Rabat:Morocco and the United States are working to enhance cooperation in agricultural research and innovation, with a focus on conservation agriculture, genetic improvement, and solutions tailored to Morocco’s specific agroclimatic conditions.

According to Agence Marocaine De Presse, these topics were discussed during a meeting in Rabat between Lamiae Ghaouti, Director of the National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRA), and a delegation from the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA).

The meeting at INRA’s headquarters is part of an ongoing partnership between the two institutions, characterized by numerous missions and exchanges since 2024. The goal is to identify scientific and technical complementarities and explore new opportunities for collaboration.

Massachusetts Commissioner of Agricultural Resources Ashley Randle stated that the delegation aimed to understand INRA’s research priorities better and find areas for cooperation with NASDA. The focus was on shared priorities like climate change, agricultural resilience, soil health, and animal genetics, with the intent to support the agricultural economies of both nations.

Ghaouti identified conservation agriculture and gene editing as key areas for collaboration, emphasizing the importance of developing techniques to encourage farmers to adopt conservation practices and using gene editing to expedite the creation of crop varieties suited to Moroccan needs.

Discussions also included the genetic improvement of cattle, particularly the development of breeds adapted to Moroccan conditions by utilizing local breeds and their resilience potential.

The collaboration between Morocco and the U.S. is supported by various research and capacity-building initiatives, which involve the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). These initiatives cover areas such as crop genetic improvement, biotechnology, sustainable water and soil management, and climate change adaptation.

Scientific exchange programs, including Fulbright and Borlaug, further contribute to these efforts. Through the Borlaug program, 25 INRA researchers have received capacity-building opportunities, with six conducting research stays at U.S. universities over the past two years.

The strengthened collaboration with NASDA is expected to facilitate expertise-sharing and foster ties with U.S. state agriculture departments, universities, and research centers. This will pave the way for joint projects addressing the agricultural priorities of both countries and enhance the productivity, resilience, and sustainability of Moroccan agriculture.