The quality and training needs of Moroccan agri-food enterprises

A distinctive feature of present trends in international relationships is the importance of human and social capital, including training and personal growth of actors involved in the production process. The objective of this paper is to discuss the need for education and training in Moroccan agricultural and agri-food enterprises in light of the increasing connectedness with the EU economy. In particular, attention is focused on the need brought about by increased product quality requirements and by the installation of EU and US enterprises in Morocco. The study is carried out through a survey of 98 Moroccan enterprises. The results show a high degree of awareness about gaps and problems related to meeting EU consumer expectations. However, they also emphasise the need for training and information. Many of the respondents already show a clear positive strategy toward meeting such needs, and many enterprises are already compliant with many quality requirements. The main focus of the training required is on the interface between technical and marketing activities. The most preferred, and required, competences were: marketing managers, quality managers, administration and finance and food safety experts.