2023-10-28 23:30:26
The Moroccan underground contains a real treasure. It contains 70% of the world’s phosphate reserves, an essential element for the manufacture of food fertilizers, which makes it a “guarantor” of global food security.
Indeed, the latest meeting of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, organized in Marrakech, highlighted the importance of the phosphate supply chain for food security. And it just so happens that a large part of these reserves are located in Morocco. You should know that phosphate is an essential mineral for the production of DNA, the formation of teeth and bones, but also for the creation of food fertilizers. But there are concerns about global reserves because phosphate cannot be synthesized artificially, and its extraction is limited.
Chakib Jenane of the World Bank explained that fertilizers account for about 50% of our global food production. In order to respond to population growth in Africa, it is essential to increase the supply of fertilizers, whether of organic or chemical origin.
Morocco is also home to the world’s largest producer of fertilizers
In recent times, the cost of food fertilizers has skyrocketed, with diammonium phosphate almost reaching the $1,000 per ton mark in 2022. The main cause of this price rise is the sanctions imposed on Russia and Belarus in response to the invasion of Ukraine, as well as trade restrictions imposed by China as part of its “zero Covid” policy.
Although prices have fallen since then, this cannot be attributed to any substantial progress. Chakib Jenane notes that the minerals market is always volatile, but that the recent energy crisis has had a direct impact on fertilizer prices. Farmers might be inclined to reduce their use of fertilizers given their high cost, but this would lead to lower crop yields and quality, ultimately leading to higher food prices.
Morocco thus occupies a central position in this context, being the cradle of the world’s largest fertilizer producer, the Moroccan group OCP. According to Ilias El Fali, OCP operations director, Africa holds the key to guaranteeing global food security. Currently, the continent uses only a tiny fraction of the world’s fertilizers (10%), which translates into agricultural yields less than a quarter of the world average.
You should also know that 60% of the world’s arable land is located in Africa, which gives this region immense potential to ensure its own food security, while contributing to feeding the rest of the world.
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