale markets in Morocco estimated that
65 percent of domestic fruit and vegetable production and consumption are marketed through informal channels
(2010). Finally, domestic producers are in a disadvantageous position since importers are allowed to market imported
produce directly to retailers after paying the fixed transaction tax of 7 percent at entry. This current state of wholesale
markets regulation constrains the food system from delivering on its key outcomes: access to affordable, safe and
nutritious food; agri-food jobs and livelihoods in agriculture, industry service sectors of the economy; sustainable,
resilient and resource-efficient operations.
38. The Government undertook a set of measures to improve institutional regulatory framework and upgrade
wholesale market facilities. In 2010, a national strategy and action plan were adopted for the restructuring of fruit and
vegetable wholesale marketing (Schéma National d’Orientation des Marchés de Gros de Fruits et Légumes), which has
been updated in 2018. The strategy includes: (i) an overall plan for reducing the number of wholesale markets (Schéma
d’Implantation des Marchés de Gros) in a manner which takes into account the projected evolution of domestic
production, consumption, and trade trends until 2020; (ii) the identification of viable wholesale market ownership and
management models, including required institutional and regulatory adjustments; and (iii) necessary accompanying
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measures for the implementation of the National Strategy. Its implementation has been delayed as the modification of
the legal framework governing wholesale food marketing and decentralization are still at the design stage. Nonetheless,
with World Bank support provided under the previous PMV DPF series, national, regional, and local government
stakeholders have gradually converged on a viable ownership and management model for wholesale market
infrastructure. Indeed, the World Bank-financed “Strengthening Agri-food value chains Program” supports the
development of a pilot wholesale market project in Rabat to transfer the markets of the municipalities of Rabat and Salé
Kenitra, while introducing a new management model.
39. The experience of the Rabat wholesale market highlights recurrent constraints for the development of
sustainable and efficient wholesale markets. The Rabat market was designed to have a demonstration effect. The
World Bank-financed PforR Strengthening Agri-Food Value Chains (P158346, FY18) supports the new wholesale market
to enhance the transfer of international best practices in terms of: (i) business model, no longer relying on fee-based
tax collection by proxies, but on charging a cost of using the public space based on the areas, entries, or services use,
and (ii) management model based on the responsibility of a Société de Développement Local (Local Development
Company, SDL), an autonomous entity capable of reinvesting revenues, accessing bank loans, and recruiting professional
market management teams. The construction of the Rabat agri-food platform has been delayed due to a change in site
location in the spring of 2019, the delay to create the Local Development Company and to recruit the management
team. The design and the size of the market are now agreed, and a specific agreement is finalized and will be signed by
all participating entities as soon as possible. This experience underlines the understanding by Moroccan authorities of a
need for changes in the institutional and regulatory framework, a strong technical assistance to follow the entire cycle
of the projects and adherence to good governance practices.
40. Wholesale market development and upgrading is a GGS priority. The GGS aims at developing 12 wholesale
markets considered as strategic infrastructure for agriculture development in Morocco to support food distribution
systems and enhance food safety and products quality. The Program financed under this PforR would include technical
and financial assistance for the upgrading of four wholesale markets tentatively located in Meknès, Agadir, Marrakesh
and Berkhane. These locations respond to local needs as they are: (i) important areas of fruits and vegetables production
(e.g., Meknès Tafilalet Region represents 12 percent of national production; Souss Massa Draa Region 23 percent;
Oriental Region represents only 6 percent) and (ii) important consumption basins (e.g., 80 percent of national
consumption of fruits and vegetables is concentrated in the North and the Centre of Morocco - Meknès: 630,000
inhabitants - Agadir: 420,000 inhabitants and Berkane: 110,000 inhabitants). The main preliminary studies have been
already completed, and the preparation of feasibility studies are ongoing in Meknès, Marrakesh and Agadir,
demonstrating the strong involvement of local authorities. The Agadir project is the most advanced (land selected, pre-
feasibility study completed, ongoing finalization of technical-financial feasibility studies as well as a preliminary impact
assessment study), and a first consultation with the main potential users of the platform started in September 2020.
Based on the current timeline, the construction of the wholesale market is expected to begin by 2022.
41. Initial reform actions are a prerequisite to enhance operational and financial sustainability of wholesale
market facilities. The National Strategy recommendations and the Rabat wholesale experience reveal that initial
activities are necessary to formulate a sustainable program of wholesale markets. The Program will support the
following initial measures: (i) the promulgation of the new institutional and regulatory framework for the organization
of the national wholesale market network and wholesale trade of agricultural products, which is essential to guarantee
the efficient operational management of new generation wholesale markets; the main orientations would promote a
sustainable business model no longer relying on fee-based tax collection by proxies, but on charging a cost of using the
public space based on the areas, entries, or services used, ending municipalities’ monopoly on decisions regarding the
wholesale markets in their jurisdictions, and a transition from a monopoly to a competitive market; (ii) the
implementation of new management models for individual wholesale markets based on territorial partnerships with
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interested communes and regional authorities; and (iii) an ESIA of both the National Strategy and the four selected
markets to ensure compliance with E&S requirements in relation with wholesale markets. The above steps would be
required to initiate the construction of the four wholesale markets consisting of: (i) technical assistance for the
preparation of feasibility studies, business plans, and detailed designs and construction supervision plans; (ii) completion
of civil works; and (iii) operational guidance for start-up of activities. Finally, the Program would support the
development and implementation of a social management plan, which would accompany the closing of the existing
wholesale markets being relocated with a view to proactively manage any adverse social impacts, in particular on current
proxies, operators, communities, and public employment linked to the existing wholesale markets.
42. Wholesale markets infrastructure can be considered as socio-economic development instruments. Wholesale
markets are public infrastructures built to serve the country’s private business interests and consolidate its food supply.
A change in the wholesale market’s business model relying on fee-based tax collection by proxies is needed to address
the anticipated decrease of municipal resources. Under the new business model, local authorities will be remunerated
as shareholders on the base of dividends generated by SDL or other management structures. These infrastructures need
to be considered as socio-economic development tools to improve food safety, nutrition, food supply but also local
development and territorial attractiveness. Efficient wholesale markets will benefit local communities as they improve
sustainability of agriculture products distribution, concentrating in the outskirts of the cities an important part of
negative environmental and traffic impacts. They create jobs and enhance social integration of unskilled workers.
43. Political, technical and commercial risks will be effectively managed to ensure the successful launch of the
new wholesale markets. First, the closure of existing wholesale markets and their transfer to new sites are delicate
operations because they lead to a profound change in the interactions between market users. The inability or lack of
political will of public authorities to enforce this transfer has resulted in the failure of many wholesale markets in other
countries. It is critical that (i) municipalities on the territory of the existing wholesale markets (i.e. Marrakesh, Agadir,
Meknès and Berkane) have a clear commitment to close these markets as soon as the new markets become operational;
(ii) the Wilayas do not allow the opening of any competing wholesale markets on its territory; and (iii) public authorities
and new management structures enhance the consultation/association of market operators; it is crucial to obtain the
involvement and participation of the private operators who will be the future users of the platform. Second, it is essential
that the new management structures of the markets are created and made operational as soon as possible. Best
international practices consider a key factor of success the early involvement of the new management structure in all
initial phases of the project, including promotional activities, signing of contracts with users and service companies and
defining the tariffs and internal rules of the market. Furthermore, technical assistance from an international market
management company, including study tours, is crucial to build capacity of future management teams, to guide them
during the project development and start-up of the operations. Technical support will be provided during the detailed
infrastructure design, the construction phases of the project, but also the first years of market operations.
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Table A3.1: Management models of several agri-food platforms in Europe
44. International benchmark of management models—The majority of wholesale markets world-wide are public
or semi-public (83 percent) entities, as data from the World Union of Wholesale Markets (WUWM 2018) show based on
its 141 members. There are also examples of purely privately-operated markets, including, for example, Saint Charles in
Perpignan and Lyon (Lyon-Corbas). On the other hand, retail market management is mostly private or semi-public (57
percent). The general trend is in the direction of a relative autonomy of the management companies from local or
national authorities, in order to make management more agile and ready to adapt to the speed of changes in the sector.
In Germany, for example, the management of the markets originally all managed directly by the cities, changed gradually
to private management models (see Table A3.1 above).
45. The COVID-19 pandemic has provided an opportunity for new digital agriculture online markets to rapidly
grow. Food supply chains have been transformed as traditional distribution channels from producers to large
consumers, like restaurants, hotels, catering companies, schools, have closed in many countries as a result of strict
lockdowns and social distancing. Online agriculture markets and ecommerce platforms have emerged. From companies
providing grocery and food delivery to platforms that connect small farms/producers directly to consumers, digital
technologies are providing opportunities that can be further developed to lower logistic costs and increase the price
producers receive for their products.
46. Food safety and quality are closely connected and essential elements to improve the added-value of agri-food
products. Whereas food safety refers to all hazards that may make food injurious to the health of the consumers, quality
includes all other attributes that influence a product’s value to the consumer. This includes both negative (such as
spoilage, discoloration, odors etc.) and positive attributes (such as the origin, color, flavor, texture, and production or
processing method of the food). Food safety can therefore not be viewed as a totally independent aspect from quality.
However, the complexity of both concepts has brought the need of managing food safety and quality aspects separately.
47. ONSSA is considered at international level as a credible official agency for all aspects concerning the safety of
agri-food products in Morocco. Since its creation and the adoption of Law no. 25-08.of 11 February 2010, which
empowers it to carry out its mandate, ONSSA has adopted a number of decrees so that Moroccan food safety regulations
have practically incorporated much of the recent EU law in this area. As for its strategy, the Office is working on the
implementation of its 2015-2020 business plan. From the outset, it opted for a quality management system integrated
at all levels of the organization: ISO 9001 for central administration and all regional directorates, ISO 17020 for regional
inspection services and ISO 17025 for laboratories.
48. The activities selected for support under the Program would aim at addressing critical areas for the
improvement of food safety in Morocco, thereby accelerating the implementation of the key provision of Law 28-07.
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In line with international experience, and considering the relatively low awareness of Moroccan consumers about food
safety issues, the Program includes actions targeting both the demand-side (consumer demand for safe products) and
the supply-side (agri-food producers and processors’ compliance with food safety requirements), while also
strengthening the capacity of ONSSA to carry out its mandate.
49. Morocco has strong potential to seize growing export opportunities. First, Morocco enjoys geographic
proximity to the EU and improved market access thanks to the recently adopted agricultural FTA34. Second, the country’s
smaller farms (the average size of a family farm in Morocco is only about 2 hectares), in combination with competitive
unit labor costs, lend themselves well for more labor-intensive organic production systems. Lastly, the Government has
made important progress in recent years in establishing a supportive legal and institutional framework for building
organic agri-food markets domestically35.
50. Morocco Foodex (Etablissement Autonome de Contrôle et de Coordination des Exportations) is a public entity
placed under the supervision of MAPMDREF. Founded in 1986 following the liberalization of the export marketing of
agri-food products, Morocco Foodex has four main functions: (i) Technical quality control of export of food product
against standards required by the recipient countries; (ii) Export coordination consisting in facilitating specialized
sectoral coordination committees which bring together producers - exporters and institutions of the export agri-food
sector; (iii) Strategic monitoring of export markets for improved decision-making by export actors; and (iv) Export
promotion through the participation in international fairs and exhibitions, organization of Business-to-Business missions
and implementation of communication campaigns. The value of Moroccan food export in 2018 was US$6.1 billion with
fruits and vegetables representing about 40 percent (i.e. US$1.21 billion for fresh fruit and US$1.27 billion for
vegetables). As part of its ongoing digital transformation, Morocco Foodex has planned to digitize some key processes
associated with the above functions. Among those, the following have been retained under the PforR: (i) delivering of
export authorizations for food products and for individual exporters in digital form; (ii) digitizing the strategic monitoring
of export markets in terms of price, quantity and quality standards; and (iii) digitizing the internal administrative
functions of Morocco Foodex by introducing an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP). To successfully manage the
proposed digital transformation, Morocco Foodex will benefit from having a Chief Digital Officer that can lead the
changes and focus in developing the appropriate solutions which are user-oriented.
51. Climate Smart Agriculture. Recognizing the vulnerability of African countries to climate change and the
importance of managing its impacts on agriculture, the Initiative for the Adaptation of African Agriculture to Climate
Change (AAA Initiative) was initiated by the Government of Morocco in the run-up to COP 22, held in Marrakesh in 2016.
The AAA initiative supports development of Climate-Smart Agriculture Investment Plans (CSAIPs), addressing the “triple
challenge” of increasing productivity and food security, improving resilience to climate change, and contributing to
climate change mitigation, where possible. A CSAIP has been prepared for Morocco. The CSAIP builds on a track record
of achievements under the PMV and has been developed within the framework of national sector investment programs
in water and agriculture. This first version of the Morocco CSAIP has selected projects according to their contribution to
CSA, as well as ease of implementation, broader economic feasibility, innovative aspects and socio-economic
34 Under their Association Agreement which entered into force in March 2000, the EU and Morocco established a Free Trade Area liberalizing two-
way trade in goods. They have subsequently developed the FTA further through an agreement on trade in agricultural, agri-food and fisheries
products and a protocol establishing a bilateral dispute settlement mechanism both of which entered into force in 2012.
35 On February 21, 2013, Morocco established its legal framework for organic products and published the law 39-12 in the Official Bulletin 6128.
The law 39-12 regulates the production, processing, marketing, and labeling of organic products. The implementing Decrees and Arrêtés have been
developed and are awaiting publication in the Official Bulletin. Currently, organic products in Morocco are certified in line with international organic
standards and certification requirements. The certification bodies currently operating in Morocco that have been accredited in line with
international accreditation requirements include Ecocert, CCPB, Lacon, Bioagricert, Bureau Veritas, and Ceres Certification.
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importance. The projects focus on scaling-up ongoing climate-smart projects, new projects focusing on climate-smart
agriculture and capacity building projects. One of the activities proposed as part of RA3 had been selected in the CSAIP
(advisory services for drip irrigation schemes).
52. Digital Agriculture. A diagnostic of the digital agriculture potential of Morocco was prepared in 2018-19. The
main technologies analyzed as part of the diagnostic included (i) cross-cutting technologies such as computational
decision and analytics tools, the cloud, sensors, block chain, robots and digital communication tools; (ii) field-based
activities enabled by geo-location technologies such as Global Positioning Systems (GPS), geographical information
systems, yield monitors, precision soil sampling, proximal and remote spectroscopic sensing, unmanned aerial vehicles
(drones), auto-steered and guided equipment; (iii) animal-focused technologies including sensors and radio frequency
identification (RFID chips) and automated (robotic) milking and feeding systems, among others, and (iv) controlled-
environment agriculture (greenhouses, indoor farms, etc.), enabled by digital technologies such as sensors and robots.
53. The diagnostic conclusions suggest that (i) Morocco is just starting the digital transformation process of the
agriculture sector and that process is promoted by both private and public sector; (ii) the potential for growth in digital
agriculture is significant; (iii) as in other more advanced agriculture sectors, research and development of digital
solutions is in the hands of the private sector; and (iv) the public sector has a clear mission in ensuring that these new
technologies contribute to improved equity, sustainability and efficiency of agriculture activities. Fulfilling this mission
requires acquiring a good knowledge of these technologies in order to be able to regulate their use with a special
attention to data access and management, promote awareness and demonstration, build and improve the necessary
rural infrastructure, foster digital supply capacity by domestic startups and SMEs, disseminate digital knowledge and
improve academic curricula to address the market demand for digital expertise.
54. Under the Program, MAPMDREF would spearhead an ambitious reform agenda expected to accelerate digital
agriculture and modernize the agri-food system in Morocco. Currently, no strategy has been developed to embark on
such an ambitious agenda. The development of a Digital Transformation Strategy for the Ministry with a clear actionable
road map for the next five years with the explicit intent of harnessing technology to better assist its customer base is a
prerequisite for the success of the reform agenda. Furthermore, like in any organization, the success of this strategy will
involve a change in approach and movement towards a more adaptive, agile organization that responds quickly to
changes in the environment and future challenges.
55. The Ministry of Agriculture would become the one-stop digital shop for farmers aiming to improve customer
service for producers and farmers across Morocco with a farmer-first attitude. The Digital Transformation strategy
will: (i) offer seamless, secure and transparent digital services across different sector stakeholders, (ii) improve
customer/ farmer experience, enhance civic engagement and digital inclusion, (iii) increase resiliency and reduced time
to recover from natural disaster events, (iv) ensure seamless and efficient trade, commerce, investment, (v) develop
digital literacy skills at all levels in the workforce, (f) provide the framework to accelerate investment in digital
infrastructure, services & talent and (vi) foster a knowledge-based innovation ecosystem. This activity will result in an
Architecture Enterprise Blueprint for the Ministry that focuses on inter-operability with existing central level systems
and focuses in optimizing and making more efficient not only the internal Ministry processes but also optimizing the
provision of services to different stakeholders through digital means. Among key areas to address are: (i) digitize public
records and simplify government procedures, (ii) leverage mobile and digital channels to improve access and
engagement with customer base while lowering costs, (iii) leverage Cloud and SaaS to deliver efficient public services
and smoothen disaster recovery, and (iv) create a digital platform to deploy open data and build private-public
partnerships.
56. As the Ministry of Agriculture progresses in its digital strategy it will ensure consideration to developing a single,
integrated platform for government services (build once, reuse always), based on digitized registries (in this case
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particularly as related to farmers) to improve customer service. As the use of data and information will continue to
increase in the future, as the internet of things, sensors, imaging, etc., become more and more used in agriculture,
considerations will need to be given to issues of privacy and cyber-security. Furthermore, the Ministry will need to adopt
improved procurement methods (outcome-based) and develop new supply models, including increase of service
contracts and private-public partnerships. As new e-services are developed, the following would be key considerations
and at the center of the transformation process. The new services will be open and secure by design, digital from start
to end (not a document driven approach), user-centered service design (the client of service is the focus not the process),
and mobile centric and adaptable to accommodate new devices and future developments. Furthermore, the
acceleration of climate-intelligent and digital technological diffusion in the agricultural sector presupposes prerequisites
in terms of digital transformation and integrated system allowing not only access and consumption of information in
real time but also, automated processes between systems and organizations to provide complementary data collection
promptly and to feed knowledge bases interactively.
57. Currently, the Ministry of Agriculture and affiliated organizations (including INRA, IAV, ONCA, etc.) have not
been successful in scaling the use of digital systems and technologies or decision-making tools. The Ministry through
DSS has deployed limited tools to improve and collect information. Unfortunately, these solutions are being deployed
under a siloed approach, with little consideration towards the integration, and interoperability of data and tools. Within
the Ministry they are several IT solutions, that use data for decision making with very limited impact. There is no
coherent platform or standards to upload, store, validate, refine, cleanse and analyze data. The Ministry does not have
an integrated approach to the use of data, or even a consolidated repository that can be used by different stakeholders
in the Ministry or even outside. Result Area 3 supports the development and improvement of digital systems and uptake
in the use of information for decision making in agriculture. This can help the Government target resources better, and
farmers themselves make better decisions. A collaboration between both is key. Furthermore, to assure a successful
scaling of digital systems and technologies, the Ministry will require a high-level lead who carries out the role of Chief
Digital Officer/Chief Data Officer. This officer will have decision making power to move the transformation forward and
make sure solutions are solving problems and the appropriate collaboration within sector organization is assured.
58. The proposed activities under the Program require the improved use of data for agriculture purposes, and
furthermore would encourage the development of an open data platform that is not only open to government
organizations, but also to research and development organizations, academics, and the private sector. It is well known
(including evidence in Morocco) that data collection and curation can be up to 80 percent of the costs of development
for new digital technologies. Furthermore, recent evidence suggests that the use of big data and digital technologies
can help farmers better adapt to threats -- both present and future -- from a changing climate36. Activities under RA3
encourage the use of Big Data, including satellite imagery and geographically reference data to improve the
understanding of agriculture, and by using advanced artificial intelligence and machine learning models, provide data
analytics that can provide more real-time insights that help the sector adapt to changing environments, thus improving
productivity and adaptability of farmers to increasing climate risks. The adoption of digital tools can also provide the
analytical foundations of an improved digital extension and advisory service. A key element of success will be the close
collaboration with the digital agriculture innovation eco-system and local entrepreneurs as to adapt existing
technologies to the local circumstances. Where possible, existing technologies (at national or international level), would
36 “Using an enormous amount of data obtained from satellites, research aircraft, drones and remote sensors, and from farmers via advanced
geospatial sensor suites present in many modern combine harvesters researchers and beginning to help farmers see their fields in a new manner,
helping them make better decisions to improve yield, reduce cost and improve environmental impact. The study, published in Scientific Reports,
is the first to precisely quantify soil and landscape features and spatial and temporal yield variations in response to climate variability. It is also the
first to use big data to identify areas within individual fields where yield is unstable.” Rafael A. Martinez-Feria, Bruno Basso. Unstable crop yields
reveal opportunities for site-specific adaptations to climate variability. Scientific Reports, 2020.
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be considered versus the development of proprietary technologies, since such endeavor is costly and usually out of the
scope of expertise of the different agencies.
59. Open Data initiatives and the combination of different datasets and the multiplication data usage by different
stakeholders has led to compelling socio-economic and environmental impacts in almost all domains in urban as well
as rural areas. For example, the EU INSPIRE project, which consists in sharing geospatial data for sustainable
development objectives has achieved a return on investment of 8: 1 in four years within the government. It would be
necessary to ensure the collection and the sharing of raw data sets in several formats (different file format, API, rich in
metadata, readable by information processing, etc.) to allow different stakeholders to improve their predictive analysis
work upstream and downstream of the value chain. It should be noted that Open Data also incorporates different forms
of non-digital information (awareness campaign, information message on a communal board, radio announcement,
etc.).
60. Digitalization of extension advisory services. ONCA was created in 2013 as part of the institutional restructuring
associated with the PMV to concentrate mission, competencies and skills for agriculture advisory and training into a
single institution. Since then, more than 2.3 million beneficiaries have taken part in information and awareness
campaigns and individual coaching visits. Study tours and training days benefitted some 66,000 and 76,000 farmers and
professionals respectively. In parallel, ONCA carried out 773 school fields which benefited 12,000 farmer focus groups
representing about 48,000 farmers. Awareness and training campaigns were implemented through about a thousand
shows on 3 TV channels and 700 weekly radio programs. In recent years, ONCA staff was reduced due to non-
replacement of retired staff37, and both operational budget allocation for transport and field visits and for training of
extension agents decreased following budget constraints. This has contributed to hampering the Office’s capacity to
comply with its mission.
61. Digital technologies can improve the functioning of agriculture extension systems at a very low cost per
38
farmer . Establishing initial mobile phone coverage involves fixed costs, but the marginal cost of phone communication
in rural areas is very low because cell phone towers typically operate below capacity. Mobile Network Operators (MNOs)
charge prices well above marginal cost, but they are often highly regulated, and governments could negotiate access at
prices with lower markups. Mobile phones, particularly GPS-enabled smartphones, facilitate the provision of tailored
information. Recommendations for agrochemical inputs that address specific soil conditions on the basis of digital maps
can improve yields while reducing environmentally harmful and wasteful use. Messages can target specific areas with
reported pest outbreaks or be customized to other local conditions such as market prices. Farmers can tailor their
investment decisions to expected weather patterns and benefit from improvements in weather forecasting. Customized
information allows farmers to choose language, dialect or literacy levels. Mobile technologies can also provide
reminders and other nudges to address behavioral biases. Images taken from satellites can provide information about
crop growth and, when linked with Geographic Information System (GIS) on plot boundaries, can improve
measurements of productivity at scale. Mobile phones facilitate two-way communication, whereby farmers can ask
questions and request information. Such platforms can also provide opportunities for networking and information
exchange among farmers which in turn can further improve future recommendations for all users. As smartphone use
continues to expand, farmers will increasingly have the means to watch videos demonstrating new agricultural
techniques or take pictures of pests affecting their crops and either request automatic identification and
recommendations or raise questions with agronomists. Mobile phones may create opportunities to complement and
strengthen existing in-person traditional agricultural extension systems. Many agricultural extension workers already
37As a consequence, the ratio of farmers to extension workers exceeds 1000 to 1.

