Morocco’s OCP Group has set out its work in Africa at a meeting held at the United Nations headquarters in New York, focusing on women farmers and food supply.
The group, through its branch OCP Africa, said it runs programmes in more than 40 African countries, helping millions of small farmers.
Its chief executive, Hajar El Aloui, said the company is working on better ways to feed crops while protecting the soil. She said OCP is moving away from one-size-fits-all fertilisers towards products adapted to each type of soil.
Africa has about 60% of the world’s unused farmland but still imports much of its food, the meeting heard.
OCP said its work includes training farmers, sharing modern farming methods and helping them get access to fertilisers suited to their land. It also supports the full chain from farming to selling produce.
The group pointed to projects such as field schools and mobile labs, which bring advice and testing services closer to farmers in remote areas, especially women.
Women produce up to 70% of food in Africa, but many still struggle to access land, loans, farming supplies and markets.
The Food and Agriculture Organization says giving women the same access as men could increase farm output by up to 30%.
OCP said including women in all stages of farming and processing is a key part of its plan. It is also backing small and medium-sized businesses run by women.
The meeting also discussed challenges such as climate change and soil damage.
