Moroccan tomatoes are likely to be one of the thorny topics at the Paris International Agricultural Show this week, where Morocco is the guest of honor. Since France announced its support for Morocco's plan for Western Sahara, Franco-Moroccan relations have gained fresh momentum. To build on this dynamic, President Emmanuel Macron invited Morocco as the star guest at the International Agricultural Show, one of Europe's largest agricultural fairs. However, for European tomato producers, this spotlight is hard to digest, according to Euractiv. Imports from Morocco have surged in recent years, driven by lower prices, declining European production, and growing demand — a trend that provoked the ire of local farmers. In 2023, Morocco became the EU's largest supplier of fresh tomatoes, exporting 491,908 tonnes and accounting for 61% of total imports. A European Commission report predicts this upward trend will continue until 2035. Moroccan tomatoes, mainly exported to France, are often re-exported to other European markets, particularly Germany and the Netherlands. A recent report from the French Ministry of Agriculture urged national producers to collaborate with their European counterparts — including those from Italy, Portugal, and Spain — through a joint tomato contact group. In Spain, the national coordination of agricultural organizations (COAG) has filed a complaint against Morocco, accusing it of exceeding the annual tariff quota of 230,000 tonnes, allegedly causing a loss of 14 million euros per year for Spanish producers. In France, the agriculture trade union Rural Coordination union is leading the campaign against Moroccan tomatoes, calling for the termination of the EU-Morocco agreement. As in previous years, the trade union is expected to leverage the media attention surrounding the Agricultural Show to amplify its message, often finding support from right-wing party National Rally. Notably, for the first time, the Franco-Moroccan friendship group in Parliament is now chaired by Hélène Laporte, a far-right MP from France's main tomato-producing region in the southwest and a vocal opponent of Moroccan tomato imports.
