A Promising Economic Shift: Strengthening the Cooperative Sector in Morocco
Morocco’s cooperative sector is emerging as a pivotal economic force, as highlighted by the recent remarks of Lahcen Saadi, Secretary of State for Traditional Industry and Social Economy. At a meeting of the Cooperative Development Office in Rabat, he emphasized the importance of enhancing cooperatives’ role in fostering economic growth, social equity, and regional balance.
Evolving Role of Cooperatives
Saadi’s statements came during a strategic meeting focused on assessing the achievements of the Cooperative Development Office and outlining future directions. He noted a significant shift from sporadic sector interventions to an integrated approach that positions cooperatives as central economic players capable of generating wealth and job opportunities.
Historically considered primarily social entities, cooperatives are now driving employment, increasing incomes, empowering women, and integrating young graduates into the workforce. Currently, cooperatives contribute approximately 3% to Morocco’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and engage about 5% of the active population.
Ambitious Growth Targets
Looking ahead, the Moroccan government aims to increase the cooperatives’ GDP contribution to 8% and create 50,000 jobs annually by 2035. Achieving these ambitious targets requires the development of a new support and framework model.
In this context, the Cooperative Development Office is implementing a comprehensive system focused on governance, digitization, and investment direction. This includes launching an integrated information system, a cooperative project bank, a digital registration platform for new cooperatives, and an online marketplace to promote cooperative products. Additionally, the “Cooperative Academy” platform will enhance the skills of cooperative actors.
Creating Value Beyond Traditional Aid
Aicha Rfaï, General Director of the Cooperative Development Office, emphasized a pivotal transition from traditional support mechanisms to value creation. This shift aims to provide services that meet the expectations of women and youth, addressing the needs of various regions and reinforcing the role of cooperatives as engines of development.
Data presented during the meeting revealed that as of mid-June 2026, Morocco has 69,193 registered cooperatives, involving 825,754 members, including 280,772 women—approximately 34% of total participants—and 18,512 young graduates.
Pathway to Sustainable Development
The board concluded its discussions by reaffirming its commitment to implementing the 2026-2028 roadmap, designed to strengthen the cooperative sector’s contributions to sustainable development, enhance territorial economic sovereignty, and support social equity across the Kingdom.
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