ABSTRACT
Morocco has become an important emerging economy, making it an attractive destination for European and global investors looking to create new opportunities for growth. This chapter illustrates the scale of foreign direct investment (FDI) in export-orientated agriculture and its impact on the land and water resources of Morocco by analysing its development in two areas: the southwestern Souss–Massa–Draa region and the Gharb plateau near Casablanca. The impact of FDI-funded agricultural development will be analysed by comparing the recent expansion of areas under greenhouses in Morocco with the similar production model that occurred decades previously in neighbouring Almeria and Huelva. FDI in agriculture is small by comparison, accounting for an average of €2.5 million annually. None the less, alongside tourism and more recently the renewable energy industry, it has important impacts for employment and the country’s resource base.
