Opinion

Morocco against climate change and famine

photo_camera marruecos-lucha-cambio-climático-ocp

The effects of climate change are increasing the level of global political instability with effects contrary to international cooperation, precipitating geopolitical imbalances in Africa, above all, and at a time of high turmoil 

The Kingdom of Morocco's commitment to the environment and sustainable development is approached from a perspective derived from the intersection between geo-economics and geopolitics. 

Indeed, Morocco aims to reconvert the way of producing and of conceiving agricultural and industrial production on the basis of the green economy. This is not always easy. It is a political action that often conflicts with the international geo-economic and geo-political system. In addition to the production of renewables, the transition to this economy can be summed up in the treatment of water and domestic, industrial and agricultural waste or the use of biodegradable raw materials and goods. These processes involve eco-innovation or the manufacture of non-polluting products and the eco-conception or green design of these products. 

The Moroccan government had already authorised the OCP group, the world's leading producer and exporter of phosphate fertilisers, to create two green economy subsidiaries in 2021 to decarbonise the country. These are OCP Green Water and OCP Green Energy, which will meet the country's needs for recycled and desalinated water and green electricity. A year later, on 3 December, OCP presented its macro green investment programme, 2023-2027, in response to the orientations indicated by King Mohammed VI in 2009 with a view to moving towards the creation and use of 100% renewables by 2050. 

The OCP foresees an investment of 13 billion euros in renewables with a view to creating and using green energy (wind and solar) in the extraction of the mineral to decarbonise the production of phosphate and its derivatives. In addition, the Group will enter, through its subsidiaries, the green hydrogen and green fertiliser business. In doing so, it will implement the eco-innovation or green mining process and the eco-conception of green fertilisers. An initiative with which OCP will cover, in addition to its own demand, several areas of the Kingdom. In fact, this Group is already a member of the European Sustainable Phosphorus Platform (ESPP). 

It is no coincidence that the OCP, a publicly owned business group, was a pioneer in this initiative. It will become a model and guide for other national and international companies in the comprehensive implementation of the green economy in the country. Morocco will increasingly require companies and institutions to become involved in contributing to the creation of green ecosystems. For the time being, more than 600 national industrial companies will be involved in this project, creating an estimated 25,000 direct and indirect jobs. 

The use of renewables will improve the competitiveness of companies in general on the basis of the low costs of these energies and, de facto, obtain better profits. It will also put the country at the forefront of the fight against climate change.  

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has only precipitated events and exposed Europe's backwardness in the generation of renewables and, above all, Africa's dependence on foreign grain. At the same time, it has revealed the fragility of the dominant world order, now in imminent decline. Paradoxically, Africa, the continent that pollutes the least, is paying the price for the consequences. 

Implementing renewables as Morocco is doing is strengthening the country's energy security. Aware of this, Morocco took matters into its own hands in time, just as it did with COVID-19, in order to draw strength from weakness and be politically resilient.  

On the other hand, it is clear that the escalation of war in the heart of Europe guarantees neither grain nor fertilisers nor affordable prices in the short and medium term. This is why, by the new year 2023, Morocco will increase fertiliser exports. Through the OCP Group, it plans to deliver 4 million tonnes of phosphate fertilisers to ensure food security in Africa. This is double the amount supplied in 2021. This Moroccan state-owned group, a world leader in plant nutrition and phosphate fertilisers, has for years been helping more than 44 million beneficiary farmers across the continent to increase agricultural yields and reduce famine. This assistance includes training and capacity building for these farmers. 

Globally, the Maghreb country supplies much-needed fertilisers for agriculture to Latin America and Asia, in addition to Africa. Exports combine low prices with altruistic donations. Ethiopia (50,000 tons), Senegal (25,000 tons), Rwanda (15,000 tons) and Mauritania (5,000 tons) have recently benefited from this.

Africa is aware that it should not be dependent on the outside world for its food supply. This was confirmed at the Dakar 2 Summit, which took place from 25 to 27 January, at which the African Development Bank pledged $10 billion to turn the continent into the world's breadbasket. Morocco is called upon to contribute a great deal to this initiative because of its agricultural expertise and its status as a world exporter of fertilisers.

The Kingdom of Morocco is thus giving itself a transcendental role in its international relations through proactive actions. Not only to serve its own legitimate interests, but also to serve the needs of others. And that is the key to its increasingly strong positioning on the international stage. This time, by turning renewables into a green economy and the fight against famine into a major geostrategic potential. 

As an emerging power, Morocco aspires to lead, without complexes, not only the fight against climate change, but also against food insecurity and famine in Africa.