38 See Raissa
Fabregas, Michael Kremer, Frank Schilbach: “Realizing the potential of digital development: the case of agricultural advice”; Research,
December 2019.
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have smartphones and thus could download information on problems arising in their region, as well as information
needed to respond to farmer queries.
62. Agriculture knowledge dissemination systems can accommodate digital technologies in many ways. There are
large scale government-run farmer information systems39. MNOs can run their own information system for farmers40.
Farmer information systems can specialize in crops or livestock41. Precision agriculture schemes can collect, process and
produce highly customized technical information for farmers. In a scale of increasing precision, these schemes range
from early warnings systems on weather and pests42, to satellite and drone-based solutions for precision agriculture43,
soil and crop advisory services44 and fully integrated solutions combining soil data, farmer data, field sensors and remote
sensing data from satellites and drones45. One last category includes participatory and peer-to-peer solutions46.
Participatory advisory solutions feature tight feedback loops between content providers and end-users, greater levels
of farmer interactivity with the solution (not just one-way information flows from experts to farmers), and, in many
cases, a role (direct or indirect) for farmers in creating or customizing advisory content. Peer-to-peer advisory solutions
share some of these features, but also put individual farmers and farmer experts into more central roles for content
creation and dissemination. Some peer-to-peer advisory models link farmers with each other directly, so that one
farmer’s questions are answered by another47. Broadly speaking, digital advisory solutions are moving toward greater
interactivity, localization and adaptation of content.
63. Emerging digital technologies are a means to improve the efficiency of ONCA, in terms of (i) ratio of farmer
served per extension agent; (ii) feedback on relevance and satisfaction by farmers; and (iii) contribution of farmers to
the creation of agriculture knowledge through a feedback loop. However, injecting digital technologies in farmer
extension system is a long and complicate process which requires strategic decisions to be taken on which of the above
options of digitalization of agriculture extension are best suited. It also touches on capacity building of extension agents;
acquisition, use and maintenance of digital equipment; data storage and governance; and establishment of partnership
with external stakeholders such as research, universities, MNOs, banks and precision agriculture service providers. It is
thus proposed to adopt a phased approach to digitizing ONCA’s advisory system while at the same time leveraging the
capacity of private sector to deliver digital advisory to Moroccan farmers.
39 Such as 80-28 farmer hotline in Ethiopia, ZIAMIS in Zambia, and Karlo’s suite farmer application in Kenya
40 Such as Orange D4AG service portfolio and ECONET’s ecofarmer in Zambia.
41 Such as I-Cow (livestock) and I-Shamba (crops) in Kenya
42 Such as ECONET in Zimbabwe, Ignitia Iska in West Africa, Weather Impact for weather early warning and Boa Me in Ghana, Rise Africa in RSA,
Nuru in Kenya for pests,

43 Satellite-based examples include Sat4famring in Ghana, Geodatics in Kenya, MUIIS in Uganda, CROPIN and Precision Agriculture for
Developement (PAD) in India. Drone-based examples include: Astral aerial in Kenya, Agrinfo Jembe in Tanzania, Charis in Rwanda.
44 Yara International ImageIT, Agricares, Plantix, Croptix, Lentera in Kanya, Grainotheque Yiri Drotro in Cote d’ivoire, Sun Culture, IBM EZ farm and
Microsoft farmbeats.
45 Examples are Microsoft’s Farmbeats (and related Digital Agriculture Platform) in Kenya and the Tata Consulting Services (TCS) InteGra precision
agriculture advisory platform in South Africa. Precision agriculture start-ups like AgrInfo/Jembe in Tanzania, Zenvus and Kitovu in Nigeria, Lentera
in Kenya, and CropIn, are moving in a similar direction.
46 Such as Digital Green in India, iShamba in Kenya, the 80-28 Hotline service in Ethiopia and Farm Radio’s Mlimi Hotline in Malawi. Also, the use
of Interactive Voice Response (IVR) tools – either in combination with call centres and SMS channels or via stand-alone channels – is now
mainstream for digital advisory solutions in Africa (see Ethiopia 80-28 Hotline and Viamo’s network of IVR-based 3-2-1). Newly arrived in the
interactive advisory model space are chatbots for digital service delivery (see Arifu, a large digital learning and advisory service that works with
African farmers via SMS and chatbot applications73 and the chatbot-based advisory platform in Kenya, Farm.ink).
47 This approach creates tremendous opportunities for on-the-ground data collection and for impacts on farmer behaviour (i.e., farmers engaging
more with content that is validated and shared by their peers). But, like any social networking solution with limited control, it also presents
significant risks that low-quality or inaccurate agricultural advice and information can be collected and distributed based on crowdsourced
perspectives or direct farmer-to-farmer advice. Farm.ink chatbot, for instance, relies on a Facebook farmer community that generates farm queries
and content that the chatbot can mine and pair with professionally controlled agronomic content.
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64. Agricultural knowledge can also be disseminated by private service providers for a range of digital services.
These services include: (i) detection of the level of soil fertility using digital hand-held devices which provide instant
reading of fertility and avoid laboratory analyzes of soil; (ii) detection of plant diseases on the basis of artificial
intelligence (picture of an infestation factor is compared with similar cases from a big data of plant diseases to provide
an initial diagnosis); (iii) the establishment of kits using IOT devices for irrigation or for livestock management; and (iv)
E-platforms for sharing agricultural mechanization equipment (Uber-type). These digital services can be provided by
individual entrepreneurs, service cooperatives, start-ups and specialized providers and as such, contribute to
employment in rural areas, with a special focus on youth. The program’s role will be to facilitate the creation and
dissemination of the above digital solutions by private actors through incubation and acceleration programs, innovation
challenges connecting supply and demand of innovative solutions, improved access to funding and specific regulatory
measures. This facilitation will be carried out mainly by ONCA with support from MAPMDREF, Agence de Développement
du Digital (ADD), Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs and the ANAPEC.
65. Development of a new digital agricultural aggregation model. This activity will support the Agence de
Développement Agricole (ADA) through technical assistance to design a new digital aggregation model. Aggregation
brings together small farmers and buyers to achieve economies of scale. Individual farmers bring their produce to
designated collection points – aggregation centers – where the crops are collectively marketed, awaiting their pickup by
buyers. It is one of the most critical and time-based activities involved in agriculture programs. Farmers want to quickly
sell part of their crops to meet some of their immediate needs and smooth their limited cash inflows. Buyers, on the
other hand, want to be able to plan their logistics and pick high-quality produce at competitive prices during the peak
harvesting period. Aggregation presents several cost-saving opportunities48, including: (i) logistical support –
aggregation reduces logistical costs of sourcing output from smallholder farmers. It may also be a tool for improving
quality, as producer organizations can add value to crops through sorting, drying, storing and other functions, depending
on their capacity; (ii) marketing and distribution of services – aggregation can reduce marketing, distribution, loan-
making and servicing costs for firms marketing inputs or financial services to smallholders; (iii) provision of training –
training groups to increase productivity is generally more cost efficient than working with farmers on a one on one basis;
and (iv) Information dissemination – aggregation reduces the cost of collecting and disseminating information for firms
seeking certified crops, such as reducing auditing costs.
66. Digital technologies could enhance the aggregation process in terms of primary production, post-harvest,
marketing and financing through: (i) digitization of administrative details (e.g., name, number, inputs purchased, amount
of crop sold, acreages, etc.) on the farmer registry based on the transaction records of farmer organizations; (ii)
promotion of efficiency and quality at production stage through precision agriculture; (iii) use of smart contracts, digital
traceability, food sensing technologies and E-commerce platforms for food logistics and marketing; and (iv) use of
FinTechs for improved access to rural financing. Morocco has a few ongoing initiatives on aggregation implemented
through digital solutions. The most prominent ones include the initiative of farmer digital card by the Compagnie sucrière
du Maroc (COSUMAR) and various digital solutions implemented by the Office Chérifien des Phosphates (OCP). ADA is
proposing to conduct a study on these existing digital agriculture initiatives to extract lessons learned and elaborate a
scalable model to improve aggregation in food value chains throughout the country. These scalable models would
include various types of digital solutions as mentioned above and would be implemented by aggregators and value chain
organizations (inter-professions).
67. Agricultural extension for drip irrigation schemes. Irrigated agriculture plays a key role in the Moroccan
economy. Despite accounting for only 16 percent of cultivated area, it accounts for 75 percent of agricultural exports
and 15 percent of total exports. Irrigation development has been enabled by a program of surface water storage through
48 https://www.growafrica.com/resources/how-do-takers-and-smallholder-farmers-use-aggregation-models-grow-their-business
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dams’ construction in major river basins, undertaken by the Moroccan government. Growing water scarcity, linked to
an increasingly frequent pattern of droughts and overall declines in rainfall, has reduced surface water availability and
led producers to supplement supplies through groundwater, leading in turn to depletion of aquifers. The Government
of Morocco has developed a long-term program through 2030 (PNEEI) to address the challenge, including support for
large-scale irrigation modernization to conserve water, including conversion of canal irrigation to localized sprinkler and
drip schemes, with widespread metering. The program covers 555,000 ha of irrigated land, including 220,000 under
large-scale irrigation schemes (GIs) where modernization takes place collectively, with financial support. Three schemes
totaling 60,000 ha have been completed, and more are under way. The ORMVAs have provided initial technical
assistance in drip irrigation management and new agricultural practices, but longer-term advice is necessary to ensure
sustainability. A convention was signed between DIAEA and ONCA to address this issue. However, ONCA does not
currently possess the skillsets to provide this advice. The proposed activity would aim to address this challenge.
68. In order to achieve such a digital transformation as proposed above, the Ministry will appropriately sequence
the activities. The development of an Open Data platform will be among the first activities to be carried out. They provide
a key foundational element of the strategy. Furthermore, there will be a need to match the demand and supply of digital
solutions. This will require close collaboration with the private sector through partnerships, or innovation challenges to
encourage international established players, and local entrepreneurs to partner to provide the solutions to successfully
implement the proposed activities.
PROGRAM CLIMATE CO-BENEFITS

69. Morocco’s agriculture sector is highly vulnerable to climate variability. Morocco is susceptible to chronic
49
drought , and climate variability and change is likely to exacerbate water scarcity, reduce yields, and increase the
volatility of agricultural production, with substantial variation between regions.50
70. IPCC projections for the future indicate a very high likelihood of a continued warming trend for Morocco,
where the observed increase in temperature, at around about 0.5 degrees Centigrade per decade, greatly exceeds the
global average of about 0.15 degrees since the 1970s. Under a business-as-usual scenario, additional temperature
increases of as much as 3 to 7 degrees Centigrade are projected for Morocco by the end of the 21st Century, with the
largest increases (4-7 degrees) occurring during the summer months (i.e., June, July and August). Under the same
scenario, projected precipitation declines are on the order of 10-40 percent annually, including 10-30 percent in the wet
season from October to April and 10-40 percent in the dry one from May through September. With rising temperatures
and the projected reduction in the net hydrological cycle, Morocco will be increasingly challenged in terms of its future
water availability. Both rainfed and irrigated crop lands are, in fact, already undergoing increasing pressure from a
climatic viewpoint.
71. The Morocco Nationally Determined Contribution also highlights the vulnerability of Morocco’s agriculture,
water and forestry sectors to climate change and identifies major adaptation programs. Morocco’s vision for climate
change management underlines the importance of territorially based risk and vulnerability reduction programs. More
specific programs include irrigation development and increased irrigation efficiency through conversion to drip
irrigation, water conservation measures, hydraulic infrastructure development and development of weather-based risk
insurance mechanisms for rain-fed cereals and legumes. Additional levers for resilient water management include
groundwater replenishment and substitution of over-exploited groundwater sources with surface water, desalination,
49For example, the 1994/95 drought caused agricultural GDP to fall by 45 percent and total GDP to fall by 8 percent.
50World Bank - Morocco study on the impact of climate change on the agricultural sector 2009: René Gommes, FAO/NRC Tarik El Hairech, DMN
Damien Rosillon, consultant Riad Balaghi, INRA Hideki Kanamaru, FAO/NRC
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new dam development, ecosystems and water resource conservation, and projects to transfer water from the north to
the south of the country. The NDC also commits to unconditional GHG emissions reductions of 17 percent. The emissions
reductions projections for agriculture include those from (i) conservation agriculture, (ii) tree-crop promotion, (iii) agro-
forestry and rangeland programs supported by the PMV, as well as (iv) silvo-pastoral programs.
72. Long-term actions pursued by GoM to climate proof the agricultural sector include measures that focus primarily
on increasing water supply for agricultural activities. In parallel to these investments aimed at mobilizing more water
for irrigation, the GoM has also enacted measures to save water in irrigation. The policy of encouraging localized
irrigation (National Program for Saving Water in Irrigation—PNEEI) with attendant control water use, was initiated
together with the inception of the Plan Maroc Vert, in 2008, and is currently further strengthened under the Green
Generation Strategy. It has acted as a logical complement to the policy of mobilizing and supplying irrigation water and
building climate resilience along the whole agri-food value chain.
73. In addition to the cross-cutting actions undertaken by the GoM to climate-proof agriculture as part of its GGS
program, all the interventions included in the proposed Program have been designed to include climate co-benefits,
both on the adaptation and mitigation sides. Climate co-benefits by DLIs are presented in Table A3.2.
Table A3.2 – Climate Co-Benefits by DLIs

