The National Forum on Decarbonisation of Food Industries, held Monday in Rabat by the National Federation of Agro-Food (FENAGRI), marks a decisive step towards building a low-carbon trajectory for a strategic sector of Morocco’s economy.
Organised under the patronage of the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, the forum brought together key public, private, financial, technical and institutional players committed to transforming Morocco’s food industries sustainably.
This gathering represents a milestone in FENAGRI’s ongoing effort to support the low-carbon transition of Moroccan food industries, in a context marked by rising energy costs, growing pressure on water resources, evolving international market demands and the gradual integration of climate criteria into value chains.
Food industries hold a strategic place in the national economy. The sector generates around 191 billion dirhams in annual turnover, includes approximately 2,600 companies operating nationwide, provides over 206,000 direct jobs, contributes 44 billion dirhams to exports and covers nearly 77% of domestic demand for processed food products.
This economic contribution comes with a major energy challenge. Food industries consume about 380,000 tonnes of oil equivalent per year, representing roughly 20% of national industrial energy use. These figures highlight both the sector’s strategic weight and the importance of a progressive, structured decarbonisation pathway tailored to the realities of different sub-sectors.
Within this framework, FENAGRI, with support from the Ministry of Industry and Trade, has launched a national study to structure a decarbonisation roadmap for food industries by 2040.
The aim is to identify main emission sources, assess reduction levers, define possible transition trajectories and propose operational conditions for implementation.
The forum shared key findings from this study and opened a structured dialogue with the entire ecosystem. Discussions revealed a strong consensus: decarbonisation of food industries should not be seen solely as a regulatory or environmental constraint, but as a lever for economic competitiveness, industrial modernisation, energy performance, market access and resilience for Moroccan companies.
“Decarbonising food industries is no longer a tomorrow issue. It is a today project. A project that directly affects our companies’ competitiveness, energy performance, market access, investment capacity and resilience in the face of new climate and economic requirements,” said Mr Abdelmounim El Eulj, President of FENAGRI.
Discussions also stressed the need for coordinated mobilisation among public authorities, industrialists, financial institutions, international partners, technical experts and professional federations.
The success of this transition depends particularly on the ability to structure appropriate support mechanisms, facilitate access to green finance, strengthen companies’ technical expertise and promote an integrated approach ensuring greater coherence between industrial, energy, environmental and water policies.
Special attention was given to very small, small and medium-sized industrial enterprises (VSEs/SMEs), a vital component of the national productive fabric. Their support will be decisive for ensuring an inclusive, progressive and truly operational transition.
Exchanges highlighted the need for accessible solutions, tailored diagnostics, bankable projects and financing mechanisms capable of meeting the realities of different food sub-sectors.
At the forum’s conclusion, FENAGRI reaffirmed its commitment to pursuing this momentum over the long term. Next steps include setting up a monitoring framework for the roadmap, organising sub-sector workshops, strengthening dialogue with financial and technical partners, and supporting member companies in defining and implementing their own decarbonisation trajectories.
