Brussels — The Parliament Magazine has underlined the role played by Morocco in developing a resilient agriculture model in Africa, particularly during the COVID-19 crisis.
In early April, the World Food Programme and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations published an alarming report claiming that the number of people facing food insecurity in the world could double by the end of the year with Africa specifically highlighted, it said.
“Present in 18 African countries through rural development programmes, it seemed only natural that OCP Africa, a subsidiary of the world leader in phosphate fertilizers, Moroccan OCP Group, announced an emergency programme for Africa,” the magazine pointed out.
Since April, OCP Africa has stepped up action on the ground to help farmers cope with the COVID-19 crisis and to ensure stable incomes for them and their families, it said.
“Sustainable models and partnerships and the identification of synergies to create value, are for us necessary to support real agricultural transformation. The Women in the Agribooster programme in Ghana perfectly illustrates our convictions,” said CEO of OCP Africa, Karim Lotfi Senhadji, quoted by the magazine.
He adds, “In addition to access to inputs and markets, technology remains key. That is why we have selected two brilliant Agri-tech start-ups TROTRO TRACTOR and SAYeTECH to support women farmers in soil preparation and also in optimising their activities to improve their yields.”
“Both start-ups are part of the IMPULSE acceleration programme for African start-ups, launched by the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University and supported by OCP Africa and the OCP Group”.
African agriculture accounts for around 15 percent of the continent’s GDP and employs six in ten people. Leveraging its agricultural experience and its flagship Agribooster programme, the OCP Group is a frontline player, it noted.
Since 2016, this holistic programme has had a significant impact on African agriculture, benefiting more than 300,000 small producers across Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire.
The Agribooster programme has helped increase yields by up to 40 percent and supports farmers in accessing markets through insurance and financing tools.
In Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa, OCP Africa distributes fertilizers to 50.000 farmers in support of the so-called ‘Presidential Fertilizer Initiative’, it said.
OCP, through its Foundation, is also involved in raising awareness around social issues among rural populations, the magazine noted, adding that since the start of the Covid-19 outbreak, the OCP Foundation has supported the CorpsAfrica NGO, which distributes hygiene kits in Senegal, Rwanda and Malawi.
Since 2011, CorpsAfrica has recruited and trained future leaders in Africa to help facilitate small-scale and high-impact projects.
On the educational front, the OCP Group, through the Pan-African Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, launched the “Excellence in Africa” initiative in partnership with the Federal Polytechnic School of Lausanne.
The initiative aims to democratise e-learning, particularly during COVID-19. It has made available to 33 African universities, affiliated to the RUForum university network, a series of educational resources, such as open online courses and other e-learning platforms, which can be freely used by teachers and students across Africa, the source said.
