The National Forum on the Decarbonisation of Food Industries, held Monday in Rabat by the National Federation of Agri-Food (FENAGRI), marks a key step in building a low-carbon trajectory for a strategic sector of the national economy.
Organised under the aegis of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce and the Ministry of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, this forum brought together the main public, private, financial, technical and institutional players committed to the sustainable transformation of food industries in Morocco, according to a FENAGRI statement.
The meeting constituted an important milestone in the dynamic launched by FENAGRI to support the low-carbon transition of Moroccan food industries, in a context marked by rising energy costs, increasing pressure on water resources, evolving demands of international markets and the gradual integration of climate criteria into value chains.
Food industries hold a strategic position in the national economy. The sector represents nearly 191 billion dirhams in annual turnover, includes approximately 2,600 companies operating across the country, generates more than 206,000 direct jobs, contributes 44 billion dirhams to exports and covers nearly 77% of national needs for processed food products.
This economic contribution is accompanied by a major energy challenge. Food industries consume about 380,000 tonnes of oil equivalent per year, representing nearly 20% of national industrial energy use. These figures confirm both the strategic weight of the sector and the importance of a progressive, structured decarbonisation trajectory adapted to the realities of different sub-sectors.
In this context, FENAGRI has undertaken, with support from the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, a national study aimed at structuring a decarbonisation roadmap for food industries by 2040.
This approach aims to identify the main sources of emissions, assess reduction levers, define possible transition pathways and propose operational conditions for implementation.
The Forum allowed sharing the main findings of this approach and opening a structured dialogue with the entire ecosystem. The discussions highlighted a strong consensus: decarbonisation of food industries should not be viewed 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.
“Decarbonisation of food industries is no longer a matter for tomorrow. It is a project for today. A project that directly concerns the competitiveness of our companies, their energy performance, their market access, their investment capacity and their resilience in the face of new climate and economic requirements,” said Mr Abdelmounim El Eulj, President of FENAGRI, quoted in the statement.
The discussions also stressed the need for coordinated mobilisation between public authorities, industrialists, financial institutions, international partners, technical experts and professional federations.
The success of this transition will depend in particular on the ability to structure appropriate support mechanisms, facilitate access to green finance, strengthen technical expertise of companies and promote an integrated approach to ensure greater coherence between industrial, energy, environmental and water policies.
Special attention was paid to very small, small and medium-sized industrial enterprises, which constitute an essential component of the national productive fabric. Their support will be decisive to guarantee an inclusive, progressive and truly operational transition.
The exchanges highlighted the need for accessible solutions, adapted diagnoses, bankable projects and financing mechanisms capable of responding to the realities of different food sub-sectors.
At the close of the Forum, FENAGRI reaffirmed its commitment to continue this dynamic over time. The next steps will notably include setting up a monitoring framework for the roadmap, organising workshops by sub-sector, strengthening dialogue with financial and technical partners, and supporting member companies in defining and implementing their own decarbonisation trajectories.
