Auteur: Abdelhamid NECHAD
82nd International Scientific Conference on Economic and Social Development - "Post-Covid Economy in Africa and emerging countries" – Tangier 23-24 May 2022
Essaid El Meskini Dean of Faculty of Low EL JADIDA Abdelhamid Nechad Professor at ESCA Casablanca
Abdelghani El Labbar Phd Student at ENCGT – Abdelmalek Essadi University
In Morocco the issue of food security is generally treated from a sociological and economic angle while it has a significant influence on the sovereignty and geopolitical position of the country on the international scene. In this sense Morocco has attached great importance to the achievement of its food self-sufficiency through the efforts made in the agricultural field and this through several agricultural plans and strategies we note mainly the Morocco "Green plan". Indeed agriculture plays a central role in the establishment of food security this important place of agriculture is manifested by its contribution (14%) to the Gross National Product ahead of industry and tourism for the year 2021. The central position of the agricultural sector has been the result of several strategies and policies implemented by Morocco since its independence. Thus the passage of an interventionist economic policy of the State in the agricultural sector until the end of the years 2000 (Support of prices to the production of strategic products within the framework of its vision of self-sufficiency) towards a liberal policy in the agricultural sector (support for agricultural investment). In addition Morocco has carried out major strategic actions in the agricultural sector such as the dam policy the establishment of hydro-agricultural infrastructure the strengthening of agricultural production and the establishment of a strategy for the supervision and financing of farmers. These efforts have enabled Morocco to make progress and gains in terms of agricultural infrastructure as well as the presentation of a development of comparative advantage. Today the issue of food security in Morocco intervenes in an indirect way in the subjects of conflict and power. Thus the new concept of food security becomes a determining factor in the management of territory and population (elements of geopolitics). Thus food security is both a pillar of the sovereignty of the State and its soft power because it is a vector of the independence of the State. The health crisis has called into question the importance of food security and to face the panic of the population and States facing the risks of food disruption. Like the traditional instruments of Moroccan soft power Morocco's success in establishing food security during the crisis has attracted the intention of several African countries. To this end several countries have expressed an interest in concluding lasting agreements in the agricultural field while others have sought to draw inspiration from the Moroccan agricultural model which is a success story for them. However the Moroccan approach to establishing food security is still insufficient in the face of new international constraints and challenges which may directly influence Moroccan soft power in Africa. At the end of this paper we try to show through a critical analysis of the impact of the limits of the food security policy on Moroccan soft power in Africa through the following axes: 1) Literature Review 2) The geopolitical dimension of food security in Africa 3) Food security: a geopolitical weapon of Moroccan soft power in Africa 4)Towards a new version of food power in Morocco.