Why Morocco is setting its sights on the UK grocery market

Effective supply chain management requires a balance between sustainable production, the ability to maintain inventory levels and, particularly when it comes to fresh produce, speedy logistics and transport. That, along with greater communication, traceability and transparency across the whole supply chain, is key to guaranteeing success when it comes to maintaining the freshness and availability of products on supermarket shelves – and it’s something Morocco is banking on.

Trade relations between Morocco and the UK date back 300 years. But now, thanks to the opening of a new Morocco-UK shipping route announced earlier this year – cutting journey times from more than six days by road to less than three – and renewed trade agreements between the two countries post-Brexit, Morocco is now firmly planting its stake on British soil to promote itself as a credible, reliable and fast trading alternative for British businesses and suppliers.

Before Brexit, there was £2.5bn of trade between the two countries – but new agreements that include trade benefits, duty-free trade in industrial products, and free trade in agricultural, agri-food and fisheries products, will ensure British and Moroccan consumers continue to benefit from a preferential tariff on imported products.

In a post-Brexit world, it means the UK has become a direct partner of Morocco, with all the advantages that this implies in terms of communication, traceability, logistics, transport and, above all, transparency. This isn’t anything new, of course. The majority of Moroccan exporters already work with British companies, so they know their requirements and expectations – and it is this experience that makes Morocco such an attractive offer.

By experience, I mean control of the distribution circuit thanks to a modern logistics chain; respect for deadlines; the abundance of products ensuring a consistent flow of customers from October to March; the diversity of supply (including agricultural, fishery, processed and local products); seasonality of products; and the quality and traceability of products coming from Morocco to the UK.

UK businesses have high sanitary and environmental standards. As such, they expect that same level of credible, transparent and reliable service from the countries from which they import. Not only is Morocco in an advantageous geographical position, with existing and frequent maritime lines, but it has a resilient agriculture that has shown its adaptation and competitiveness in the face of Covid-19.

In today’s world, there are many challenges in areas such as climate, ecology, food and energy. But Morocco adopted a real policy very early on to preserve its resources and adjust its energy mix as best it could.

At an agricultural level, this policy translates into actions to irrigate large areas of cultivation, the development of organic farming, the upgrading of production to enable the final products to meet international standards, and the development of the terroir to ensure that local populations have a decent income that enables them to live off their work. Also, certain agricultural areas have been upgraded with crops that are more resistant to climate change (olive trees, almond trees, carob trees, cacti, etc).

When we talk about traceability, it’s important to note that Morocco has also embarked on a vast effort to preserve the genetic resources of seeds, crops and livestock – with the number of plant genetic resources conserved in gene banks increasing from 22,000 to 67,970 from 2008 to 2019.

We’ve also embarked on a number of key initiatives including the agricultural strategy Generation Green 2020-2030; the comprehensive and integrated National Nutrition Programme; and The Strategy to Combat Childhood Obesity (2018-2025).

Morocco is poised and ready to perpetuate the trade that has existed between our two countries for 300 years now, positioning itself as a credible and reliable partner for British operators and show that it is far more than a substitute offer for British grocers.

But above all Morocco’s offer is “a reliable origin that cares”. That comes through quality, logistics, traceability and the experience of operators, at the same time taking care of consumers’ health, respecting British values and the earth.