Disbursement-Linked
Indicator Climate Change Benefits
Overarching goal: The program builds on complementing DLIs and provides a holistic
strategy for supporting the implementation of the Green Generation Strategy and
strengthening climate resilience across all four dimensions of food security: availability,
access, stability, and utilization of food. Food availability is compromised by projected
yield declines due to temperature and precipitation patterns change. Climate change
also compromises food access by affecting the purchasing power of consumers through
price increases as a result of climate change. Climate change affects food utilization
primarily by reducing food safety through a higher incidence of food-borne diseases and
spread of novel pests and diseases. With regards to food stability, the risks to food and
nutrition security are exacerbated by the expected increase in the frequency and
intensity of climate-related events. Furthermore, according to the World Bank’s
Groundswell report, climate change will scale up internal climate migration and the
poorest people in rural areas will be forced to move due to slow-onset climate change
impacts, including decreasing crop productivity, shortage of water and sea-level rise.
Therefore, all below actions geared towards building improved agri-food systems will
contribute to an increased climate resilience and food security.
Mitigation Adaptation
DLI 1: Number of business The investment into the rural entrepreneurship ecosystem, provision of CSA training,
plans prepared by young development of the centralized online knowledge database and portal on CSA practices,
entrepreneurs in rural and improved access to finance will build young rural entrepreneurs' capacity to
areas eligible for a integrate CSA measures into their projects. Youth representatives are expected to have
commercial loan higher adoption rates of CSA given the conditionality of financing and prioritization of
these practices.
- The practices disseminated, if adopted, will The capacity building activities will
directly contribute to net GHG emission promote technologies that: (1) improve
reduction: improved energy use efficiency water management efficiency and/ or
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in traction; improved soil management and access to irrigation and more efficient
restoration of degraded soils; adoption of irrigation technologies; (2) use crop mix
energy-efficient equipment in irrigation more suited to climate variability
and renewable energy generation and use; (drought, heat, pest and disease
improved storage to reduce waste-related resistant); (3) reduce water use in land
emissions; reduction of non-CO2 GHG preparation and loss in crop growth
emissions from agricultural practices by stages. Financing climate-informed
reducing inorganic fertilizer use. “bankable” projects will reduce the
number of youth out-migration and
increase resilience by creating income
opportunities and encouraging
investments in sustainable land and water
use. The reduced men outmigration
would also decrease the stress and risk of
female partners in charge of agricultural
production in a climate-stressed
environment.
DLI 2: Reform of the legal This reform will create enabling environment the implementation of DLI 3 and favor for
framework of the FDA to financing youth and women, particularly those who would have been coached on CSA
include incentives for practices. By improving the operating rules and procedures will provide incentives for
young rural entrepreneurs young people and women to start their investment, which will also reduce out-migration
from rural areas and enhance the financial ability to undertake the necessary adaptation.
DLI 3: Young Youth representatives are expected to have This area will enhance the financial ability
entrepreneurs who higher adoption rates of CSA practices than to undertake the necessary adaptation
benefited from FDA existing farmers, given the conditionality of actions and decrease the number of youth
incentives for rural financing. The financing criteria will out-migration. The financing will
investments prioritize practices that: improve energy prioritize, e.g., efficient irrigation
use efficiency in irrigation and traction, technologies; crop mixes suited to climate
generate renewable energy and enhance change and climate variability (drought,
carbon storage in soils, improve storage heat, pest and disease resistant).
efficiency and reduce inorganic fertilizer
use.
DLI 4: Revised legal and - The new regulation will provide - This activity will empower smallholders,
regulatory framework smallholders incentives to implement low- particularly women, who are especially
governing the new carbon-footprint farming in order to meet vulnerable to climate change impacts due
modernized wholesale the demand of the eco-conscious to limited business integration
markets established consumers by allowing the participation in opportunities into the agri-food value
formal markets instead of informal chain. By reducing the dependency on
channels. It will also reduce the carbon- intermediaries, the activity will improve
footprint of agriculture though reduced food availability, stability and access.
post-harvest losses. Nearly 65 percent of
domestic fruit and vegetable production
are marketed through informal channels
due to unfavorable regulations.
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DLI 5: Modernized Better market infrastructure

The constructions of buildings and installed
wholesale market (wholesale markets,) will improve the
equipment will be resource and energy
program developed overall resilience of agricultural value
efficient through (i) climate-proof and energy
chains by supporting improved
efficient building materials; (ii) energy efficient
business continuity during and after
lighting and appliances, (iii) renewable energy
extreme weather events. The strategic
sources (photovoltaic); (iv) refrigerators that
environmental study will provide
use cooling systems with lower GWP potential;
information how the proposed
(v) spurring better logistics and energy use
structure will take into the
through aggregations. It is envisioned that to
consideration exposure to climate
ensure that the energy efficiency of the
change and the anticipated impacts of
market, the contractor will conduct energy
climate change (e.g. sea level rise).
audit.
DLI 6: Food export This DLI will increase awareness and
performance improved: contribute to the monitoring of
percentage of export changes in foodborne disease
inspection certificates outbreaks and the spread of novel
issued in digital form pests and diseases which risk is
exacerbated as a results climate
change.
DLI 7: Number of agri- - Improved facilities for checking the residue The digital authorization process will
food of fertilizers will prevent the overuse of improve food safety by reducing
enterprises/organizations synthetic fertilizers and decrease GHG foodborne disease frequency through
authorized by ONSSA for emissions. reduced time in transitional storage
improved market access with inappropriate humidity and
and improved food temperature settings and reduce the
safety spread of novel pests and diseases
exacerbated by climate change through
improved traceability and early warning.
Improved market access will also
contribute to establishing alternative
trade routes in case of disruption to the
main route.
DLI 8: Digital ecosystem - This area will contribute to the reduced - This area will contribute to adaptation
for climate-smart GHG emissions through resource through the (i) employment of precision
agriculture established efficiency: reduced energy use in water agriculture51 and high-efficiency
pumping) and other agricultural processes irrigation, (e.g., drip irrigation) systems;
through remote management systems; (ii) (ii) GIS and satellite image processing to
improved fertilizers use through precision improve land use monitoring; (iv)
agriculture (reduces non-CO2 GHG phytosanitary risk prediction, seismic
emissions) and which use; (iii) improved detection and machine learning to
land restoration monitoring through improve early warning systems; (vi)
satellite imaginary. improvement in the public support
efficiency through farmers registry.
DLI 9: Adoption of E-advisory systems will improve access to Small-scale farmers are often the most
climate-smart agriculture climate change mitigation knowledge and vulnerable to climate change and will
51Goldman Sachs estimates that yields can rise by 15–20 percent due to more targeted fertilizer application, 13 percent due to better planting, 4
percent due to more precise spraying, and 10 percent due to precision irrigation.
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practices for the efficient technologies, thus ensuring that GGS particularly benefit from improved
use of water builds on the success of PMV52. Digitalized advisory systems. E-advisory services will
services will provide information on specifically be targeted at irrigation
practices that improve carbon pools and schemes converted to drip irrigation to
reduce GHG emissions: reduced tillage ensure full leverage of adaptation
techniques, rehabilitation of degraded benefits linked to more efficient water
lands, improved fertilizers application, use. E-extension services will also provide
energy efficient equipment in irrigation advice on agroecology, soils
and traction, and renewable energy management, sustainable use of water
generation and use; improved storage and resources,53 and strategies for enhanced
reduced food losses. preparedness to climate-related
disasters.
PROGRAM GENDER DIMENSION

74. Gender in agriculture. In 2019, a gender study was conducted to analyze women’s constraints and opportunities
along three agri-food value chains in Morocco, particularly the olive, citrus, and herb and medicinal plant value chains.
The report finds major gender gaps, such as: (i) disparities regarding the occupation of positions involving decision
making, with women generally involved in non-decision making positions; (ii) differences in wages and working
conditions, with women generally conducting seasonal work linked to precarious working conditions and limited access
to social security (due to the temporary nature of employment); (iii) disparities in access to information and advisory
services, with women having limited access to extension services not adapted to their needs; (v) differences in the access
to production factors (land, water, processing equipment) resulting in lower productivity and access to financial services;
(vi) disparities in the level of producer organization and hence, limited access to national or international markets; (iv)
exclusion of women from tasks involving technical knowhow or physical strength due to discrimination and stereotypes
about women not being able to conduct technical or heavy labor, among others.
75. Recommendations. The study gave the following recommendations: (i) improve women’s access to information
and advisory services, including training on quality promotion, marketing and marketing techniques; (ii) support the
organization of women cooperatives and by this improve women’s access to essential production factors, finance and
markets; (iii) increase wages, improve working conditions and social protection of seasonal workers; (iv) optimize
administrative procedures, for example by setting up a one-stop shop for farmer support, among others.
76. Result Areas. The Program aims at reducing Morocco’s gender gaps in the agri-food sector by leveraging digital
technologies to spur a more equitable and inclusive development of the sector. The constraints and recommendations
outlined above will directly feed into the implementation of the Program. Result Area 1: The workshops and national
calls for ideas to be initiated under Result Area 1, will directly build on the constraints and recommendations already
identified. They will allow young entrepreneurs to develop digital solutions tackling women’s constraints along agri-food
value chains. The entrepreneurs will then be supported through the Program in implementing their innovations. Result
Area 3: The envisioned digitization of agricultural advisory services under Result Area 3 will allow to adopt these services
to women’s needs and therefore directly address the apparent gap in access to information and extension services. In
52 Fabregas et al., (2019) based on meta-analyses demonstrates that the transmission of agricultural information through mobile technologies can
increase yields by 4 percent and adoption of recommended agrochemical inputs by 22 percent.
53 Surface water stored in reservoirs is the main water source in many areas in Morocco. As droughts become longer and more frequent, this
system is coming under increasing pressure; less surface water is available to producers, who compensate with groundwater, contributing to
aquifer depletion.
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additional, digital technologies will facilitate data collection on gender differences and evaluation of related
interventions, which will allow for the development of better-informed interventions in the long run. To ensure the
safety of women to be employed by the companies supported by the program, and to protect them from sexual
harassment, as well as women and girls exposed to civil works, the PMU Social Focal Points will support the development
of codes of conduct for workers in the companies involved.
Result Area 1
77. Gender gap. While the proportion of women entrepreneurs remains below that of men worldwide, it is
particularly low in Morocco (World Economic Forum, 2010). It is currently estimated that only 10 percent of
entrepreneurs in the formal sector are women (Amina & Habiba Bensassi, 2018). Yet, this percentage masks women
entrepreneurship in the informal sector. Women face various constraints in comparison with their male counterparts in
developing a business in Morocco, these include: (i) lack of information and insufficient support programs for women
entrepreneurs; (ii) limited access to networking opportunities; (iii) difficulties in accessing finance; (iv) cultural
perceptions and obsolete societal representations, among others.
78. Activities. The Program aims at supporting women in taking on entrepreneurial leadership roles and closing the
gender gap they face in establishing their businesses by tackling the aforementioned constraints. The Program aims at
putting a specific emphasis on the equitable inclusion of women in the following activities already suggested under
Result Area 1:
• Organization of communication and promotion campaigns. These campaigns will include strategies to
ensure an equitable participation of women entrepreneurs and rural women in the Program;
• Organization of orientation and ideation sessions and support for women entrepreneurs. 25 percent of
orientation and ideation sessions will be dedicated to women only. In addition, the Program will put specific
emphasis on supporting women entrepreneurs by: (i) providing them with counseling and mentorship
programs delivered at convenient timings and locations to maximize their participation; and (ii) creating a
platform and associations for women to facilitate networking amongst women entrepreneurs.
• Pilot national call for projects. The selection and support of digital and climate smart agricultural projects
will put a strong emphasis on choosing highly qualified women.
• Facilitate access to finance. The Program will put specific emphasis on supporting women entrepreneurs by
(i) providing training to women on preparing bankable business plans; and (ii) ensuring equitable access to
finance by women during the screening of business proposals for financing.
79. Results. The results will be reflected in the following PDO and intermediate results indicators:
• Intermediate results indicator - Young people informed, identified and guided by the entrepreneurship
support system on the service offer on agricultural entrepreneurship through communication campaigns and
ideation sessions (Number) – 22,500 of them will be women (overall target 90,000).
• Intermediate results indicator - Number of business plans prepared by young entrepreneurs in rural areas
eligible for a commercial loan (Number) – 2,500 of them will be women (overall target 10,000).
• Intermediate results indicator - Young entrepreneurs who benefited from incentives for rural investments
(Number) – 4,000 of them will be women (overall target 16,000)
• Intermediate results indicator - Young people trained and innovative projects awarded & supported (national
competition) (Number) – 10 of them will be women (overall target 40).
• PDO 1 - Number of young people who have created agriculture-related enterprises that have been
operational for at least six months (Number) (% of whom are women) (Number) (target of 20,000). The
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Program aims for 5,000 women having created agriculture-related enterprises. This number includes newly
established women entrepreneurs only. This represents a ratio of 25 percent of women entrepreneurs
supported, which is above the current national women entrepreneurship level of 10 percent.
Result Area 3
80. Gender gap. As shown by the Gender study conducted in 2018 by the World Bank in Morocco, women have
relatively lower access to extension and advisory services than men. Specifically, the frequency, scheduling, language,
choice of themes and duration of the training courses not adapted to the necessity of staying on the farm were found
as not favoring the participation of women. Consequently, the study shows that women cooperative members were less
trained than other cooperative members. While from the male cooperatives surveyed 100 percent have received
training for at least one of their members, women cooperatives indicated that only 83 percent of them received training.
Almost 90 percent of the men surveyed said that they had received technical training in the past five years compared
to 80 percent of women.
81. Activities. As the Program will provide ONCA with the capacity to generate digital advisory support services to
farmers, this offers a unique opportunity to close the gender gap with respect to women’s access to advisory and
extension services. As part of the Program, advisory and extension services will be better tailored to women’s needs by
training additional female extension agents and developing digital tools that will allow women to better benefit from
ONCA’s services. This will allow for the delivery of advisory services that will not require women to leave their farms for
long, take into consideration women’s specific needs such as language and knowledge requirements. Furthermore,
under the challenge initiated under RA1, the lack of women’s access to advisory services will be posed as a problem for
which young entrepreneurs can look for potential solutions to improve women’s access to advisory services.
82. Intermediate results indicator. Women cooperatives who have received training through digital technologies
developed under the Program - 100 women will be trained. This indicator will solely count women cooperatives who
haven’t received training until Program start to reduce the existing gender gap in access to training between men and
women cooperatives.
PROGRAM PRIVATE SECTOR ROLE
83. MFD approach, collaboration with IFC and Private Sector Involvement. The Program will support GoM in
addressing the binding constraints to enabling private sector solutions in the agriculture and food sector especially in
youth inclusion, digital technologies and climate smart agriculture. The involvement of the private sector in the Program
will be key to the sustainability of the outcomes. In this context, close collaboration with IFC will be sought under the
Program to improve the business environment and promote public-private dialogue. Through collaboration with the
newly launched IFC-led Global Platform for Rural Connectivity, the Program will be strengthened by deploying the
appropriate partners to improve broadband connectivity in rural Morocco. The Program will also leverage the programs
from the Disruptive Technologies and Venture Capital teams in IFC to address key constraints—e.g. providing the
appropriate skills required by digital rural entrepreneurs to successfully raise private financing. In particular, the IFC
platforms and networks can be leveraged to support improvement in the business skills (including on digital skills and
disruptive technologies) of rural youth, incubation and accelerations of ideas by rural youth (I.e. through partnerships
with companies in the IFC network), support to entrepreneurs and promising disruptive/digital technologies (i.e. seed
funding, venture capital, etc.). In addition, the Program will seek collaboration with IFC in the agribusiness area. Possible
entry points include PPP opportunities around wholesale markets, promotion of entrepreneurship, and
professionalization of farmer organizations.
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PROGRAM ECONOMIC EVALUATION
84. Rationale for public intervention. The Program aims at accelerating the structural transformation of the agri-
food sector by addressing several market failures affecting its performance, including through the use of digital
technologies facilitating access to advice, finance, etc. These market failures occur due to: (i) lack of support services
and access to finance for young entrepreneurs; (ii) limited access to markets for small-scale producers linked to
inadequate traceability, inefficient inspections and certification processes for food safety among others; (iii) limited
access to knowledge and skills on the adoption of improved agricultural or sustainable practices.
85. Economic impact of the Program. The Program aims at: (i) increasing income generation for rural youth; (ii)
developing competitive, efficient, and sustainable agri-food value chains; and (iii) strengthening innovation, advisory
service, research and training using digital technologies. This will result in improved incomes for the youth in rural areas,
improved marketing on local markets and increased exports of agri-food products, improved efficiency and effectiveness
of agricultural services, and improved sustainability of agri-food value chains.
86. World Bank and AFD value added. Bank and AFD support will improve the efficiency and targeting of the
activities supported under the Program, thereby increasing both its economic, social and environmental benefits. The
World Bank has global expertise in the design and implementation of innovative projects and programs in the agri-food
sector. In addition, the World Bank has been deeply involved with the GoM since the inception of the PMV and during
the preparation of the GGS, notably through the DPF series and an earlier PforR supporting the PMV. The Bank is thus
in a unique position to support the GoM in designing and implementing the Program in order to maximize economic,
social and environmental benefits.
Economic evaluation of the Program
87. The economic evaluation aimed at analyzing the investments under the Program, supported by (i) a financial
analysis of the main physical investments (i.e. the wholesale markets), and (ii) an international benchmarking—done by
analyzing similar activities (i.e. technical and financial support of newly established enterprises, and establishment of
business incubators) in past projects/programs in countries depicting similarities with Morocco with respect to their
agri-food sectors.
88. Result Area 1 - Increasing job opportunities and income generation for rural youth. The Program has the
potential to generate substantial positive economic benefits over the long term for the youth. At the macroeconomic
level, the creation and growth of innovative businesses would contribute to increased productivity, efficiency, and
competitiveness in the economy. These combined factors will contribute to creating jobs and economic opportunities
for Morocco. The Program would also contribute to generating increased government revenues through additional tax
receipts and to reducing the fiscal burden associated with public SME finance schemes as private sector investment in
startups and SMEs grows.
89. The Program may also have a strong impact on improving productivity and sustainability of young businesses.
At the micro level, through the provision of a wide array of business development support, the Program would
contribute to building the skills and know-how of young graduates, entrepreneurs, and startups, enabling them to better
take advantage of business opportunities as well as improving the productivity and profitability of their own or others’
businesses. Similarly, through a focus on innovation and technology adoption, the Program would enhance the
competitiveness of Moroccan startups and SMEs, contributing to their growth and sustainability. As RA1 is focused on
rural regions and the youth, it would contribute to addressing the spatial disparities that exist in Morocco.
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90. Over the medium term, indirect and direct co-investments undertaken through the Program are expected to
generate a return to the Government. Given the focus on more risky investments in seed and early stage innovative
startups, the net return to the Government is expected to be low. The overall social returns, however, are expected to
be high, as investments in the very early funding stages would contribute to strengthening the pipeline of startups,
thereby improving the quality of investments at the later funding stages. Considering the design of the Program and
plausible assumptions on investment returns, the financial projections and analysis indicate that the Program will
generate proceeds that will be sufficient to cover the costs of managing the Program.
91. While no IRRs or NPVs can yet be calculated for the businesses to be supported, other projects give clear
indications on the profitability of supporting newly founded enterprises. A recently completed ADB project that
supported producer associations’ business plan preparation and implementation including financial support found that
a Financial Internal Rate of Return of 30 percent was reached (ADB, 2017)54.
92. In addition, the establishment of business incubators is foreseen under RA1. To assess their profitability
information from other successful projects will be used. Business Development Services (BDS) projects and other
technical assistance projects to SMEs supported by the World Bank have had successful development outcomes in 84
percent of IEG evaluations from 2006 to 2012. In addition, Agrifood Consulting International and Economic
Transformation Group (2011)55 conducted a case studies of incubators located in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. While
the incubators assessed operate at different scales, impact assessments indicate that the majority were successful in
creating sustainable and competitive enterprises where benefits outweighed the cost and new technologies as well as
product and process innovations were scaled up. A full cost benefit analysis of an agribusiness incubator investment
was available for the case study Fundación Chile. The study shows that US$1.303 billion benefits of the seven selected
programs are 23 percent higher than the US$1.05 billion in total costs of Fundación Chile over the 30-year period.
93. Result Area 2 - Improved efficiency of agri-food marketing systems. Investments in the wholesale markets is
expected to lead to a reduction of inefficiencies along the value-chain, which will result in economic gains both for
consumers and producers. The new business model of the wholesale market removes the tax on the value of products
which has several major drawbacks: (i) it is difficult to assess objectively due to limited data: a weight multiplied by an
average price is sometimes elusive in the case of non-homogeneous cargo; (ii) it penalizes high value products which
thus tend not to go in those markets where the storage conditions (absence of cold conditions) are not adequate; and
it does not provide the managing entity with a regular income throughout the year.
94. The new economic model for the wholesale markets is based on well manageable and controllable components,
namely the area occupied by the operators and an entry price that applies to all, depending on the size of the vehicle
used. This system is fair as: (i) it allows operators to set charges themselves consistent with their means, modulating the
space occupied; (ii) it offers a uniform price for each type of operators in each area; and (iii) it changes according to
objective criteria.
95. The business model adopted will rest on a few simple principles: (i) all charges will be levied on the basis of the
area actually occupied by each type of operator; (ii) the charge amount will be calculated not to exceed 5 percent of the
theoretical value of the products; and (iii) the municipality will no longer receive taxes on the value of products, as it will
be remunerated on the basis of dividends from the entity in charge of managing the wholesale market.
96. A preliminary Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA) for the four wholesale markets was conducted which draws on
information provided by the MAPMDREF and a feasibility study prepared for the wholesale market in Rabat to be
54African Development Bank, 2017. Egypt-Rural Income and Economic Enhancement Project - Project Completion Report. AHHD Department.
55Agrifood Consulting International and Economic Transformation Group (2011). Growing Food, Products, and Businesses. Applying Business
Incubation to Agribusiness SMEs. Download: https://www.infodev.org/infodev-files/resource/InfodevDocuments_1139.pdf
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realized under the Strengthening Agri-Food Value Chains Program (P158346). The following information was available:
(i) initial estimates on investment costs for the four wholesale markets in Berkane, Meknes, Marrakesh, and Agadir; and
(ii) initial estimates on operating costs and benefits for the wholesale market in Rabat. The financial analysis of the
wholesale market envisioned to be built close to Rabat found a sound Financial Internal rate of Return (IRR) of 9.83
percent over a 20-year period. All estimates provided for the wholesale market in Rabat were scaled by volume relative
to the volume to be turned around in each of the four wholesale markets. While these represent first estimates, they
are the sole information available at the time of Program appraisal. Using the CBA method and the data stipulated, the
FIRRs estimated range from 16-17 percent for a 20-year investment period. This analysis therefore indicates that the
overall investment in the four wholesale markets is likely to be characterized by high profitability.
97. Result Area 3 – Enhanced digitalization of agriculture and adoption of climate smart agriculture practices.
Under RA3, the Program envisions the digitalization of agricultural advisory services, the introduction of an open data
repository for innovation and data-driven decision making (incl. establishment of a GIS and satellite image processing
system), and the introduction of digital decision-making tools for agricultural monitoring and advice, among others.
These tools directly aim at improving the efficiency within public sector institutions and the efficiency of public sector
institutions in their daily work with clients and therefore reduce related costs, and spur innovation by the private sector.
98. While a direct assessment of digital extension services is currently not feasible, current research shows that
digital technologies facilitate knowledge transfer and skill acquisition, and have a positive impact on technology
adoption, yields, and profits. A meta-analysis in India and Kenya found that digitally delivered extension increased
farmers’ yields by 4 percent and the likelihood of adopting recommended agrochemical inputs by an odds ratio of 1.22
(Fabrega, Kremer, & Schilbach, 2019). In Ethiopia, SMS-based advisory services increased wheat production from 1 ton
per hectare to 3 tons (ATA, 2019). Avaaj Otalo, a mobile phone-based extension service for Indian cotton farmers
increased the adoption of more effective pesticides and the planting of lucrative but risky crops (Cole & Fernando, 2012).
Simple farm cycle-based SMS advice helped Kenyan farmers to raise yields by around 10 percent—especially for farmers
with limited prior agronomic training (Casaburi et al. 2014).
99. While a direct assessment of the potential benefits of a GIS and satellite image processing system is currently
not feasible, model predictions can give essential indications. A recent study by the US Geological Survey (USGS) shows
the economic benefits that remote-sensing information can provide to society. USGS used moderate-resolution land-
imagery data from the Landsat and Advanced Wide Field Sensor satellites and modeled the relation between cropland
uses and dynamic nitrate (NO3-) contamination of aquifers in a case study region in northeastern Iowa. The results show
that by moving corn production to lands identified to be less prone to leach nitrate and additionally to lands with
transport properties that render aquifers less vulnerable to leached nitrate, the value of the crop can be increased
substantially, while holding the risk of groundwater contamination constant. For the northeastern Iowa study region,
the study finds a marginal benefit of $858 million (± $197 million) annualized, which corresponds to a net present value
of $38.1 billion (± $8.8 billion) for that flow of benefits in perpetuity. Hence, the use of these datasets can allow for
better management of land use and groundwater quality.
100. While in a nonrelated sector, the experience of Denmark seems to point into the direction of benefits to be
accrued from open data policies. In 2005, Denmark started to release its address data to the public free of charge. Prior
to that date, each municipality charged a separate fee for access, rendering the data practically inaccessible. There were
also significant discrepancies between the content held across different databases. A follow-up study commissioned by
the Danish government estimated the direct financial benefits alone for the period 2005-2009 at EUR 62 million, at a
cost of only EUR 2 million.
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C. PROGRAM RESULTS FRAMEWORK AND MONITORING AND EVALUATION (M&E)
101. MAPMDREF, through DSS, will coordinate the M&E activities of the Program. It will compile and consolidate
data and supporting documents, ensure data quality, and prepare and submit the reports to the Bank on a timely basis.
DSS, along with DDFP, DIAEA, DF, ADA, ONSSA, ONCA, as well as the Wilayas and DIAEA/ORMVA will collect data about
physical progress, achievement of results in each Program area, and the flow of financial funds. DRAs, the inter-
professions, and the CIAs will support data collection efforts. MAPMDREF’s DSS will report to the Bank on a semi-annual
basis, covering the following items: (i) expenditures, including transmission of audited accounts; (ii) physical progress;
(iii) results framework indicators; (iv) disbursement linked indicators (DLIs); (v) compliance with social and
environmental requirements; and (vi) grievances and any allegations on fraud and corruption. Reports will be endorsed
by the Steering Committee and submitted for decision during the semi-annual meetings. A Mid-Term Review will assess
progress of Program implementation towards the development objective, and, at the end of Program implementation,
an independent evaluation will assess the Program’s results and impacts.
102. The Program’s M&E system will draw on the existing Government’s systems used to track implementation of
the GGS program. MAPDREF’s DSS will be responsible to collect, consolidate and report achievement of results agreed
as part of the Results Framework, particularly for DLIs. The Program will take advantage of existing tracking mechanisms
and types of records put in place for the activities and investments under the GGS. Additional data will be collected by
DSS inter alia in the following areas: (i) investments by youth with support of FDA through DF, using the FDA-based
database that manages the information on applicants, proposals, and awarded incentives; (ii) implementation steps
regarding the wholesale facilities as tracked by DDFP; (iii) agricultural production, collected by DRAs by means of surveys
and administrative records based on an online-based platform (STATAGRI), administered at central level by the DSS; and
(iv) on farmers supported in modernized irrigation perimeters through DIAEA, on producers in aggregation projects
using the ADA information system (number of producers participating in the aggregation schemes, aggregated surface,
etc.), and on specialists trained in data science. Although those systems have been extensively used, they have
substantial weaknesses. Given the above, establishing an integrated and harmonized M&E system will be a time
consuming and difficult undertaking. Indeed, some data may be still be manual and paper-based (spreadsheets) and
limited in depth and scope, whereas others use more advanced methods and technologies. In fact, several databases
have been found to be internally inconsistent, and the systems in place are often not geo-referenced and operate in
isolation.
103. Addressing data collection weaknesses and building M&E capacity will be part of the Program’s activities.
Through the Program, MAPMDREF will put in place a simple, integrated web-based data administration system
(Management Information System, MIS) that will allow for better data management and periodic reporting, including
specific requirements such as gender-disaggregated data. To ensure transparency and strengthen citizen engagement,
MAPMDREF will conduct at least one public consultation per year on the Program throughout the implementation
period. This will be monitored as an indicator in the Program’s results framework.
D. PROGRAM GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE AND INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS
104. The Program’s institutional architecture relies on several affiliated entities and stakeholders with different roles
and accountability lines. Given the nature of the Program, its implementation will be based on the combined
intervention of key stakeholders comprising MAPMDREF as the lead entity, MAPMDREF departments and affiliated
agencies, and external partner institutions linked to MAPMDREF through specific agreements. The main institutional
risk for Program implementation relates to the quality and strength of the coordination among those entities. Figure 2
depicts the Program’s institutional architecture.
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Figure A3.2: Program Institutional Arrangements
Steering Committee
PforR Steering Committee 1. Strategic oversight and
(Chaired by MAPMDREF) orientation
2. Reviews overall
progress
3. Ensures mobilization
of stakeholders
Verification Unit (IGA) Program Audit (IGF)
Program Management Unit (PMU)

