Morocco, US explore stronger cooperation in agricultural research, innovation

Morocco and the U.S. are exploring new avenues for cooperation in agricultural research and innovation, with a focus on conservation agriculture, genetic improvement and the development of solutions adapted to Morocco’s agroclimatic conditions.

These prospects were discussed Friday in Rabat during a meeting between the Director of the National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRA), Lamiae Ghaouti, and a delegation from the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA).

The visit to INRA headquarters forms part of growing ties between the two institutions, marked by several missions and exchanges since 2024, aimed at identifying scientific and technical complementarities and exploring new partnership opportunities.

In a statement to MAP, Massachusetts Commissioner of Agricultural Resources Ashley Randle said the visit aimed to familiarize the delegation with INRA’s research priorities and identify opportunities for collaboration with NASDA, which brings together the agriculture departments of all 50 U.S. states and four territories.

The discussions focused on shared priorities, including climate change, agricultural resilience, conservation agriculture, soil health and animal genetics, Randle said, stressing the importance of identifying cooperation opportunities that could support the agricultural economies of both countries.

For her part, Ghaouti highlighted two priority areas for cooperation: conservation agriculture and gene editing, which offers a means of accelerating the development of new crop varieties.

She underscored the importance of developing techniques that encourage farmers to adopt conservation agriculture practices, while exploring the potential of gene editing to speed up the development of crop varieties suited to the needs of Moroccan agriculture.

Discussions also covered the genetic improvement of cattle, particularly opportunities to develop breeds adapted to Moroccan conditions by building on local breeds and their resilience potential, the INRA director said.

Moroccan-American agricultural cooperation is already supported by research and capacity-building initiatives involving, notably, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

These initiatives cover crop genetic improvement, biotechnology, sustainable water and soil management, and climate change adaptation. Scientific exchange programs, including Fulbright and Borlaug, also contribute to these efforts.

Under the Borlaug program, 25 INRA researchers have benefited from capacity-building opportunities, six of whom undertook research stays at six U.S. universities over the past two years, focusing on topics of strategic importance to agriculture.

Stronger collaboration with NASDA is expected to facilitate expertise-sharing and foster ties with U.S. state agriculture departments, universities and research centers, paving the way for joint projects that address the agricultural priorities of both countries and help make Moroccan agriculture more productive, resilient and sustainable.

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