Agricultural Investment Code of 1969: Major Modernization Project Launched

The Ministry of Agriculture has launched a call for tenders for a study to overhaul the Agricultural Investment Code (CIA), with an estimated budget of 5.64 million dirhams. Originally comprising 49 texts (17 dahirs, 19 decrees, 13 orders), the CIA was first published in the Official Bulletin on July 25, 1969. This legal framework covers the core aspects of agricultural activity and state intervention in the sector, and has held considerable importance over the past half‑century.

Its revision comes at a time of profound change in the agricultural sector on multiple fronts, while the CIA has remained in force since 1969.

An in‑depth study is intended to provide the ministry with guidance for reforming the CIA. Since its promulgation, Moroccan agriculture has undergone significant economic and institutional transformations, marked by the rise of a more structured and dynamic private sector. The study aims to address both current and future needs of the agricultural sector, particularly in line with the New Development Model (NMD).

Often referred to as "the charter of agricultural development," the CIA applies to all agricultural land, with particular focus on areas designated by the state for their agricultural potential. It spans a wide range of domains—from water management and land reform to the intensification of farming systems, investment incentives, and beyond.

The study aims to evaluate the legal framework of the Agricultural Investment Code, assess its alignment with the transformations Moroccan agriculture has undergone over the past fifty years, and devise a reform strategy to meet current policy objectives and economic development challenges. It will also propose coherent legal frameworks by domain of intervention, drawing on international benchmarks and best practices.

The contractor will carry out three main missions over eight months. The first involves assessing the current application of the CIA, compiling an inventory of existing agricultural legislation, diagnosing its implementation, and identifying areas in need of revision.

The second mission entails identifying inconsistencies, gaps, and constraints within the CIA, formulating recommendations in consultation with relevant stakeholders, and presenting them for validation in order to build consensus around the reform strategy.

The third mission involves defining a roadmap for implementing the reform strategy, focusing on the transition from the current CIA framework to the proposed reforms, and detailing the timeline, consistency, and strategic orientations of the reform process.

Preference will be given to bids from competitors based in Morocco during the financial evaluation. For non‑Moroccan competitors, financial offers will be subject to a 15% increase. These provisions do not apply to consortia in which one or more members are based in Morocco, provided their share in the consortium is equal to or greater than 30%.