PMU
1. Coordinates
management of
Program with
Extended PMU Focal Points
implementing bodies
2. Ensures Program M &
E and social and
environmental aspects
3. Supports verification of
MAPMDEF MAPMDEF Other Ministries and DLIs/DLRs
Interprofessions and
Affiliated Agencies (ONCA, 4. Serves as secretariat
Departments Agencies autonomous entities
ONSSA, ADA, INRA, IAV, for the Steering
(DSS, DF, DDFP) (ANAPEC, ADA) (Foodex, FDA)
ORMVA) Committee
Decentralized Structures
(DRAs/DPAs, Wilayas)
123. Table 2 presents an overview of the responsibilities of different Ministries and institutions by activity under each
Result Area.
Table 2: Responsibilities by Result Area

Task Responsibility
Result Area 1 – Increased Job Opportunities and Income Generation for Rural Youth
Sub-Result Area 1.1 – Strengthening the ecosystem for rural entrepreneurship development
Improving the attractiveness of the rural economy for young people
(a) Identification of economic opportunities at provincial level
(b) Communication and promotion around project opportunities
(c) Development and integration of rural entrepreneurial training modules in
MAPMDREF DSS, in
vocational training centers
partnership with the
(d) Organization of orientation and ideation sessions for rural youth
DRAs and ONCA
(e) Creation of a web-based portal to link rural entrepreneurs and service
providers in their areas
(f) Launch of a pilot national call for innovative projects
Strengthening the capacity of support institutions for rural entrepreneurship development
(a) Capacity building of a pool of highly qualified agricultural advisers
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(b) Modernization of existing incubators within Dar El Fellah network and MAPMDREF DSS, in
establishment of new ones partnership with the
(c) Pre-launch support for the Program beneficiary rural youth DRAs and ONCA
(d) Revitalization and professionalization of agricultural cooperatives
(e) Launch of a pilot initiative for the emergence and empowerment of
agricultural service cooperatives for youth
Sub-Result area 1.2 - Improving access to financial resources for young rural entrepreneurs
(a) Review of FDA’s incentive system and legal framework to specifically target
young rural entrepreneurs
(b) Establishment of a financial incentive mechanism for young people to start
their individual projects
MAPMDREF DF
(c) Establishment of an incentive mechanism to support structured agricultural
entrepreneurship
(d) Financial aid for the rental of agricultural land for the benefit of young
people
Result Area 2 - Improved efficiency of agri-food marketing systems

Sub-Result Area 2.1 - Strengthening agri-food marketing and distribution in the domestic market
(a) Promulgation of the regulatory framework for wholesale marketing MAPMREF DGCL and
platforms of agricultural products Ministry of Interior
MAPMDREF DDFP, in
(b) Development of four new wholesale marketing platforms for agricultural partnership with the
products Wilayas and other
territorial authorities
(c) Development of electronic commerce of local products ADA
Sub-Result Area 2.2: Strengthening the national food safety control system
(a) Digitalization of processes associated with the issuance of phytosanitary
certificates ONSSA
(b) Upgrading of ONSSA laboratories for plant and animal control
Sub-Result Area 2.3 - Improving agri-food export performance
(a) Technical control process of exports, and related issuance and
management of export agreements
(b) Monitoring export markets Morocco Foodex
Result Area 3: Enhanced digitalization of agriculture and adoption of climate smart practices
Sub-Result Area 3.1 - Developing the digital agriculture ecosystem
Study of options for MAPMDREF’s digital transformation and preparation of related MAPMDREF
digital blueprint
Developing the digital ecosystem for informed decision-making regarding climate-
smart agriculture
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- Establishment of a National Data Center for agricultural advice with regional

relays
- Equipment and capacity building of agricultural advisers on aspects linked to
the digitalization of agricultural advisory activities ONCA
- Upgrade of the "ARDNA" system

- Establishment of a videoconferencing system and interactive terminals
- Development of agricultural land use maps
- Development of a digital platform for precision farming
INRA
- Creation of a Big-Data Center
- Project for estimating the area of crops
- Seismic detection of red palm weevil larvae
- Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and satellite image processing
- Machine learning solution for the detection of plant diseases based on
ONSSA
images
- Use of drones for phytosanitary treatments
- Establishment of a videoconferencing system and interactive terminals
DIAEA in partnership
Installation of remote reading and remote management systems
with ONCA and ORMVA
Study of definition of a digital transformation model / concept of an aggregation
project ADA
Creation and launch of a training specialty in Data Science applied to agriculture IAV
Sub-Result Area 3.2: Support for eco-efficient and resilient agriculture

(a) Technical assistance to support farmers in modernized irrigation sectors DIAEA in partnership
with ORMVA
(b) Pilot initiatives for the promotion of agroecology and organic farming FIMABIO
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ANNEX 4. SUMMARY FIDUCIARY SYSTEMS ASSESSMENT

