The USDA is launching a groundbreaking trade initiative in Morocco this December, sending its largest-ever agricultural delegation to the African continent. The four-day mission will run from December 2-5, 2024, in Casablanca. Based on information from the U.S. Embassy in Morocco, over 60 American representatives will participate, including agribusiness executives, cooperative leaders, and state agricultural officials. The mission will be spearheaded by Daniel Whitley, the Foreign Agricultural Service Administrator. The delegation's agenda includes strategic meetings with buyers from Morocco and neighboring West African nations. Key discussions will take place with Morocco's agricultural institutions, including the Ministry of Agriculture and COMADER. The mission particularly emphasizes connecting with women leaders in agriculture. Trade statistics demonstrate the growing economic partnership between the two nations. Agricultural exchange reached $900 million in 2023, establishing Morocco as America's second-largest agricultural export destination in Africa. The U.S.-Morocco Free Trade Agreement, active since 2006, has effectively tripled Moroccan agricultural exports to the U.S. while doubling American exports to Morocco. The timing aligns with both nations' joint initiative at the United Nations, where they are pushing to designate 2026 as the International Year of the Woman Farmer.
