Morocco goes to Market

Morocco’s artisan sector accounts for 20 percent of employment and more than 10 percent of that country’s gross domestic product. As Morocco enters a new and competitive trade regime, the sector holds the promise of significant contributions to exports as well as strengthening Morocco’s tourism industry. Major barriers to achieving this potential lie primarily in the areas of product design, market links and business skills.

Through handcrafts such as leather embellished with stitched designs in a variety of colors, stained glass lamps, pottery, and custom-designed hand-woven textiles, the goal of ATA’s MAROC--Market Access, Rural Outreach & Craft--program is to build the trade capacity of Morocco through artisan enterprise development in order to increase employment and income opportunities for the nation’s low-income population.

To achieve this goal, ATA is working with micro, small and medium artisan enterprises throughout Morocco to enhance their competitiveness in and increase their access to local, regional, tourism and global markets.

Three areas form the core of the MAROC program in support of Morocco’s artisan sector:

1. Product development and design activities that enable artisan businesses to create innovative, high-quality, market-driven products that generate orders and secure a global market niche for Moroccan artisans;

2. Building on ATA’s associations with the international crafts and gifts industries, market link activities will increase market access for artisans by expanding existing markets and developing new markets for local producers;

3. Market training activities that assist Moroccan artisans to improve production capacity, quality, efficiency and competitiveness; understand market opportunities and realities; negotiate with local, regional, tourism and global markets; establish enduring business links with clients; and grow their businesses.

ATA expects that these activities will enable Moroccan artisans to increase their sales and income, strengthen their businesses, and enhance their market competitiveness. MAROC is generating additional benefits including:

•  Revival and enhancement of rich cultural traditions and skills;

•  Increased use of renewable resources and non-toxic production processes;

•  Economic empowerment and improved lives for women and marginalized social groups;

•  Expanded rural employment opportunities that could help slow migration to urban areas;

•  Establishment of linkages with microfinance lending institutions, trade associations, business networks, and others that could provide opportunities for artisan businesses in finance, trade information, design information, market information and contacts. All these links will help extend the reach, impact, and sustainability of the program.

The MAROC project is funded by the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) and administered by USAID. It is implemented by local staff and supported by ATA’s home office, and partners with the Peace Corps in Rabat and Planet Finance, a local non-profit organization working in the microfinance sector.