Introduction
1. As part of the preparation of the Morocco Green Generation Program-for-Results (the Program), the World Bank
carried out a Fiduciary Systems Assessment (FSA) of the Program in accordance with the World Bank Policy on Program
for Results (PforR) Financing. The objective of the assessment was to examine whether Program systems provide
reasonable assurance that the financing proceeds will be used for the intended purposes, with due attention to the
principles of economy, efficiency, effectiveness, transparency, and accountability. Accordingly, the Program
procurement arrangements were assessed to find out the extent to which the planning, bidding, evaluation, contract
award and contract administration arrangements and practices provide a reasonable assurance that the Program
procurement systems will enable the achievement of intended results.
2. Data collection and methodology. The FSA was carried out by an experienced team of World Bank staff that
included Financial Management and Procurement Specialists. The assessment was conducted based on: (i) the
knowledge of the financial management and procurement systems in Morocco, (ii) the recent national PEFA report
completed in 2017, (iii) the fiduciary data made available by MAPMDREF and affiliated public entities, (iv) the analysis
of quantitative and qualitative fiduciary data from the execution of the Strengthening Agri-Food Value Chain PforR
(P158346); and (v) the audit reports issued by the oversight bodies: IGF and Court of Auditors. The data made available
by involved entities in the Program comprised the percentage of contracts awarded within the service standards, the
average number of bids, the percentage of contracts awarded on a competitive basis, the percentage of contracts
awarded on a single source basis, budget execution reports, the lead time in the procurement process as well as in the
production of the financial statements, and the percentage of complaints received on contracts awarded at the
implementing entities level.
Section 1: Conclusions
3. Risk assessment. The fiduciary risk is rated Moderate. The fiduciary systems will require to be strengthened to
ensure proper implementation. The key risks are related to potential delays in the procurement process for the
execution of the civil works required for the construction of the four wholesale markets, which represent 20 percent of
the expenditure framework (Result Area 2). These risks may result from a lack of coordination in the programming and
budgeting of activities between the central government and the local authorities involved in the selection of sites and
the construction of wholesale markets. The ongoing Strengthening Agri Food Value Chain PforR has faced similar issues
with the construction of the Rabat’s wholesale market which affects the Program’s execution. Additional risks are
related to the internal control systems which will be implemented to ensure a correct execution of the financing
mechanisms for young entrepreneurs such as for the identification of the beneficiaries based on transparent criteria,
proper management, and accountability of the funds. This activity to be implemented for the first time by the Ministry
will include disbursement of specific incentives to young investors. Activities related to youth grants and loans for
investment and self-employment represents 27 percent of the total expenditure framework (Result Area 1). Finally, the
last key risk identified relates to the lack of standardization and coordination between the financial management
processes of the different entities responsible for program implementation with regards to timely budgeting of activities
in accordance with the program implementation plan. This would have an impact on the production of timely
consolidated financial statements of the Program, necessary to ensure the traceability of the use of funds and to
facilitate external audits conduction.
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4. Mitigation measures. The Program’s design includes a comprehensive set of measures to mitigate the
identified risks. First, the risk of delays in the procurement process for the execution of the civil works related to
wholesale markets will be mitigated by the definition of a procurement performance monitoring system. The measures
will be relating to the launch of bidding and signing of contracts for the four wholesale markets by the end of first 30
months of Program. Their monitoring will be ensured through the submission of quarterly procurement performance
monitoring report, to be carried out by the DDFP at MAPMDREF. Second, the risk related to the financing of youth
projects will be mitigated by the development of a detailed Program Operations Manual (POM) by the MAPMDREF that
will include criteria and modalities for the selection of the beneficiaries and fiduciary reporting arrangements. The POM
will provide all the guidance to access to financing and subsidy measures, as well as a Grievance Redress Mechanism
(GRM) to promote a consistent approach to handling complaints. The assessment of the degree of compliance of youth
projects with the guidelines of the POM will be included as audit diligence in the terms of reference of the annual
program audits to be carried out by the IGF. Third, the risk associated with the lack of standardization and coordination
between the Financial Management processes of the different entities responsible for Program implementation will be
mitigated by the adoption of a harmonized financial reporting framework to facilitate the consolidation of financial
information and would be included in the POM.
5. Procurement exclusions. The Program does not envisage any activities which would involve the procurement
of high-value contracts with estimated values exceeding the following monetary amounts, as may be amended from
time to time, that require mandatory review by the Bank’s Operational Procurement Review Committee (OPRC): (1)
works, estimated to cost US$115,000,000 equivalent or more per contract; (2) goods, estimated to cost US$75,000,000
equivalent or more per contract; (3) non-consulting services, estimated to cost US$75,000,000 equivalent or more per
contract; or (4) consultants’ services, estimated to cost US$30,000,000 equivalent or more per contract.
Section 2: Scope
Scope. The Program will be financed over five years (2021–25) for a total of US$487 million equivalent, including an
IBRD loan of US$250 million equivalent and an AFD loan of EUR100 million. The distribution of this funding is as follows:
Table A4.1: Program costs and source of financing (US$ million equivalent)
IBRD 250 51.3
Borrower 122 25.1
AFD 115 23.6
Total 487 100
6. The Program will be implemented by MAPMDREF and six autonomous agencies that it oversees (ONCA, INRA,
ADA, Morocco Foodex, IAV, and ONSSA). MAPMDREF and ONSSA are already involved in the existing Strengthening Agri
Food Value Chain PforR (P158346) which has its fiduciary performance rated as Satisfactory. The Program's fiduciary
systems are acceptable, and they provide reasonable assurance on the use of the Program’s resources.
7. Program Expenditure Framework. The Program Expenditure Framework (PEF) is extracted at more than 86
percent from the MAPMDREF’s and the six public entities’ budgets and will be included within the General Budget of
the State (Budget Général de l’Etat) which alignment with Government priorities, classification, sustainability and
predictability are assessed as more than adequate as per the 2017 PEFA.
8. The PEF is structured around three result areas: (i) Increased job opportunities and income generation for rural
youth (29.1 percent), (ii) Improved efficiency of agri-food marketing systems (48.3 percent), and (iii) Enhanced
digitalization of agriculture and adoption of climate smart practices (22.6 percent). The program expenditures under
these three result areas can be grouped under four main procurement categories: (i) Civil Works (21 percent), (ii)
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Equipment and goods (30 percent), (iii) Consulting and non-consulting services (22 percent), and (iv) Funding or grant
mechanism (27 percent).
Table A4.2: Expenditure Framework by procurement categories
Consulting
funding or Total
Civil Equipment and non- % of
Program Components grant (US$ equ,
Works and goods consulting Total
mechanism millions)
services
Result Area 1: Increased job opportunities and income generation for
0 0 8.36 133.85 141.84 29.10%
rural youth
Improvement of the attractiveness of the rural economy for young
0 0 2.74 0 2.74 0.60%
people
Reinforcement of the support system for agricultural entrepreneurship
0 0 5.62 7.53 12.79 2.60%
(pre and post enterprise creation)
Improvement of the institution, financial and legal support system for
0 0 0 126.32 126.32 25.90%
agricultural entrepreneurship (targeted incentives for young people)
Result Area 2: Improved efficiency and sustainability of agri-food
101.05 51.26 82.63 0 234.95 48.30%
marketing systems
Improvement of 4 wholesale markets 101.05 0 0 0 101.05 20.80%
Digitalization of promotion and control process for exports 0 0 68,42 0 68.42 14.10%
Reinforcement of sanitary control of food 0 51.26 0 0 51.26 10.50%
Development of e-commerce platforms for local products 0 0 14,21 0 14.21 2.90%
Result Area 3: Enhanced digitalization of agriculture and adoption of
0 93.02 16.99 0 110.03 22.60%
climate smart practices
Development and improvement of digital systems and uptake in the use
0 63.68 2,65 0 66.34 13.60%
of information for decision making in agriculture
Digitization of agricultural advisory services (Digi-Conseil) 0 23.57 13,26 0 36.84 7.60%
Improvement of Agriculture eco-efficiency and resilience 0 5.24 1,08 0 6.32 1.30%
Creation of a data science training program applied to agriculture 0 0,53 0 0 0.53 0.10%
Total 101.05 144.28 107.98 133.85 486.81 100%
% by type of expenditure 21% 30% 22% 27% 100%
9. Alignment with Government priorities. The activities covered by the expenditure framework meet the
directions set by the Government, under the GGS, which is the government’s strategy to build on the success of the Plan
Maroc Vert and create a new generation of agricultural workers and entrepreneurs particularly among young and rural
populations, with innovative support measures. This strategic vision is based on two strategic orientations, namely: (i)
priority to the human element and the support of a new generation of young entrepreneurs; and (ii) the sustainability
of agricultural development through the consolidation of the performance of agricultural value chains, with a view to
doubling exports and agricultural GDP by 2030, and the improvement of product distribution processes through the
modernization of wholesale markets. The strategy also lays the groundwork for improving the quality and capacity for
innovation in the sector.
10. Sustainability. The sustainability of MAPMDREF’s expenditure framework is ensured by the existence of several
tools. First, the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) developed in the context of the Public Finance Act. The
current MTEF covers the period from 2019-2021 and is annually updated through the Finance Act. Second, a new multi-
year program approach, deployed since 2019 with support of the Ministry of Finance (MEFRA), complements the MTEF.
Third, the annual performance plan endorsed by the Parliament which describes the key programs, the associated
budget and performance indicators. Fourth the annual performance report which summarizes the results achieved and
the budget executed for a given year. The Program is well included and articulated with the above-mentioned tools.
11. In addition, funding sustainability is guaranteed by the high visibility and ownership of the government program
and the Program itself – with two key ministries, MAPMDREF and MEFRA, directly invested into it – but also through the
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measures taken under the Program aimed to support and finance improvements to MAPMDREF’s capacity for
monitoring and evaluation (M&E), as well as enhancements to the existing public financial management system.
12. Furthermore, Morocco has robust oversight mechanisms, which are carried out during implementation by the
General Treasury (TGR) and the Court of Accounts (CoA), in the form of audits, and the establishment of a national
committee to hear complaints and coordinate procurement policy. All those measures will contribute to the
sustainability of the funding.
13. Over the past five years, MAPMDREF’s investment budget has acquired a degree of stability, with overall annual
expenses stable (in average US$768 million) which represents an average of 13 percent of total investment credits from
the general state budget. In the 2020 Finance Act, MAPMDREF received US$1.4 billion as investment budget which
shows a continuous increase in its share of the general State budget. For the other five public entities, ADA, ONSSA, and
ONCA had their annual financial resources increased by an average of 3 percent during the period of 2017-2019, with a
respective average investment budget of US$6.4 million, US$43 million, and US$16 million. Similarly, the overall budget
of Morocco Foodex increased between 2018 and 2019 from US$11.07 million to US$15.57 million. This, following the
increase in Morocco Foodex's share of the revenue from the Parafiscal Import Tax (TPI). However, INRA and IAV, during
the same period, had their budgets decreased by respectively 16 percent and 26 percent in 2018; and then slightly
increased in 2019. It shows some budgeting instability for the INRA and IAV during the period of 2017-2019. Due care
will be made within the Program boundaries to identify mitigating measures to ensure timely and enough budgeting of
these entities.
14. However, with the Covid-19 health crisis, both investment and operating budgets of all the entities involved in
the Program have significantly decreased. In fact, for 2021, the MAPMDREF operating budget decreased by 30 percent
and the investment budget by 22 percent. This reduction embodies a risk on the prioritization and sufficient budgeting
of Program activities by the autonomous public entities involved in the Program. Additionally, the MAPMDREF has not
yet approved the multiyear budgets of these public entities. In order to ensure adequate budgeting of Program activities,
the World Bank will closely work with the Financial Directorate of the MAPMDREF to ensure that budget programming
is timely approved for all the public entities/central directorates to carry out related Program activities.
Budget structure
15. The Program’s budget structure is clear in terms of sources of funding, budgetary vehicles and categories of
expenditures. The Program budget is funded by MAPMDREF and the five entities resources, through the General Budget
of the State. All expenses are programmed in line with the Classification of the Functions of Government (COFOG) and
will be incurred between 2021 and 2025. Around 21 percent of the expenditures finance physical assets, 27 percent in
funding and grants/loans mechanisms to youth entrepreneurs, and 52 percent in consulting services, goods, and
equipment, including IT. One main item included in the physical assets is the construction of four wholesale markets. It
represents the most substantial risk. Mitigation measures were built in the Program design based on the lessons learned
from the Rabat wholesale market developed as part of the Strengthening Agri-Food Value Chains PforR (P158346). These
mitigating measures would enable to achieve successfully the interlinked activities as follows : (i) Promulgation of the
regulatory framework for wholesale agri-food marketing platforms under the oversight of the DGCL (in MAMPDREF)
and the Ministry of Interior and the (ii) Development of four wholesale markets, including financing related engineering
and financial feasibility studies, prior activities with the establishment of a new delegated management model for
wholesale markets based on territorial partnerships with involved communes and regional authorities. The other risk is
related to access to financing for young entrepreneurs which is a new activity to be managed by MAPMDREF. Activities
related to grants for youth for investment and self-employment represents 27 percent of the total expenditure
framework (Result Area 1). The development of a detailed POM by the Ministry that will include provisions on criteria
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and modalities for the selection of the beneficiaries and fiduciary reporting arrangements will be supported by the World
Bank.
16. Predictability. Overall, as per the 2017 PEFA, the predictability of the Government of Morocco’s (GoM)
expenditures is robust with the indicator on predictability rated as A56 with timely release of the budget’s appropriations
to the budget holders. MAPMDREF’s investment budget execution over the past five years is also satisfactory with over
86 percent and 65 percent in average, respectively for the commitment and the payment. An annual midterm review of
the budget execution has been recently introduced by the Budget Directorate with the view to identify bottlenecks in
the budget execution and redeploy the budget appropriations to more performing managers. For the public entities,
the investment budget execution rates have sensitively increased for ADA and ONSSA during the period of 2017-19 from
an average of 63 percent in 2017 to 86 percent in 2019. However, for the other entities, they did not show satisfactory
execution rates as illustrated below. The investment budget execution rate of INRA decreased during the period from
70 percent to 45 percent. For Morocco Foodex, the rate is below the average of the other entities; and lastly for ONCA,
this rate remained stable at around 55 percent.
Table A4.3 Commitment and payment rates (Investment Budget)

2017 2018 2019
Commitment Payment Commitment Payment Commitment Payment
ADA 97% 86% 96% 75% 92% 74%
INRA 97% 70% 93% 66% 86% 45%
ONSSA 96% 59% 93% 65% 97% 76%
IAV Hassan II 85% 62% 96% 43% 86% 47%
ONCA 72% 57% 68% 56% 91% 55%
Morocco 70% 23% 68% 9% 50% 45%
Foodex
17. Two main factors explain the slight reduction in budget execution indicators. For INRA, ADA and IAV Hassan II,
the decrease in the budget execution rate is directly related to the delay in the transfer of funds to these entities. In
fact, the share of the budget transferred to them during the fourth quarter of the fiscal year has increased between
2017 and 2019. For INRA, it increased from 15 percent to 44 percent, for ADA, from 26 percent to 39 percent, and for
IAV Hassan II, from 0 percent to 52 percent (see table A4.4 below).
Table A4.4 Portion of the budget transferred during the fourth quarter of the fiscal year.
2017 2018 2019
ONSSA 44% 32% 37%
INRA 15% 0% 44%
ADA 26% 0% 39%
IAV Hassan II 0% 0% 52%
ONCA 33% 28% 0%
Morocco Foodex (*) 6% 33%
(*)Not Communicated
56 A being the highest score.
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18. For the other two entities (ONCA and Morocco Foodex), the poor budget performance is much more related to
a lack of control over the budget execution cycle, especially in terms of expenditure planning.
19. In order to mitigate the risks related to delays in the transfer of funds and the management of the expenditure
cycle, and with the aim of improving the budgetary performance of all the entities involved in the Program, the timely
budgeting of activities and the efficient execution of the expenditure program will be closely monitored in the PAP, in
coordination with the Financial Departments of these entities and the MAPMDREF during the biannual program
supervision missions.
20. Finally, ONCA is developing an integrated fiduciary information system comprising all financial and
administrative management modules, including contract management. This integrated Information system, once
operational can be proposed to be developed at the level of INRA and IAV. The Bank will ensure close monitoring of the
operationalization of this IT system at the level of ONCA and other concerned entities.
21. Effectiveness. Activities included under the expenditure framework are subject to technical and financial
assessments in order to ensure their timely execution at envisaged costs. The following measures will contribute to
ensuring effectiveness of the Program activities:
• The midterm review of the MAPMDREF and the six entities’ budgets will be extended to the Program.
This measure will be monitored as part of the Program Action Plan.
• The improvement of the integrated fiduciary management system within ONCA as to increase timely
monitoring of expenditures and production of reliable financial information allowing a credible decision-
making process; and ensuring that INRA and IAV are fully on board as well in terms of integrated
fiduciary information system.
• Fiduciary capacity building program for the six entities; especially during the first year of
implementation of the Program (to be ensured by the Bank and the technical assistance firm operating
in the existing PforR).
• The Supreme Audit Institution has a standing oversight mandate over the MAPMDREF but also over
related entities. However, an external audit is not annually performed for these entities, the external
audit of the Program by the IGF will enable to have certified financial statements that would be annually
audited.
• The publication of the Program’s results within MAPMDREF’s website will be included in the Program
Action Plan as to increase transparency that will positively affect its effectiveness.
• The timely publication of the annual procurement plans and contracts award results of MAPMDREF and
other implementing agencies on their websites and on the Moroccan Public Procurement Portal will
also improve the transparency and the implementation of the Program.
Section 3: Review of Public Financial Management Cycle of the entities involved in the Program
22. Planning and budgeting. Overall, the planning and budgeting of all entities involved in the Program follow a
structured, timely, and disciplined process which is consistent with the country’s Public Finance Management (PFM)
cycle and ensures that allocations fit within the available budget envelope. The 2017 PEFA assesses the country’s
planning and budgeting procedures as satisfactory (rated A).
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23. At MAPMDREF level, planning and budgeting processes have some key strengths. Thanks to the DLI #8 on the
development and deployment of MISAGRI under the existing PforR, the planning and budgeting processes of the
Ministry have improved. The planning module of MISAGRI has been operational since 2019. The deployment of this
module has contributed to increasing the effectiveness of the data exchange between the central and the decentralized
levels in the planning process (the traceability, transparency and integrity of the whole process have improved). At the
level of the entities affiliated with MAPMDREF (ONCA, INRA, ADA, IAV, ONSSA and Morocco Foodex), the planning and
budgeting processes are derived from national regulations governing public institutions and they are subject to public
financial control57. These rules require (i) the preparation of the budget after consultation with the technical services
(within the limits of the medium-term expenditure framework), (ii) approval by their board of directors before the end
of the financial year, and (iii) subsequent validation by MAPMDREF. Overall, in recent years, the predictability of their
budgets has been somehow satisfactory.
24. The expenditures of the Program are already planned as part of the GGS and are therefore included in the three-
year programming of the Finance Act. The expenditure planned for 2021 is programmed in detail in the Finance Act.
However, the programming for subsequent years is not granular enough and remains at the level of global projects. At
present, the Finance Act is still being finalized. This is due to the context linked to the Covid-19 pandemic crisis. The
Bank will ensure close monitoring during implementation of the Program to support granular programming of this
strategy year by year with MAPMDREF and MEFRA to avoid any incoherence between the Program expenses and the
disbursement rate.
25. With regards to the creation of specific budget lines for Program activities, the MAPMDREF's Finance
Department sent an official letter on September 15 to all central entities of the Ministry, for the creation of budget lines,
with a deadline of September 30. Only two entities have requested so far the creation of these lines (DSS and DEFR). For
the other entities involved in the program (ONCA, ADA, IAV Hassan II, Morocco Foodex, ONSSA and INRA), they will be
able to proceed themselves with the creation of budget lines dedicated to Program activities directly in the "E-budget"
information system, after validation of their budgets (January 2021). The Bank will continue coordinating with the
Financial Directorate of the MAPMDREF and the Directorate of Budget of the MEFRA on the completion of the creation
of specific budget lines for Program activities by Program effectiveness.
26. The main risks are related to misalignment of planning and budgeting processes between all the partners
involved in the Program. Indeed, differences exist between the budget planning and expenditure budgeting cycles of
the Ministry and the main implementing agencies affiliated to it. In the absence of an adequate coordination
mechanism, delays in the execution of activities do exist. These risks mainly concern the construction of wholesale
markets (MAPMDREF) and the setting up of ten new incubators (ONCA). Another critical risk relates to the multi-year
planning of activities to be implemented in order to achieve some of the Program results. This risk relates primarily to
upgrading of the ARDNA system (ONCA) and the development of a digital platform for precision farming (INRA), as well
as low budget execution rate by these two entities and the IAV.
27. To mitigate the first risk related to the misalignment of planning and budgeting processes between partners,
the POM will include the coordination mechanisms to be adopted by executing agencies, such as (i) the signature of
agreements and conventions with MAPMDREF, and (ii) a realistic procurement plan and budget planning for the grants
transfers to young entrepreneurs. For the second risk, mitigation measures can be also integrated in the POM and based
on a detailed Annual budgeted Work Plan and the production of a bi-annual consolidated progress reports, as already
performed in the existing PforR. Good practices, such as financial reporting model from the ongoing operation, will be
applied in this Program. The key risks and the mitigations measures are outlined in Table A4.5 below:
57 In accordance with Law 69.00 relating to the financial control of the State over public entities.
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Table A4.5: Key Risks and Mitigation Measures
Result
Entities Main Risks DLI Mitigation measures
Area
Misalignment of planning and budgeting Agreement between the MAPMDREF
processes between MAPMDREF and the and the six entities that defines the
local authorities involved in the selection timetable for the budget programming
of sites and the construction of wholesale of activities.
markets. Procurement plan
MAPMDREF 2 DLI#5
The production of a bi-annual
consolidated progress report no later
than 45 days after end of semester
Misalignment of budgeting processes Budget planning commonly accepted

between ONCA and its partners involved 1 DLI#1 by all partners that specifying the dates
in the creation of the ten new incubators. for the transfer of funds.
Detailed planning of budgeting and

ONCA Incorrect scheduling of the budgeting of setting up of these activities.
activities to be carried out in order to Operationalization of the integrated
upgrade the ARDNA system. 3 DLI#8.4 fiduciary IT system
Low yearly execution budget rate consolidated progress report no later
Detailed planning of budgeting and

setting up of these activities.
Based on operationalization of the

ONCA integrated fiduciary IT system,
INRA Low yearly execution budget rate 3 DLI#8.2 consider development or enhancement
of a similar system

