To be the guest of honor during the 14th edition of the International Agricultural Exhibition of Meknes was a privilege and an opportunity for Switzerland. This event made it possible to make Switzerland's agricultural skills more widely known, but also its expertise and experience in research and technological development. Concretely, SIAM represented for Switzerland:
- An award-winning pavilion, made up of 15 companies and covering more than 450 m2.
- A delegation of high-level experts, led by the Secretary of State and Director of the Federal Office for Agriculture.
- A statement of purpose that promote sustainable agriculture and food systems which provides the framework for bilateral dialogue.
- The Strengthening of links between private and public partners.
- A unique opportunity to show the best of Swiss know-how, from fertilizers to supply chains and drones.
- Hundreds of positive media coverage through articles, interviews and reports.
The SIAM adventure was thus an institutional and economic success which contributes to the strengthening and sustainability of the excellent relations between Switzerland and Morocco. SIAM also strengthened ties and collaboration between the Moroccan private sector, Swiss companies in Morocco, the Swiss Chamber of Commerce in Morocco, the Ministry of Agriculture and the SIAM Commissioner. These precious exchanges at each step of the project allowed this result which exceeded our expectations.
Ms. Florence Marie Rolle
FAO representative in Morocco
“Since the opening of the FAO Representation in Rabat in 1982, the Organization has built a rich and fruitful partnership with the Kingdom of Morocco and more particularly with the Ministry of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development and Water and Forests in different areas of cooperation.
It is therefore logical that the FAO has proudly associated itself with the International Agricultural exhibition of Meknes since its start in 2006, firstly by taking part in it, by contributing to scientific conferences, by ensuring a high level representation, like the visit in 2014 of Mr. José Graziano Da Silva, Former Director General of FAO, and recently by participating together in one stand with the United Nations.
FAO saw this event become the unmissable event of the year and a catalyst for opportunities for the various actors in the agricultural world, both Moroccan and foreigners. A craze, which is reflected in particular by the ever increasing number of visitors, the wealth of stands in terms of exposure to the latest techniques and scientific discoveries, the concomitant presence of manufacturers, producers and buyers, which has made SIAM an international benchmark coveted by industry professionals and the general public.
Last year, within the framework of the 14th edition of the International Agricultural Exhibition of Meknes and thanks to the generosity of the SIAM Commissioner, the participation of FAO took a new turn by bringing with it the UN agencies working directly or indirectly in the agricultural sector, and therefore by presenting the contribution of the United Nations Development System (UNDS) in Morocco around a United Nations stand in the international pole.
For this 14th edition, the participation of the SNUD was also placed under the sign of an interactive approach for the promotion of employment among young people and women in rural areas and the exchange of knowledge with the general public and professionals in the sector around strategic themes of agriculture and agrifood in Morocco, through a rich program of workshops, training and awareness. In concrete terms, SIAM offered SNUD the possibility of having:
A common stand which brought together for the first time 7 specialized agencies, funds and programs of the United Nations (FAO, UNIDO, ONUFEMMES, IOM, UNDP, UNESCO and UNHCR) active in agricultural and rural development;
- A delegation of experts who came to conduct training and awareness workshops on the importance of marketing agricultural products; on the dangers of re-using empty pesticide packaging or on best agricultural practices in terms of post-harvest techniques, preserving quality and reducing quantitative and qualitative losses…;
- An agora space which served as a platform for exchanges and connections with farmers, small farmers and agricultural technicians ...;
- Positive spin-offs in terms of media coverage.
SIAM has given the SNUD a chance to translate the reform of the United Nations into action, which the Secretary General, António Guterres, has implemented with the support of all member countries. I must say that this is a fantastic opportunity and the FAO sincerely thanks SIAM for having supported it in this process. The success of the initiative exceeded all our expectations and made it possible to:
1) Highlight the cooperation between the SNUD and Morocco for sustainable and inclusive agricultural development;
2) Highlight the strengthened partnerships between specialized agencies of the SNUD and the Government of Morocco on South-South Cooperation;
3) Strengthen the collaboration ties of the SNUD with Switzerland, guest of honor at this edition and a key partner, who contributes technically and financially to the success of several projects. "
