The National Forum on Decarbonisation of Food Industries, held Monday in Rabat by the National Federation of Agro-Food (FENAGRI), marks a structuring step in building a low-carbon trajectory for a strategic sector of the national 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 the sustainable transformation of Morocco’s food industries, as announced by FENAGRI.
This meeting represented a major milestone in FENAGRI’s ongoing drive to support the low-carbon transition of Moroccan food industries, amid rising energy costs, growing pressure on water resources, evolving international market requirements and the progressive integration of climate criteria into value chains.
Food industries occupy a strategic position in the national economy. The sector generates nearly 191 billion dirhams in annual turnover, comprises about 2,600 companies across the country, 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 weight comes with a major energy challenge. Food industries consume approximately 380,000 tonnes of oil equivalent per year, representing nearly 20% of national industrial energy use. These figures underscore both the sector’s strategic importance and the need for a progressive, structured decarbonisation path tailored to the realities of different sub-sectors.
In this context, FENAGRI, with support from the Ministry of Industry and Trade, has launched a national study to develop a decarbonisation roadmap for food industries by 2040.
The initiative aims to identify main emission sources, assess reduction levers, define possible transition pathways and propose operational implementation conditions.
The forum shared key findings from this process and opened a structured dialogue with the entire ecosystem. Discussions revealed strong consensus: decarbonisation of food industries should not be seen merely as a regulatory or environmental constraint, but as a driver of economic competitiveness, industrial modernisation, energy performance, market access and resilience for Moroccan companies.
“Decarbonisation of food industries is no longer a topic 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 demands,” said Abdelmounim El Eulj, President of FENAGRI, during the forum.
Talks also highlighted the need for coordinated action among public authorities, industrialists, financial institutions, international partners, technical experts and professional federations.
The success of this transition will depend on the ability to structure appropriate support mechanisms, facilitate access to green finance, strengthen technical expertise within companies 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 enterprises (VSEs/SMEs), which form an essential part of the national productive fabric. Supporting them will be crucial for an inclusive, gradual and truly operational transition.
Discussions emphasised the need for accessible solutions, tailored diagnostics, bankable projects and financing schemes that respond to the realities of different food sub-sectors.
At the close of the forum, FENAGRI reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining this momentum over the long term. Next steps include establishing 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.