Based on operationalization of the
ONCA integrated fiduciary IT system,
consider development or enhancement
IAV Low yearly execution budget rate 3 DLI#8.4 of a similar system
28. Procurement planning. The implementing entities are all subject to the procurement planning requirements
included in the public procurement decree (No. 2-12-349 of March 20, 2013) or in the procurement regulations.
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Procurement plans of the different implementation agencies are advertised on their web sites and /or on the electronic
government procurement portal.
29. Procurement profile of the Program. The detailed review of the Program Expenditure Framework did not reveal
potential contracts with a cost estimate above the OPRC review thresholds. Based on the expenditure framework, the
Program procurement activities are likely to include, 21 percent of civil works and infrastructure improvement, 30
percent of equipment and goods and 22 percent of consulting and non-consulting services. The details of the PEF are
presented in Table A4.2 below.
Budget execution
30. Treasury management and funds flow. The funds flow arrangements for Program implementation are
adequate. The Program’s funds will be reflected in the Government budget under MAPMDREF and part of them will
then be channeled to the other entities involved in the Program. In fact, the expenditures and revenues of the Program
are identified in the State budget through the Finance Act and detailed in the annual MAPMDREF budgets and those of
the implementing entities. This programming is sufficiently clear and detailed to allow adequate reporting on the
implementation of the expenditures planned under the Program. For advances, prior results and achieved results, the
funds will be disbursed to the Government’s Treasury Single Account.
31. Accounting. The accounting procedures are based on the public accounting rules applicable to the State's
financial and accounting operations. Authorizing officers and accounting officers keep separate accounts called
administrative and cash accounts respectively. The administrative accounts kept by the authorizing and sub-authorizing
officers are commitment accounts which clearly show the implementation of the budgetary authorizations recorded in
the State budget and in the budget of each of the entities participating in the Program. The accounts of the Treasury
record the appropriations and the payment of expenditures. The two accounts are reconciled monthly and then annually
to reconcile payment orders paid by the accounting officer.
32. The assessment of the existing budget execution, accounting, and reporting processes at the level of each entity
of the Program is as follows:
(a) For MAPMDREF and ONSSA, they are already involved in the current PforR. The PEF of the existing PfoR
has been executed at 78 percent in 2018 and 82 percent in 2019. At MAPMDREF’s level, budget
implementation is monitored by the Integrated Financial Management system MISAGRI, deployed since
January 2020 through DLI#8 of the ongoing PforR. Reporting is done from this system and is reflected in the
MAPMDREF’s execution report. The financial report comprises a budget execution report which is produced
on a semester basis. Thanks to the support of the technical assistance team recruited under the existing
PforR, MAPMDREF’s financial report capacity has improved. At ONSSA’s level, the execution of the activities
financed by the current PforR complies with the public accounting rules applicable to the financial and
accounting operations of the State. The only issues identified at the level of these two entities during the
implementation of the current PforR are (i) the delay in the budget execution of the wholesale market of
Rabat and (ii) the lack of separate accounting for the activities implemented by ONSSA. However, this last
weakness has not prevented the IGF from certifying without qualifications the program's financial
statements produced by ONSSA.
(b) For ONCA, ADA, Morocco Foodex, INRA and IAV. All these entities are administered by a board of directors
and managed by a chief executive officer. Their budgetary, accounting and reporting procedures are
governed by the Law n°69.00 (Dahir n° 1.03.195 of November 11, 2003), regulating the financial control of
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the State over public entities. The control of its expenditures is exercised at two levels. Ex ante, by the State
Controller during the commitment of expenditures and by the paying Treasurer for payments. And ex post,
by an external audit carried out by a private company as well as by IGF and the Court of Auditors. Their
accounting procedures are based on accrual accounting and their budgeting and accounting systems are
managed by integrated management systems which would allow the extraction of program expenditure.
33. The main risk identified and related to the existing budget execution, accounting and reporting processes is
related to the quality of the consolidated financial reports, which may be compromised by the large number of
implementing entities and the lack of a standard reporting format adopted by all these entities. This risk will be mitigated
using the reporting template developed in the existing program, which will facilitate the timely production and
consolidation of the Program's financial statements. This template will be enhanced to reflect actual Program features
and incorporated into the POM.
34. Procurement processes and procedures. The procurement processes and procedures at the different agencies
was assessed based on virtual meetings with and data provided by heads of agencies or procurement Divisions. The
different agencies procurement systems are acceptable, and they provide reasonable assurance on the achievement of
core procurement principles. A summary of the procurement systems of the different agencies are provided below:
a. MAPMDREF. Procurement by MAPMDREF under the Program will be carried out according to
Morocco’s existing systems and processes for Public Procurement Management, including the
oversight of the Ministry of Finance (MEF). The main procurement methods are Open National
Competitive Bidding (ONCB), and Shopping (purchase orders). The use of this latter method is
limited to a list of works, goods and services which amount for individual purchase orders
cannot excess MAD 250,000 or US$25,000 (ref. list in annex 4 of the Public Procurement Decree
(PPD) No.2-12-349 dated 8 “Joumada” 1434 (March 20, 2013). Procurement by MAPMDREF is
subject to the review of the “Contrôleur des Engagements” with regards to the respect of
procedures and provisions of the PPD. For the MAPMDREF, procurement handling is totally
decentralized at the level of the technical departments for their respective activities. Each
department sets up its own ad-hoc procurement committees for the management of
procurement activities (approval of bidding documents, opening and evaluation of bids and
recommendation of contract awards). All contracts including purchase orders (“Bons de
commande”) of less than MAD 20 million are signed by the director and the larger ones are
signed by the Secretary General of the ministry. This mechanism seems to be well managed.
However, delays are frequent in the evaluation of bids phase.
b. Morocco Foodex/EACCE. Founded in 1986, Morocco Foodex is a public structure under the
MAPMDREF. Morocco Foodex has its own procurement regulations that are largely consistent
with the Public Procurement Decree. In terms of procurement oversight, Morocco Foodex
procurement activities are subject to the review of the DEPP (“Contrôleur d’Etat”) with regard
to the respect of procedures and provisions of the procurement regulations.
c. ONCA. ONCA is well structured, with three central directorates and a dozen regional ones, and
has a well-staffed purchasing department at the central level and purchasing units at the
regional level. This organization allows ONCA to efficiently manage the thirty or so contracts
contracted annually and where no complaints have been reported. On the digital side, ONCA
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uses eProcurement in almost all tenders58 launched through the Moroccan Public Procurement
Portal (PMMP). Furthermore, an ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) for managing
procurement, financial and accounting aspects is being tested and will be deployed in the
coming weeks. In terms of contractual timelines, ONCA follows those imposed by the regulation
and does not record any significant59 overrun.
d. ONSSA. As SOE, ONSSA has its own procurement regulations dated February 18, 2014. It is
largely consistent with the Public Procurement Decree and is complemented by a manual of
procedures, which includes specific details on procurement and contracts execution as well as
the roles and responsibilities of different actors involved. In terms of procurement oversight,
ONSSA’s procurement activities are subject to the review of the DEPP (“Contrôleur d’Etat”) with
regard to the respect of procedures and provisions of the procurement regulations.
e. ONCA. ONCA is well structured, with three central directorates and a dozen regional ones, and
has a well-staffed purchasing department at the central level and purchasing units at the
regional level. This organization allows ONCA to efficiently manage the thirty or so contracts
contracted annually and where no complaints have been reported. On the digital side, ONCA
uses eProcurement in almost all tenders60 launched through the Moroccan Public Procurement
Portal (PMMP). Furthermore, an ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) for managing
procurement, financial and accounting aspects is being tested and will be deployed in the
coming weeks. In terms of contractual timelines, ONCA follows those imposed by the regulation
and does not record any significant61 overrun.
f. INRA. Procurement by INRA under the Program will be carried out according to Morocco’s
existing systems62 and processes for Public Procurement Management. The main procurement
method is Open National Competitive Bidding (ONCB)63. Purchasing documents are archived in
dedicated premises according to a determined procedure and according to an archiving charter
and a classification plan. As to the internal audit mechanism, INRA has an audit Guide which
facilitates the execution of control work and the verification of processes in relation to the legal
and regulatory system governing INRA's purchasing orders (POs). These processes concern: (i)
Placing, executing, monitoring and controlling INRA’s POs; (ii) Complaints mechanism handling;
(iii) Conclusions and recommendations of the audit. As to human resources, INRA’s purchasing
is carried out by two officers (technicians) who are supervised by a Manager- who also
coordinates with heads of regional administrative services procurement of regional contracts.
g. IAV. IAV is a public establishment endowed with legal personality and subject to the supervision
of the MAPMDREF. IAV is also subject to the MEFRA’s oversight. IAV’s public procurement
activity is governed by the Public Procurement Decree (PPD), complemented by a manual of
procedures. With an average of 28 contracts awarded annually, all through open tenders, the
58 All the tenders launched by ONCA are open. No direct contracts passed.
59 The overall timeline for contracting vary between 36 days to 70 days maximum.
60 All the tenders launched by ONCA are open. No direct contracts passed.
61 The overall timeline for contracting vary between 36 days to 70 days maximum.
62 Decree No. 2-12-349 of 08 Joumada 1434 (March 20, 2013) relating to public procurement.
63 Number of tenders: 82 in 2019, 38 in 2018, 78 in 2017.
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contractual deadline is 70 days on average. The Institute has received only two complaints over
the past three years, one of which was unfounded. The procurement activity is handled by a
purchasing service composed of four people attached to the logistics division. Purchasing
documents are archived in dedicated premises and in accordance with a document retention
and filing procedure for the various stages of procurement. The internal audit structure controls
contracting process in accordance with the provisions of the PPD.
h. ADA. ADA appears to be well equipped for procurement activity in this Program. Indeed, it is
well-structured in terms of governance, risk management and procurement. The latter is
managed by a dedicated team who handled more than a hundred contracts (all passed through
open tenders) and purchase orders during the last three years, and where complaints were
about requests for clarification on reasons for elimination, those complaints have all been
handled in an appropriate manner. In addition to the procurement regulations, ADA has a
manual of procedures relating to support processes, including one which was updated in 2017
related to projects funded by donors and procurement management. Regarding internal
control, the agency has developed a procedures’ manual for the handling of fraud and
corruption cases. Supported by an internal audit service which annually executes the audit plan
following a methodical approach and based on an internal audit charter. On the IT side, ADA
has implemented several projects in terms of digitalization including the development of an
Information System Master Plan with a roadmap which is currently being implemented. This
will include the implementation of an electronic document archiving solution. In addition, the
ADA’s physical archiving outsourcing is in progress.
35. The annual average number of contracts established by each agency over the last three years as well as the
breakdown by procurement method are summarized in the Table A4.6 below.
Table A4.6 - Procurement methods used by entity

ADA
Open National
Year Average number of contracts Competitive Bidding Single Source
(ONCB)
2019 23 0
2018 22 27 0
2017 15 0
IAV
Year Average number of contracts ONCB Single Source
2019 29 0
2018 28 34 0
2017 22 0
INRA
2019 82 0
2018 66 38 0
2017 77 1
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ONCA
2019 103 0
2018 54 33 0
2017 25 0
MOROCCO Foodex
2019 11 11 0
36. Controls, oversight of procurement and audits. In Morocco, public procurement oversight during the
procurement and contract award process is mainly performed by the General Treasury (TGR) for the Ministry and
affiliated agencies. While each agency conducts its own procurements, the TGR oversees a network of “public
accountants,” who sit on evaluation panels and monitor procurement process throughout both the local and national
governments. These accountants have the authority to stop procurements if serious violations are found in the
implementation of the tenders. Furthermore, the TGR has implemented the Moroccan Public Procurement Portal (e-
procurement) and integrated systems to track and implement budget spending and to process payments. In addition to
TGR, the Court of Accounts (CoA) conducts post-closeout audits of procurements and issues reports identifying
weaknesses or irregularities that are shared with the public. The CoA’s jurisdiction covers all government acquisitions
including those implemented by local governments and state-owned entities. The CoA audits are conducted on a
systematic basis and are not done randomly. While the CoA does not have a specialized task force for procurement, it
has many technical experts who have specialized knowledge of each of the sectors covered by the CoA.
37. E-procurement. The electronic procurement portal has increased the availability of procurement-related
information such as bid opportunities, calls for proposals, cost estimates, contract-related documentation and results
of tendering publicly available. The electronic procurement system includes additional features such as the electronic
submission of bids, a supplier database, electronic reverse auctions, and grouped purchases. However, the e-
procurement system is not used to fully process procurement, including electronic submission.
38. Management of complaints in procurement. The National Commission for Public Procurement (NCPP) is a
newly established independent institution that provides support for procurement across ministries and oversee all
procurement complaints. A separate competition subcommittee exists that is comprised of 14 representatives from
across the government who provide advice on pending procurements and work to address competition and complaint
issues. The NCPP primary function is to act as the venue for bid complaints, and to issue opinions on all aspects of
procurement disputes. This not only includes competition disputes, but also corporate structure and organizational
conflicts of interest (OCI) issues and mitigation strategies.
39. Fraud, corruption, and debarment of Contractors. Morocco's new Constitution, enacted on July 1, 2011,
explicitly mentions the need to fight corruption and to ensure good governance and transparency as fundamental tools
of public sector management. It also recognizes the right to citizen participation in government decision making and
public engagement, as well as the right to access public information. The new Constitution sets the groundwork for
more transparency and the efficient use of public resources, through Title II on conflict of interest, misconduct in public
procurement, misuse of public funds, greater transparency, accountability, and fight against fraud and corruption and
through Title XII for good governance. ICPC oversees the prevention of corruption. It conducts awareness raising and
information campaigns and has set up a database and a whistleblowing system to allow citizens to alert on corruption
cases.
40. Contract administration. The deployment of the MISAGRI’s contract monitoring module system will be critical.
Lessons learned from the ongoing farmers’ financing scheme will be considered. In addition, reliance will be placed on
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the financial institution (Credit Agricole du Maroc) already in place to ensure timely disbursement of the funds to the
eligible beneficiaries’ bank accounts upon verification of the program’s achievements.
Internal Controls
41. Internal controls. MAPMDREF has an adequate internal control platform including a Manual of Procedures,
information management system, segregation of duties between the budget holder and the accountant, culture of
results, and risk map. The assessment by the World Bank of the effectiveness of the current practices and the audit
reports of the MAPMDREF did not reveal any significant issue. At the level of ONCA, ADA, IAV, INRA and ONSSA, the
internal control system of these entities is based on a strict separation of duties between the budget holder and the
accounting officer and on ex ante and ex post control of commitments and payments. They also have manuals of
accounting and financial procedures, risk mapping and systems for managing financial and accounting information.
42. The key risks identified relate to the implementation of an adequate internal control system handling financial
incentive mechanisms for youth. The mechanism: (i) helps youth to start their individual projects: 16,000 young people
would benefit from this mechanism; (ii) supports structured agricultural entrepreneurship: 800 service companies would
receive incentives with up to 10 young people per company, i.e. 8,000 young people; and (iii) helps young people to
finance the rental of agricultural land: 14,500 young people would receive incentives. These identified risks include (i)
inadequate beneficiary identification (exclusion of eligible beneficiaries and inclusion of ineligible beneficiaries) and (ii)
delays in payments. To mitigate these risks the Program Action Plan will include the development of a dedicated POM
and monitoring (see Table A4.7 below).
Table A4.7: Key Risks and Mitigating Measure in Internal Control System for Financial Incentives for Youth
Result
Entities Main Risks DLI Mitigation measures
Area
For the implementation of the youth (i) A section in the POM with: (i)
financing scheme, two main risks: criteria and modalities for the
- Potential inadequate beneficiary selection of the beneficiaries and
MAPMDREF identification (exclusion of eligible 1 ILD#3 fiduciary reporting arrangements,
beneficiaries and inclusion of ineligible (ii) monitoring the results of
beneficiaries) continuous review of the
- Potential delays in payments. compliance of the youth
For the financial aid for the rental of investment projects in the annual
agricultural land for the benefit of financial audit of the program by
young people, two main risks: the IGF, and iii) the development of
- Inadequate beneficiary identification a yearly action plan to follow-up on
MAPMDREF - Delays in payments. auditors’ recommendations in this
1 IR#1.5
respect.
Close monitoring by the World

Bank.
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Internal Audit
43. Internal audit. The assessment of the internal audit arrangements at the level of each entity of the Program is
as follows:
(a) MAPMDREF. IGA carries out internal audits for MAPMDREF. This entity is endowed with adequate
auditors and administrative staff. IGA’s reports are submitted to the Ministry. The World Bank reviewed the
performance of this entity which plays the role of an independent verification agent for the existing PforR
managed by the MAPMDREF. Its performance was assessed as satisfactory.
(b) IAV, ADA, ONSSA, Morocco Foodex and ONCA. All these entities have an audit committee, an internal
audit department, an audit manual and an internal audit charter. These entities and documents enable them
to adopt annual audit plans, monitor their execution and ensure the implementation of recommendations.
These internal audit assignments are generally programmed according to a risk-based approach and the
reports are transmitted to the CEOs of these entities.
(c) INRA. This entity has a general inspectorate which acts as internal auditor for the central entity and the
decentralized entities. It also has a Manual of Procedures which sets out the procedures for planning and
carrying out audit missions.
Anticorruption arrangements
44. Risk of fraud and corruption. The Program ex-ante and ex-post financial controls were found adequate to
address the risk of fraud and corruption related to the construction of infrastructures and the financing of youth projects
respectively under Result Area 2 and 1. These arrangements comprise several effective institutions playing
complementary roles: Ombudsman Office, Court of Auditors, General Inspectorate of MAPMDREF (IGA), the National
Commission for Public Procurement (Commission Nationale de la Commande Publique- CNCP), and IGF.
45. Actions related to fraud and corruption. The Borrower will: (a) take all appropriate measures to ensure that
the Program is carried out in accordance with the Bank’s Anti-Corruption Guidelines; (b) take all appropriate measures
to prevent fraud and corruption in connection with the Program, including (but not limited to) adopting and
implementing appropriate fiduciary and administrative practices and institutional arrangements to ensure that the
proceeds of the Loan are used only for the purposes for which the Loan was granted; (c) promptly inform the Bank of
all credible and material allegations or other indications of fraud and corruption in connection with the Program that
come to its attention, together with the investigative and other actions that the Borrower proposes to take with respect
thereto; (d) unless otherwise agreed with the Bank with respect to a particular case, take timely and appropriate action
to investigate such allegations and indications; report to the Bank on the actions taken in any such investigation, at such
intervals as may be agreed between the Borrower and the Bank; and, promptly upon the completion of any such
investigation, report to the Bank the findings thereof; (e) if the Borrower or the Bank determines that any person or
entity has engaged in fraud and corruption in connection with the Program, take timely and appropriate action,
satisfactory to the Bank, to remedy or otherwise address the situation and prevent its recurrence; and (f) ensure that
any person or entity debarred or suspended by the Bank is not awarded contract under or otherwise allowed to
participate in the Program during the period of such debarment or suspension. The Bank’s debarment list, which is easily
accessible, will be checked by all procuring entities before awarding contracts.
46. Reporting. The World Bank’s prerogative of administrative inquiry for allegations of fraud and corruption has
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been clarified to the borrower during the Program preparation. The borrower’s collaboration with the Bank on the
administrative inquiries into allegations which the Bank intends to pursue has been confirmed during preparation. In
accordance with the Bank’s Anti-Corruption Guidelines, the Program will take steps to ensure that “any person or entity
debarred or suspended by the Bank is not awarded a contract under or otherwise allowed to participate in the Program
during the period of such debarment or suspension”. During the procurement processes, each of the implementing
entities will verify the names of the contractor against the Bank’s database (http://www.worldbank.org/debarr) of
debarred or suspended contractors to ensure that no such contractor is awarded any contract under the Program.
47. IGA will collect — with support from the abovementioned institutions — and report to the World Bank
allegations occurring under the Program through the annual progress reports during Program implementation. The
reporting format will include the following: (a) location and date of the complaint, (b) allegation’s description, (c)
description of progress in investigation, and (d) investigation outcome. Also, the IGF, which has extensive experience in
auditing programs financed by the World Bank, will pay particular attention to allegations of fraud and compliance with
the World Bank's guidelines in this area. The terms of reference setting out the modalities of intervention of these two
institutions will include specific provisions relating to the verification of compliance with the Bank's guidelines on the
prevention of fraud and corruption.
Auditing
48. Program audit. The financial auditing arrangements of the Program are adequate. The IGF is the assigned entity
in charge of auditing the GoM programs in line with the country’s financial audit arrangements. The World Bank carried
out a comprehensive assessment of the IGF in 2016, complemented by the 2016 PEFA and annual review64 of the
performance of this entity. The capacity of this institution revealed the following. First, the IGF has built adequate
credibility in auditing the GoM’s programs over the last 20 years owing to the quality of the staff65. Second, the
assessment confirms that the entity adequately implements international auditing standards (risk-based process),
through a web-based audit software called Blue Audit that is used by all the auditors to plan, carry out, and report on
their missions. More than 95 percent of the annual plan is executed. The deployment of Blue Audit—which includes a
module on recommendation monitoring—has increased the IGF’s efficiency. Third, the IGF has a track record in auditing
five PforRs in various sectors including at the subnational level (health, urban transport, municipal management,
agribusiness, and integrated risk management). The objectives of these audits were described in the respective terms
of reference and were to provide an opinion on the use of the funds. Key issues underscored in the reports related to
(a) ineligible expenditures, (b) absence of risk mapping, and (c) delay in the elaboration of the financial reports.
Implementations of the recommendations associated with these issues are ongoing and are being monitored as part of
the World Bank implementation support missions.
49. In addition to the audit by the IGF, the implementing entities are subject to some performance audits by the
Court of Auditors. In its latest audit report66, the institution highlighted several shortcomings in the agriculture sector
included in the relevant sections of the fiduciary assessment (among others, insufficiencies in the maturity and
prioritization of the investment projects, delay in the compensation of the population affected by the investment
projects).
64 Carried out on March 2017 and February 2018.

