Monaco renews its support to FAO to reduce agricultural losses in Morocco

Renouvellement FAO Maroc 1 © DR

On 8 November, H.E. Ms Anne Eastwood, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Principality to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and Ms Beth Bechdol, Deputy Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), signed a funding agreement in support of phase 2 of a technical support project to combat agricultural losses in Morocco.

Worldwide, 14% of all food produced is lost or wasted before it is put on sale. Every year, 1.6 billion tonnes of agricultural products, valued at $400 billion, are lost or wasted. This has a negative impact on both food security and the climate and contributes significantly to pressure on water and soil resources, environmental pollution and the breakdown of natural ecosystems.

Launched in 2019, the support project in question aids oasis systems in four Moroccan provinces, with a focus on highly nutritious sectors such as dates, apples, nuts and local vegetables. Through the Department of International Cooperation, the agreement, covering a three-year period and a total amount of €500,000, renews Monaco’s support for this programme, which will reduce agricultural losses by 15% and train and raise awareness among more than 70% of stakeholders in the sector on the importance of reducing waste.

In the discussion held in parallel to the signing, Ms Beth Bechdol commended the exemplary efforts of Monaco, one of the largest per-capita contributors to FAO, along with the country’s continued support of FAO measures to improve food security and nutrition and move towards inclusive and resilient food systems.

H.E. Ms Anne Eastwood welcomed the signing of this agreement and, more generally, the excellent long-standing cooperation with FAO, particularly on the African continent. After recalling that one third of the Principality’s official development assistance is devoted each year to global food security, she reconfirmed the Prince’s Government’s active commitment in the fight against malnutrition and to providing support to local producers and for the development of sustainable agricultural sectors.