African Development Bank approves $117mln to empower women, youth entrepreneurs in Morocco
The project aims to generate sustainable economic opportunities for women and youth, boost food security, and strengthen the resilience of small-scale farming against climate change. It will stimulate entrepreneurship through tailored financing and incentive mechanisms and by bolstering technical and financial support systems.
The programme will also facilitate the deployment of new agricultural production and service infrastructure, helping to anchor women in local value chains, strengthen their skills, and boost their productivity. These actions will encourage the emergence of women entrepreneurs across agriculture, agro-processing and digital technologies. It will support the new roadmap for employment by promoting rural entrepreneurship.
"Women who have the ambition to undertake and succeed in agriculture are our priority," said Achraf Tarsim, head of the African Development Bank country office in Morocco. 'Through this new operation, we will support them step by step to build a modern, inclusive and resilient agriculture, capable of revealing the full potential of those who aspire to innovate and create value and employment in their territories."
Aligned with Morocco's priorities, the programme will support the implementation of the Green Generation 2020-2030 Strategy, Morocco's plan for transforming agriculture into a more inclusive, sustainable and efficient sector; the National Solidarity Agriculture Program, and the National Youth Entrepreneurship Programme.
For more than 50 years, the AfDB invested nearly €15 billion in more than 150 high-impact projects in strategic sectors such as transport, water, energy, agriculture, social protection, governance and finance.
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