65 About 125 auditors. The recruitment plan includes the integration, on a competitive basis over the three upcoming years, of about 25 new
auditors, starting from 2017.
66 http://www.courdescomptes.ma/upload/_ftp/documents/12_Programme%20dextension%20de%20lirrigation.pdf
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50. The IGF will carry out the financial audits of the Program expenditures. The Program audited financial
statements will include all Program expenditures from all sources of financing. For the purposes of the audit and given
that this Program has several implementing agencies, the IGF will conduct its audit on the basis of (i) the consolidated
statement of expenditure to be prepared by the MAPMDREF and (ii) the financial statements prepared by the
MAPMDREF and the various implementing agencies reflecting their own expenditure under the Program. The audit
reports will be carried out on the basis of agreed terms of reference which specify the principles for formulating audit
opinions on the basis of these financial statements as a whole, the modalities for verifying the realization of the DLIs
and the execution of the Program expenditures. The scope of those audits will include an opinion on the procurement
system (screening to prevent debarred and suspended firms from being awarded contracts). The audit reports will be
submitted no later than nine months after the closure of accounts.
Procurement and Financial Management Capacity
51. Staff capacity. The Program includes a capacity-building plan to strengthen staff in the various entities of the
operation. The assessment of staff capacity both at the MAPMDREF and other implementing entities identified the
limited capacity of the staff at the decentralized levels as the main impediment that could affect implementation of the
Program:
(a) MAPMDREF. The DF comprises five units and is well-staffed with qualified personnel. It has proven
experience in implementing World Bank-financed IPF and PforR projects. With the view to manage the
increasing workload, the DF is supported by a technical assistance firm. This arrangement will benefit the
Program.
(b) ADA, IVA, INRA, ONSSA, and ONCA. All these entities have enough and qualified staff at central level to
carry out the financial and accounting functions relating to Program activities. However, at the
decentralized level, staff capacity may be insufficient, especially to ensure the coordination of activities
and the consolidation of financial information. The World Bank would assist implementing agencies in
developing financial reporting templates to be used by all actors, both at the central and decentralized
levels.
52. Contribution to the PAP. Table A4.8 details the PAP’s fiduciary actions.
Table A4.8. PAP Fiduciary Actions

Type of
Respon Deadlines Action
Entity Risk/Weaknesses Mitigation Action
sible (PAP,
TA, DLI)
MAPMDREF • Finalization of dedicated Include two sections in the POM: MAPM 30 days PAP
/ADA Manual with provisions for DREF/A after
the FDA incentive scheme • A dedicated section for the DA effectivene
• Possible misuse of funds for FDA incentives scheme. ss
pilot initiative for the
emergence and • A dedicated section for pilot
empowerment of agricultural initiative for the emergence
services cooperatives for and empowerment of
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Type of
Respon Deadlines Action
Entity Risk/Weaknesses Mitigation Action
sible (PAP,
TA, DLI)
young people agricultural services
cooperatives for young
people
These two sections will specify

the criteria and modalities for
selecting beneficiaries and the
mechanisms for monitoring
results.
The review of compliance of
youth investment projects with
these two guides will be included
in the terms of reference of the
annual financial audit of the
program to be conducted by the
IGF.
These two guides will be

produced by MAPMDREF and
ADA, with the support of the
Bank, on fiduciary aspects.
MAPMDREF Delays in the procurement Submission of quarterly MAPM Quarterly PAP

/ DDFP process for the execution of the procurement performance DREF/
civil works related to the four monitoring reports DDFP
wholesale markets
IAV Acquisition of the computer Synchronization between the IAV During PAP
equipment without launching the budget process of acquisition of yearly
new specialized training in data teaching material and the budget
sciences applied to agriculture process of accreditation of the programmi
new training course by the ng
Ministry of Higher Education and
Scientific Research.
ONSSA Delay in budgeting and execution Integrated budget schedule, ONSSA During PAP
of technical activities prior to the detailing both the timetable for yearly
launch of the geographic carrying out the project budget
information system engineering studies and the programmi
timetable for acquiring the ng
software and satellite images.
Section 4: Capacity Improvement
53. Capacity building. The financial management capacity building plan is detailed in Table A4.9 below:
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Table A4.9: Measures to Build Capacity in Financial Management

Action Activities Responsible Deadlines Measures
Development of the training - Developed
Relevant
module on: training module
stakeholders’ World Bank /
- Financial reporting June 2021 - Reports on the
capacities building MAPMDREF
- Preparation of consolidated training have
financial statements been carried out
Organization of working sessions
between actors at the sub-national
Strengthening
level for:
coordination - Reports on the
- The development of monitoring
capacities of World Bank / December 2021 working
sheets for projects involving
regional and local MAPMDREF sessions have
several partners at the sub-
entities involved in been carried out
national level;
the program
- Exchanges of good coordination
practices.
Follow-up
financial reports
Strengthening M&E
submitted by all
of the financial December 2021
Monitoring and reporting World Bank \ the
management
implementing
system
entities involved
in the program
Section 5: Implementation Support
54. Fiduciary implementation support would include

• Monitoring implementation progress to ensure that the achievement of Program results;
• Support to the borrower to resolve implementation issues and carry out institutional capacity
building;
• Compliance with audit reports, including the implementation of the PAP; and
• Monitoring, as relevant, of compliance with the fiduciary provisions of legal covenants.
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ANNEX 5. SUMMARY ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL SYSTEMS ASSESSMENT
1. The Environmental and Social Systems Assessment (ESSA) was undertaken by the World Bank in the context of
the preparation of the Program. The Program is designed to contribute to the implementation of the GGS. In addition,
the Program will contribute to the GoM’s response to the crisis brought by the COVID-19 pandemic:
a. The focus on youth employment in rural areas can be a key element of the government's economic
response to the ongoing crisis;
b. Support to food supply chains can help seize new opportunities in export markets and ensure the
resilience of domestic supply chains in similar future crises;
c. Interventions related to digital agriculture will help accelerate the digital transformation of the
sector, made even more necessary by the COVID-19 crisis (social distancing measures);
d. The PforR will contribute to operationalizing the green dimension of the new strategy, particularly
with regards to measures for efficient use of water in irrigation, which is a key element in the
response to the current drought.
2. The ESSA examines the PforR's environmental and social management systems. It assesses their compliance
with the provisions of the Bank Policy and Bank Directive for Program-for-Results Financing with the aim of managing
the Program's risks and promoting sustainable development. Paragraph 9 of the Operational Policy (OP) describes the
basic principles to be followed in the ESSA. The ESSA focuses on the analysis of (i) the legislative and regulatory
framework: laws, regulations, procedures, etc.; and (i) the capacity of the institutions involved in the Program to
effectively implement environmental and social management systems (the "system as applied in practice"). The
preparation of the ESSA and the development of measures to strengthen the environmental and social management
system benefited from a variety of information and an extensive consultation process, including literature review and
stakeholder consultations. The draft ESSA was presented and discussed with the various actors and stakeholders during
an extensive public consultation on September 8, 2020. Subsequently, it was disseminated and published in order to
collect and take into consideration the comments and opinions of the different stakeholders. The participants in the
public consultation endorsed the risk analysis presented in the ESSA and the proposed mitigation measures and consider
that the proposed action plan and follow-up program are sufficient to ensure its effective implementation.
3. The Program comprises three mutually reinforcing result areas, each consisting of a set of activities, several of
which would contribute to more than one result area:
a. Result Area 1: Increased job opportunities and income generation for rural youth;
b. Result Area 2: Improved efficiency of agri-food marketing systems;
c. Result Area 3: Enhanced digitalization of agriculture and adoption of climate-smart practices.
4. Program Beneficiaries: Direct Program beneficiaries will include young people in rural areas, small and medium
producers and enterprises engaged in the agri-food sector (of which 25 percent are female). Those beneficiaries and a
broader range of stakeholders will also benefit from increased efficiency of wholesale markets, the development of
innovations in digital agriculture and improved food safety and quality. Those beneficiaries include enterprises in the
agri-food sector, such as aggregators, traders and exporters, as well as Moroccan consumers, who will benefit from safer
and better-quality products. It is estimated that approximately 200,000 agri-food producers and entrepreneurs would
benefit from one or more of the Program activities in the regions included in the Program area.
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5. Geographical area of the Program. It would include the regions of Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima, Oriental, Fez-
Meknes, Rabat-Salé-Kénitra, Béni-Mellal-Khénifra, Casablanca-Settat, Marrakech-Safi, Draâ-Tafilalet, Souss-Massa and
Guelmim-Oued Noun.
6. The overall coordination of the implementation of the Program is entrusted to MAPMDREF. It will be exercised
through DSS. MAPMDREF will be responsible for the overall coordination of financial management and procurement for
the Program. The IGF will carry out financial audits of the Program’s expenditures incurred by MAPMDREF and the
entities affiliated to the Program. Finally, the environmental and social responsibilities related to the implementation of
the Program will be entrusted to the DSS with the support of the PMU (See Figure A3.2).
7. Environmental and social risks of the Program. The positive effects are numerous and are expected to continue
over the long term with respect to the following aspects:
a. The exclusion, by virtue of the very nature of the Program, of any investment involving
significant or major environmental and social risks.
b. The type of limited and small-scale developments and infrastructure, which are
generally well located and relatively limited in spatial extent.
c. Structures and facilities that are not expected to generate major cases of air or noise
pollution or significant environmental degradation.
d. Feasibility, effectiveness and realism of the planned activities, based on the results of
prior diagnostic studies, according to precise social, economic and environmental parameters.
e. The existence of various controllable and effective measures to mitigate possible risks
and ensure impact monitoring, both during the construction phase and during the operation of
the works.
f. The existence of specialized institutions capable of managing most of the
environmental and social aspects of the Program.
g. The existence of a "Strategic Vision for the integration of women in the development
of agricultural value chains", based on a variety of national instruments to advance gender
equality.
h. The existence of an appropriate legal arsenal to effectively manage all aspects of the
environmental and social management of the Program.
8. The environmental and social risks and negative impacts associated with the Program are considered moderate
in their entirety. They will be reversible and easily mitigated with proposed measures. They will be easy to identify in
advance and to prevent and minimize through effective mitigation measures and will be subject to an efficient
environmental monitoring and follow-up system that will allow for the identification and management of potential risks
in real time. Considering their importance to the sustainability of the Environmental and Social management system,
some of these mitigation measures have been identified in the E&S Action Plan.
9. The environmental and social diagnosis of the various activities has made it possible to categorize them
according to their risk potential and to identify both the planning tools required and simple and effective control and
monitoring systems. The activities funded under this Program, which have the potential to generate environmental risks,
relate to result area 2 (RA 2) and correspond to "Improved market efficiency and integration of value chains: (i) creation
of four wholesale markets (Agadir; Meknes, Marrakesh and Berkane)". The E&S risks of these activities could be
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expressed during the different phases of their implementation. These risks have been identified and appropriate
mitigation measures defined for each of the development, construction and operation phases.
10. Evaluation of the Program's E&S system. In order to fill the gaps identified in the ESSA, this Program will support
specific measures to strengthen the performance of Morocco's environmental and social management system. These
measures will be implemented through an Environmental and Social Management Action Plan for the Program's
activities, incorporating a set of concrete and specific measures. The ESSA Action Plan identifies two sets of
recommendations. Each component includes distinct and complementary activities.
11. The first set of recommendations relates to Capacity Building and the MAPMDREF environmental and social
management system:
a. Technical manual. The specific element of this component concerns the preparation of a Technical
Manual for Environmental and Social Management (MTGES). This Manual will be consistent with
both national procedures for environmental and social assessments and the provisions of the World
Bank's Operational Policy for the financing of PforRs. The requirements of the Manual for the
preparation of an Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP) for structural activities with
moderate environmental and/or social risks shall also be set out in the Contractors' individual Terms
of Reference (ToR).
i. The Manual will be prepared by MAPMDREF/DSS for its technical services and all
stakeholders to ensure that environmental and social management procedures are properly
understood and fully appropriate, in particular:
1. the technical staff of the MAPMDREF Directorates concerned
2. the technical staff of the ONSSA
3. ADA technical staff
4. ONCA technical staff
5. the staff of the wilayas and communes concerned
6. the staff of the interprofession and Morocco Foodex.
ii. The MTGES will be prepared during the first three months of Program implementation,
describing the methodology and bringing together environmental and social management
procedures and tools (analysis of social and environmental risks, identification and
implementation of mitigation measures, complaint management, monitoring and
reporting).
b. Manual validation workshop. A workshop will be organized to present the main lines of the MTGES
to the representatives of the main stakeholders of the Program to collect their opinions and
suggestions, before the preparation of the final version, which will be approved and published by
MAPMDREF.
c. Focal point. A person will be designated to act as the focal point for the environmental and social
management of the Program. This Focal Point will be attached to the PMU and will have the
responsibility in close collaboration with all stakeholders, to ensure:
iii. The coordination and monitoring of the implementation of measures to strengthen social
and environmental management systems, including the establishment and monitoring of
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the grievance redress system;

iv. the collection and centralization of all information relating to social and environmental risks
and their mitigation measures;
v. the monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of mitigation measures and data
integration at the information system level as well as reporting (in accordance with the
principles described and presented in the MTGES).
12. The second set of recommendations concerns the strengthening of the implementation and monitoring of
the environmental and social management system of the Program's main actors and stakeholder representatives.
This component includes four distinct types of initiatives:
a. Information, awareness-raising: Organization of several initiatives aimed at raising awareness and
informing a fairly large audience about the environmental and social issues of the Program's
structural activities.
b. Training: This includes the organization of more specialized training sessions for stakeholders
directly involved in the implementation of the Program's investments to build their capacity on
PforR environmental and social issues. This will include, in particular (i) understanding of the MTGES
and procedures and practices; and (ii) mastery of environmental and social management tools,
c. Strengthening environmental regulations by preparing and monitoring the integration of
environmental and social management aspects in the future Law that will govern the development
and operation of agri-food platforms.
d. Carrying out a strategic environmental and social assessment of the wholesale market master plan.
This strategic assessment will, among other things, assess the environmental and social impacts of
wholesale market activities and define the appropriate procedure to eliminate and/or mitigate
these impacts in order to support the sustainability of the master plan.
13. Environmental and social reporting: the monitoring sheets and reports contained in the MTGES, once
completed, will be verified and consolidated at the level of the PMU Environmental and Social Focal Points.
14. Table A5.1 below presents all the elements of the Environmental and Social Action Plan that will form an integral
part of the Program Action Plan. The cost of all the actions identified, concerning both the environmental and social
components of the ESSA, will be included in the overall budget of the Program:
Table A5.1 Elements of the Environmental and Social Action Plan that will form an integral part of the Program
Action Plan
Action Activities Responsible Deadlines Measures
persons
Actions to strengthen the environmental and social management system and capacities
Technical Manual Development of the technical manual May 2021 Technical
(Manual of Good manual
PMU/E&S Focal
Environmental and Tools on environmental and social submitted and
Point
Social Management systems strengthening to be included in approved by the
Practices) the manual World Bank
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Dissemination
Validation workshop with stakeholders Plan
January 2021
Environmental and Elaboration of Terms of Reference

Mission
Social (E&S) Focal
Appointed Statement
Point
Dissemination and Dissemination of the E&S Technical
PMU/E&S Focal
Training on the Manual
Point From the Number of key
Technical Manual
Training of key staff of Program second half of personnel
stakeholders (PSSD, DF, ONSSA, ADA, 2021 trained
DPA, ORMVA, RRA, etc.).
Grievance Redress 1) Development of a grievance PMU/E&S Focal June 2021 1) Model

Mechanism collection template specific to the Point submitted and
Program; approved by the
2) Information, Communication and World Bank
Dissemination to Program 2) Number of
Stakeholders; stakeholders
3) Development of a grievance adopting the system;
reporting model 3) Reporting
model submitted and
approved by the
World Bank
Measures to strengthen implementation and monitoring
the environmental and social management system
Strategic Wholesale Markets Strategy/Master End of June SESA submitted and
Environmental and Plan Strategic Environmental and PMU/E&S Focal 2021 approved by the
Social Assessment Social Study Point Bank
Environmental and Realization of the ESIAs and The ESIA of ESIAs and depending
social impact studies depending ESMPs of the 4 wholesale the 4- ESMPs submitted and
of wholesale markets wholesale approved by the
markets markets World Bank
PMU/E&S focal
completed
point
before the
end of
December
2021
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Inclusion and Ensure that wholesale market During Inclusion and

disability plans infrastructure is accessible to all PMU/E&S focal technical disability plans
(such as toilets) point planning developed
Social action plans Preparation and implementation of a Before Social action plans
for wholesale social action plan for each wholesale transfer of developed, consulted
markets market PMU/E&S focal activities to with stakeholders,
point new and implemented
wholesale
markets
Code of conduct Preparation of codes of conduct by PMU/E&S focal Program Regular reporting by
participating enterprises to reduce point duration E&S focal point to
sexual harassment and gender-based Participating WB
violence enterprises
Grievance Redress Collection and processing of Program Half-yearly report
Mechanism grievances PMU/E&S focal Duration submitted by the E&S
point Focal Point
Environmental and Implementation of all procedures Made before Follow-up reports

social management and tools defined in the technical end of May submitted by the
procedures manual 2021 focal point
Implemented
throughout
the Program
Regular collection of reports

Program
PMU/Focal duration:
Environmental and Point (E&S) - Quarterly:
social monitoring Internal to the
procedures PIU
- Semi-annual:
Shared with
the Bank
Consideration of E&S management Before the Text acceptable to
Enforcement and in MoI’s Arrêté fixing the modalities end of the Bank
Regulatory regarding the creation and December
Strengthening functioning of the modernized 2021
wholesale markets.
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ANNEX 6. PROGRAM ACTION PLAN
Action
Description Source DLI# Responsibility Timing Completion Measurement
(i) POM approved Technical MAPMDREF Other 30 days POM approved and instructions
by the Borrower, after issued
and (ii) instructions Effectivenes
issued for its use by s; March
Program 2021
implementing
entities
Recruitment of TA Technical MAPMDREF Due Date 30-Jun-2021 TA recruitment contract signed

to strengthen PMU
capacities
Appointment of Environmental PMU/E&S Focal Point Due Date 31-Mar- Mission Statement
E&S Focal Point and Social 2021
Systems
Development of a Environmental PMU/E&S Focal Point Due Date 31-May- Technical manual submitted
Technical Manual and Social 2021 and approved by the World
(Manual of Good Systems Bank
Environmental and Dissemination Plan
Social Management
Practices) and
preparation of
validation
workshop
Dissemination and Environmental PMU/E&S Focal Point Other From the Number of key personnel
training on the and Social second half trained
Technical Manual Systems of 2021
Environmental and Environmental PMU/Focal Point (E&S) Other Before 31- Follow-up reports submitted by
social management and Social May-2021, the Focal Point
procedures - Systems implemente
Implementation of d
all procedures and throughout
tools defined in the the Program
Technical Manual
Strategic Environmental PMU/E&S Focal Point Due Date 30-Jun-2021 SESA submitted and approved
Environmental and and Social by the Bank
Social Assessment - Systems
Wholesale Markets
Strategy/Master
Plan SESA
Environmental and Environmental PMU/E&S Focal Point Other 31-Dec- ESIAs and depending ESMPs
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Social Impact and Social 2021 but submitted and approved by the
Studies of Systems prior to the World Bank
wholesale markets commence
- realization and ment of the
publication of the civil works
ESIAs/ESMPs for
each of the 4
wholesale markets
and, as applicable,
resettlement action
plans.
Enforcement and Environmental PMU/Focal Point (E&S) Other Before the Text acceptable to the Bank
regulatory and Social end of the
strengthening - Systems 1st year
Consideration of
E&S management
in MoI’s Arrêté
fixing the
modalities
regarding the
creation and
functioning of the
modernized
wholesale markets
Development of Environmental PMU/E&S focal point Other During Inclusion and disability plans
inclusion and and Social technical developed
disability plans Systems planning
Development of a Environmental PMU/E&S Focal Point Due Date 30-Jun-2021 Model submitted and approved
Grievance Redress and Social by the World Bank;
Mechanism and Systems Number of stakeholders
related reporting adopting the system;
model
Reporting model submitted and
approved by the World Bank.
Grievance Redress Environmental PMU/E&S focal point Other Program Half-yearly report submitted by
Mechanism - and Social duration the E&S Focal Point
Collection and Systems
processing of
grievances
Preparation of Fiduciary MAPMDREF/ DDFP Recurrent Quarterly Availability of quarterly
quarterly Systems procurement performance
procurement monitoring reports
performance
monitoring reports
to reduce delays in
the procurement
process
Preparation and Environmental PMU/E&S focal point Other Before Social action plans developed,
implementation of and Social transfer of consulted with stakeholders,
social action plans Systems activities to and implemented
for wholesale new
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markets wholesale
markets
Preparation and Environmental PMU/E&S focal point Other Program Regular reporting by E&S Focal
signing of (and and Social Participating enterp duration Point to WB
compliance with) Systems
code of conduct
Environmental and Environmental PMU/Focal Point (E&S) Other Program Follow-up reports submitted by
social monitoring and Social duration the Focal Point
procedures - Systems
Regular collection
of reports
Synchronization Fiduciary IAV Other During Synchronization ensured
between the Systems yearly
budget process of budget
acquisition of programmin
teaching material g
and the process of
accreditation of the
new training course
by the Ministry of
Higher Education
and Scientific
Research
Development of Fiduciary ONSSA Other During Integrated budget schedule

integrated budget Systems yearly prepared
schedule, detailing budget
both the timetable programmin
for carrying out the g
project engineering
studies and the
timetable for
acquiring the
software and
satellite images.
Inclusion of two Fiduciary ADA/PMU Other 30 days POM sections dedicated to
sections in the Systems after youth financing completed.
POM: Effectivenes
s
• A dedicated
section for the
youth financing
scheme.
• A dedicated
section for pilot
initiative for the
emergence and
empowerment of
agricultural service
cooperatives for
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young people.
Establishment of a Other MAPMDREF Due Date 31-Mar- M&E system deployed and
simple integrated 2021 operational
M&E system for
Program
implementation
Conduct of mid- Other MAPMDREF Other 30 June Evaluations completed
term evaluation 2023 (mid-
and end-of- term), 31
Program March 2025
implementation (end-of-
evaluation of Program)
results and impacts
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ANNEX 7. IMPLEMENTATION SUPPORT PLAN
1. The Implementation Support Plan (ISP) is based on the implementation support guidelines for Program-
for-Results operations and adapted to the design and risk profile of the Program. While the Borrower is
responsible for the Program’s overall implementation, including its technical aspects, the basic mandate of Bank
implementation support under the Program includes: (i) review implementation progress, including the PAP and
the achievement of program results and DLIs; (ii) provide support for resolving emerging Program implementation
issues and bottlenecks; (iii) provide technical and institutional capacity building support to the Government for
implementation of the PAP, the achievement of DLIs and other results; (iv) monitor the adequacy of systems’
performance (e.g. through monitoring reports, audit reports, and field visits) as well as compliance with legal
agreements and, as needed, the Program Action Plan; and (v) support the government in monitoring and
managing changes in the various types of risks.
2. The ISP focuses on actions that the Bank will perform and on associated needs in terms of skills and
resources. Successful support and monitoring of Program implementation will require a multidisciplinary set of
technical specialists along with fiduciary and environmental and social specialist. The approach is to mobilize the
Bank’s global expertise at the outset to help with operationalizing design improvements while relying on a core
group of technical specialists to provide regular guidance and implementation support to the agencies involved in
Program implementation. While results and DLIs will be assessed as completed annually, a four-month approach
to implementation support, where a specific one-week implementation support mission would be carried out, will
be used during the first year of the Program. This approach will shift to a six-month approach during the remaining
four years of the Program. In addition, a number of technical specialists are based in the region and country office,
which will allow timely follow-up on specific issues and/or areas of concern if needed.
3. The Program will require well-coordinated technical support from the World Bank, particularly during
the early stages of implementation. Program implementation will involve the combined intervention of various
government stakeholders. This includes MAPMDREF departments and agencies (DF, DDFP, DSS, DEFR, ONSSA,
ADA, ONCA, DRAs) as well as other Ministries (MEFRA, MICEVN and MI) and entities (Wilayas).
Table A7.1 Main Focus of Implementation Support

