Morocco Among Key Beneficiaries of USDA's Food for Progress Initiative
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), through its Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), has recently announced its prioritized countries for the Food for Progress program for the fiscal year 2026. Notably, Morocco is included in this select group of seven nations, which also features Bangladesh, Bolivia, Ecuador, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. This initiative represents a substantial commitment to enhancing agricultural productivity and fostering trade in developing economies.
The Food for Progress program is set to allocate up to $226 million through new cooperative agreements aimed at financing projects with a maximum duration of five years. Individual project funding ranges from $28 million to $35 million, reflecting a significant investment in agricultural development. The program operates on a model that involves the bulk purchase of American agricultural products, their shipment, and subsequent sale in emerging market economies. The proceeds generated from these sales are earmarked for funding agricultural development programs, infrastructure projects, and economic capacity building within the beneficiary countries.
Officially, the Food for Progress program pursues two primary objectives: enhancing agricultural productivity in developing and emerging economies while promoting the expansion of agricultural trade. However, the USDA emphasizes that the initiative also aims to bolster the competitiveness of American agricultural markets, encouraging private sector participation and innovation within these emerging markets. Therefore, this mechanism serves a dual purpose, linking development assistance with the opening of new commercial opportunities for American producers.
Every year, the FAS issues a call for project proposals, inviting a broad spectrum of entities to participate, including foreign governments, intergovernmental organizations, non-governmental organizations, cooperatives, and universities. Funding announcements for the 2026 fiscal year will be published on the federal platform Grants.gov, providing an opportunity for various stakeholders to engage in this impactful initiative.
As reported by ledesk.ma.