Time Focus Skills Needed Resource
Estimate
Months: Implementing the PAP; adjusting Fiduciary; environment and social 3 implementation
0-12 operational procedures and management; M&E; Technical support missions
their communication to (Youth Entrepreneurship;
implementing entities; Wholesale Market Infrastructure Total 36 weeks
establishing arrangements for Development; Climate Smart over 12 months
independent verification of Agriculture, Digital Technologies;
compliance with the DLIs; Food Safety; Extension Services)
strengthening the M&E system
at various levels.
Months: Reviewing implementation Fiduciary; environment and social 2 implementation
13-60 progress; cross-checking management; M&E; Technical support missions
linkages between planning, (Youth Entrepreneurship; per year including
budgeting, and results; Wholesale Market Infrastructure mid-term review:
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providing support in case of Development; Climate Smart

disputes relating to DLI Agriculture; Digital Technologies;
verification. Food Safety; Extension Services) Total 96 weeks
over 48 months
Table A7.2 Task Team Skills Mix Requirements for Implementation Support (entire program life)
Skills Needed Number of Staff Weeks Number of
Missions
Task Team Management 30 11
Youth entrepreneurship 13 11
Wholesale Market Infrastructure 11 11
Development
Climate Smart Agriculture 15 7
Digital Technologies 11 11
Agricultural Extension 11 11
M&E 11 5
Procurement, FM, and Governance 11 5
Environmental and Social Management 10 5
Legal 1 0
Table A7.3 Role of Development Partners in Program Implementation

Name Role
FAO Mobilize technical specialists (in particular on Climate Smart
agriculture and Food Safety) through WB-FAO Cooperative
Program to participate in implementation support
AFD AFD will participate in the supervision missions of the World
Bank and be involved in the continuous dialogue with
MAPMDREF regarding GGS implementation activities.
AFD will ensure, along with the World Bank, the coordination
between the PforR and the TREEA program.
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ANNEX 8. CATALYZING GROWTH, INCLUSION AND JOBS THROUGH AGRICULTURE IN MOROCCO
1. As a result of a decade of investment under the PMV, agriculture has experienced strong production
growth, climate vulnerability has fallen from a very high initial level, and total factor productivity has rapidly
increased. The strong policy commitment to the productivity, competitiveness and development objectives of the
PMV have been underpinned by significant public and private investment exceeding 88 billion dirhams over the
2008-2010 period and reaching around 12 percent of the total government investment budget by 2017.
Productivity growth in agriculture over this period has been much higher than in the other sectors of the economy.
In terms of the distribution of agricultural investment, regions more dependent on agriculture have received a
higher share of investment under PMV.
2. Agriculture’s strong growth performance over the last decade has been underpinned by extensive
agriculture support through the investment catalyzed by the PMV. The international comparison of Morocco’s
agriculture support shows that as share of GDP, the level of support over the 2013-2017 period has been in the
same range as other countries and that most of the time during that period this support is even lower than in
most OECD countries. Taking into account that agriculture represents a small share of the GDP in OECD countries,
while it represents a large share of Morocco GDP, Morocco’s support to agriculture remains relatively small by
comparison to other countries.
Table A8.1: Total Support Estimate as Share of the Country GDP (in %)
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
Morocco1/ 0.34 1.64 0.67 1.20 0.50
OECD Estimations: 2/
1. OECD Countries
Australia 0.15 0.16 0.13 0.17 0.22
Brazil 0.49 0.44 0.37 0.48 0.35
Canada 0.39 0.35 0.34 0.39 0.32
Chile 0.29 0.32 0.33 0.30 0.31
Colombia 1.89 1.58 1.55 1.48 1.12
European Union (28 countries) 0.90 0.76 0.79 0.78 0.75
Iceland 0.96 1.16 1.20 1.20 1.11
Japan 1.02 0.91 0.87 0.96 0.97
Korea 1.88 1.67 1.65 1.51 1.55
Mexico 0.60 0.66 0.65 0.54 0.56
New Zealand 0.28 0.28 0.26 0.28 0.24
Norway 0.80 0.86 0.91 0.96 0.88
OECD - Total 0.70 0.65 0.65 0.65 0.62
Switzerland 0.99 1.11 1.10 1.11 1.03
Turkey 1.94 2.21 2.35 2.46 1.94
United States 0.52 0.53 0.50 0.49 0.46
2. Non-OECD Countries
Argentina -3.30 -4.15 -2.04 -0.81 -0.53
China (People's Republic of) 2.48 2.36 2.41 2.22 1.96
Costa Rica 0.92 0.80 0.99 0.80 0.56
India -3.83 -0.96 1.10 0.11 0.65
Indonesia 3.23 3.58 3.86 3.82 3.68
Kazakhstan 1.20 0.66 1.22 0.28 0.69
Philippines 3.42 3.59 3.18 2.93 2.63
Russia 0.99 0.65 0.81 0.81 0.71
South Africa 0.27 0.28 0.39 0.23 0.30
Ukraine 0.35 -0.16 0.29 -0.30 -0.09
Viet Nam 0.90 0.11 -0.12 -0.56 0.27
Sources: 1/Authors’ calculations (for Morocco), and 2/ OECD (various years, for other countries).
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3. The government's agricultural policy and investment in recent years has resulted in strong average
growth in agricultural value added. As shown in figure A8.1.a, between 1999 and 2018 the primary sector
(agriculture) recorded an average annual growth in real value of 5 percent, surpassing that of services (tertiary
sector), which was 4 percent, and that of the secondary sector (industry and public work), which was 3 percent.
Much more important is the strong growth in partial labor productivity, as well as total factor productivity (TFP).
Indeed, and as shown in figure A8.1.b, in real terms value added per worker in the primary sector increased at an
annual growth rate 5 percent between 1999 and 2018, while growth rates of partial labor productivity were only
about 2 percent in the industrial and services sectors.
Figure A8.1: Evolution of Real Value-Added Growth in the Three Large Sectors of the economy (base 100: 1999)
a. Value Added b. Value Added Per Worker
Source: Own estimates based on official HCP data.
4. The sustained growth performance in agriculture has been achieved mainly through intensification and
investment growth. The agricultural policy implemented in recent years, and in particular since the launching of
the PMV, has placed particular emphasis on agricultural investment and has resulted in a significant increase in
the stock of capital in agriculture. That has in turn led to a significant growth of total factor productivity (figure
A8.2.a). In terms of each component’s contribution to the observed growth, the contribution of labor was a
negative one (-7%) while contributions of capital and TFP were positive, respectively by 36 percent and 72 percent
Figure A8.2: Relative Importance of Growth Sources and Productivity (base 100: 1999)
a. Contribution to Real Value Added, by source b. Total Factor Productivity
Source: Own estimates based on official HCP data.
5. Analysis of the determinants of the sector's output growth shows that this was mainly driven by capital
investment and growth in total factor productivity and occurred in the presence of strong dis-incentives provided
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by the diminishing real producer prices. Indeed, as figure A8.3.a shows, producer prices have been stagnant over
the past two decades, while agricultural input prices have increased by almost 28 percent over the same period.
Figure A8.3: Agricultural Intermediate Consumption’s Shares and Prices
a. Intermediate Consumption and Producers’ Prices b. Intermediate Consumption and Value-Added Indices
Shares
6. Thus, Morocco has fared well until now in terms of increasing production and productivity in
agriculture. But it is now facing a challenging environment as further productivity gains cannot continue without
a shift in the strategy. As productivity improvements have been driven mainly by capital investment, in terms of
promoting financial sustainability of investment in agriculture, there is significant scope for further gains by
increasing labor productivity and further leveraging private investment in agriculture through a greater focus on
strengthening the enabling environment for private investment in the agri-food sector in the rural space.
7. Unemployment in rural areas is increasingly becoming a problem that affects the youth
disproportionately, with the resulting challenging social issues in rural Morocco. At the same time, a positive
development is that child labor in agriculture has declined very significantly—and increasing agricultural
productivity often has a catalytic role to provide access to education for children, for example through agriculture
cooperatives engagement in social projects.
8. Furthermore, on the positive side, employment in the agri-food value chains (agribusiness) has been
rising, with much higher scope for growth potential as income growth and structural transformation and a rural-
urban transition in Morocco continues. In contrast to rural agricultural employment, non-agricultural rural
activities show an increase in overall employment. In effect, between 1999 and 2017 there was the same trend of
a decrease in employment for the active population under the age of 25 years (-65 thousand jobs) and an increase
in employment for the active population above of the age of 24 years, except that the increase in employment in
this second category far exceeded the decrease of the former. The result is a positive increase in non-agricultural
rural activities of 0.44 million employments between 1999 and 2017. This evolution indicates that the observed
growth in agriculture is inducing more job creation in rural areas and outside the sector. Another indication of this
agriculture-induced job creation outside the sector itself can be illustrated by the increase of employment in the
agri-processing sector since the employment in this sector has more than doubled in the last 20 years (figure A8.4).
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Figure A8.4: Sector and Induced Employment by Agriculture
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ANNEX 9. GREEN GENERATION STRATEGY: BRIEF PRESENTATION
1. Through the PMV (2008-2020), Morocco has been supporting the green economy and seeking to
increase the resilience and adaptation of rural populations to climate change. The PMV was launched in 2008
with the aim of supporting the growth and competitiveness of the agricultural sector, leveraging it to support
inclusive growth, particularly among poor and rural populations, and enhancing the resilience of the sector to
weather volatility and climate change. In late 2019, the mandate of the Ministry of Industry and Trade was
expanded to also include the portfolios of Digital and Green Economy, further highlighting the GoM’s commitment
to seizing the opportunity of green growth and tackling head-on the challenges posed by climate change. On
February 13, 2020, King Mohamed VI launched the new development strategy “Green Generation 2020-2030”
(GGS) to build on the success of the PMV and create a new generation of agricultural workers and entrepreneurs
particularly among young and rural populations, with innovative support measures.
2. Under the GGS, the GoM is now looking at ways to deepen and increase the positive impacts of the
PMV. On the production and marketing side, the evaluation of the PMV carried out by MAPMDREF in 2018
highlights three main areas of improvement: (i) better structuration of distribution channels; (ii) the
modernization of slaughterhouses; and (iii) more value addition. But the same evaluation also points to the need
for a more inclusive strategy, acknowledging that the PMV has not benefited enough small-scale producers and
other vulnerable groups, particularly women and youth. Lastly, the GGS indicates that more needs to be done to
develop a sustainable agricultural sector. Hence, building on the achievements of the PMV, the new strategy
focuses on creating a rural middle class with a strong focus on increasing human capital and ensuring sustainable
agricultural development.
3. The GGS rests on two pillars: (i) human capital; and (ii) sustainable development of the agriculture
sector. Under the first pillar, the GGS focuses on: (i) supporting the development of a new generation of
agricultural middle class; (ii) supporting young agricultural entrepreneurs; (iii) solidifying agricultural
organizations; and (iv) strengthening support mechanisms. Under the second pillar, the strategy focuses on: (i)
consolidating agricultural value chains; (ii) establishing modern and efficient trade and distribution channels; (iii)
ensuring product quality, strengthening innovation and green-tech; and (iv) ensuring a resilient and eco-efficient
agriculture sector.
4. Under the first pillar of the GGS, the GoM aims at contributing to the emergence of an agricultural
middle class by improving farmers income and social protection. The GGS aims at doing this by: (i) improving
incentives and their respective targeting to increase farm revenues and allow an additional 350-400,000 farmers
to become part of the middle class (objective of 690,000 farmers to be part of the middle class); (ii) extend
insurance coverage to an additional 2.5 million hectares of agricultural land; (iii) improve farmers access to social
protection, ensuring that 3.3 million farmers or 80 percent of all farmers have access to social protection; (iv)
increase the Guaranteed Minimum Agricultural Wage (Salaire Minimum Agricole Garanti, SMAG)and reduce the
gap between SMAG and the Minimum Legal Wage (Salaire Minimum Légal, SMIG) by 2030.
5. Furthermore, the GSS aims at supporting the stronger inclusion of young professionals into the
agriculture sector and offering related opportunities for income generation. The GoM intends to do this by: (i)
improving the economic use of an additional 1 million ha of agricultural land; (ii) supporting already existing and
the establishment of new farms and thereby attracting 180,000 new farmers; (iii) supporting entrepreneurship
activities and thereby creating 170,000 new jobs; (iv) strengthening education and qualification services and
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educating 150,000 youth. These activities aim at ensuring the intergenerational transmission of farms and the
continuous development of the agricultural sector.
6. In addition, the GSS aims at ensuring a better structuration and aggregation of farmers around
agricultural organizations and reforming and modernizing the support mechanisms to professionalize the
agriculture sector. The GoM aims at doing this by: (i) establishing new socio-economic organizations and ensuring
that 25 percent of farmers are organized accordingly; (ii) empowerment of the profession (iii) reforming
agricultural extension services and increasing the numbers of extension workers to reach 5,000; (iv) providing
digital agricultural services and ensuring that 2 million farmers are connected to agricultural e-services; and (v)
supporting a new generation of social agriculture projects and ensuring that an additional surface of 350-400 ha
is covered by social agriculture projects.
7. Under the second pillar of the GGS, the GoM aims at further supporting the development of agricultural
value chains by ensuring a more targeted intervention in the upstream segment and a reallocation of efforts in
the downstream segment. The GoM aims at doing this by (i) maintaining investment efforts and rationalizing
incentives upstream; (ii) supporting the competitiveness of exports; (iii) increasing the value addition of
agricultural products and ensuring that 70 percent of products benefit from value addition; and (iv) supporting
the emergence of new agricultural value chains and increasing the area cultivating organic products by 100,000
ha.
8. Furthermore, the GSS aims at better structuring and modernizing distribution channels, improving
product quality sold to final consumers, and investing in water and energy efficiency in order to preserve natural
resources and to create new income-generating and employment-generating activities. Specifically, the GoM
aims at (i) modernizing 12 wholesale markets; (ii) rehabilitating various souks; and (iii) strengthening distribution
channels and storage platforms. To ensure a higher product quality, the GoM aims at (i) diffusing innovation, R&D,
and precision agriculture; and (ii) reinforcing food safety and quality management. To preserve natural resources
the GoM aims at (i) implementing water mobilization and saving programs; (ii) promoting renewable energy
sources; and (iii) disseminating soil conservation techniques. By doing this the GoM expects the registration of 30-
50 new varieties, increased investment in R&D by 1.5-2 times, accreditation of 120 slaughterhouses,
implementation of effective sanitary and phytosanitary control measures, and livestock tracing reaching 100
percent.
Page 158 of 158

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Public Disclosure Authorized

FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

INTERNATIONAL BANK FOR RECONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT

PROGRAM APPRAISAL DOCUMENT

IN THE AMOUNT OF EUR214.2 MILLION

November 20, 2020

Agriculture And Food Global Practice

Exchange Rate Effective October 31, 2020

Currency Unit = MAD

MAD 9.23 = US$1

US$1 = EUR 0.85667780

Regional Vice President: Ferid Belhaj

ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS

ADA Agricultural Development Agency (Agence pour le Développement

ESSA Environmental and Social Systems Assessment

MISAGRI Integrated Financial Management System

ANNEX 9. GREEN GENERATION STRATEGY: BRIEF PRESENTATION ................................................... 157

Morocco Morocco Green Generation Program-for-Results

Project ID Financing Instrument Does this operation have an IPF component?

Financing & Implementation Modalities

[ ] Multiphase Programmatic Approach (MPA) [ ] Fragile State(s)

[ ] Small State(s) [ ] Conflict

[ ] Alternate Procurement Arrangements (APA) [ ] Responding to Natural or Man-made Disaster

[ ] Hands-on Enhanced Implementation Support (HEIS)

Expected Project Approval Date Expected Closing Date

Proposed Program Development Objective(s)

Borrower : Kingdom of Morocco

Title: Director of Strategy and Statistics

COST & FINANCING

Government program Cost 10,000.00

Financing (USD Millions)

International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) 250.00

Cofinancing - Other Sources (IFIs, Bilaterals, Foundations) 115.00

FRANCE: French Agency for Development 115.00

Expected Disbursements (USD Millions)

Practice Area (Lead) Contributing Practice Areas

Climate Change and Disaster Screening

SYSTEMATIC OPERATIONS RISK-RATING TOOL (SORT)

Risk Category Rating

Does the program require any waivers of Bank policies?

Legal Operational Policies

Projects in Disputed Areas OP/BP 7.60 No

Sections and Description

Sections and Description

Sections and Description

Sections and Description

Sections and Description

Sections and Description

Sections and Description

B. Sectoral and Institutional Context

6 According to the 10-digit SH classification.

Source: adapted from MoF/DEPF (2019)

7 A more detailed description of the GGS is provided in Annex 9.

14. Multipronged youth

C. Relationship to the CPF and Country Program Adjustment Responding to COVID-19

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Morocco and government response:

II. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Box 4. Green Generation: Program Intervention Targets

B. Program Development Objective (PDO) and PDO Level Results Indicators