EGG PRODUCERS WORKSHOP IN MOROCCO
INTRODUCTION
The Animal Welfare League, committed to informing egg producers on best practices in animal welfare and contributing to a growing, continent-wide network for cage-free egg sourcing, held its 7th Cage-Free Project Workshop in Casablanca, Morocco. Taking place after the South Africa edition, this workshop marked another step in Animal Welfare League’s regional expansion, bringing practical training, more sustainable farming practices, and networking opportunities to producers in Morocco and reinforcing its commitment to advancing farm animal welfare across Africa.
Themed “Developing Sustainable Layer Poultry Farming Systems in Morocco,” the event was held on Friday, June 20, 2025, at the Hilton Hotel – South Casablanca, convening Moroccan and international industry experts, egg producers, professional associations, and representatives from government and civil society.
The poultry sector in Morocco is a key component of national food security, fully meeting domestic demand for eggs through local production. The production of eggs for consumption, according to FISA (2020), reached 6.9 billion units in 2019; an evolution of 86% compared to 2008, supported by a well-structured layer production industry that includes three dedicated layer hatcheries, grading and packing centers, and thousands of approved farms.
Traditional “beldi” systems, where hens are kept in cage-free or free-range conditions on smallholder farms, remain an important segment of the market.
Modernization efforts under the Generation Green 2020-2030 strategy are driving investment in efficient housing and biosecurity, and also, increasing interest in alternative systems is emerging. While large-scale cage-free adoption is still limited, growing consumer awareness, particularly among urban middle-class buyers, signals potential for a gradual shift toward higher-welfare systems, especially as retailers and hospitality sectors begin to respond to global sourcing trends.
A group picture of AWL team, egg producers, and some of the workshop attendees
Key Moments From the Workshop
Featured speakers included:
Prof. Soraya Noury, Head of the Veterinary Physiology and Therapeutics Unit at the Hassan II Institute of Agronomic and Veterinary Medicine, who served as master of ceremonies and chaired the event.
She delivered an in-depth presentation which comprehensively addressed the minimum poultry welfare standards, and highlighted the importance of ensuring strict compliance to ensure maximum production and quality of life for layer hens.
Sir Khalid Bokhari, a representative of the Ministry of Agriculture, and Mrs Widad Boukli, director of the regional office of the agricultural council of Casablanca Settat, who officially addressed the cage-free poultry development in Morocco.
In the address, it was noted that Morocco’s poultry sector now meets 100 percent of the country’s needs for white meat and eggs, contributing 45 billion dirhams annually and providing around 515,000 jobs. Highlights included Morocco’s partnership with 14 African countries since 2017 to train over 3,500 professionals, along with the establishment of the African Confederation for Poultry Development (CADA) to boost regional collaboration. It was added that the move toward cage-free systems is seen as both a response to changing consumer expectations and a key objective of the Generation Green 2020–2030 strategy to modernize production and ensure sustainable growth.
Sir Zakaria Benradi, Animal Welfare League Morocco Representative, who presented on Animal Welfare League Morocco Action Plan, recommending a targeted roadmap to advance cage-free egg production through producer training, stakeholder engagement, alignment with Generation Green 2020–2030, and consumer awareness initiatives promoting sustainable, welfare-friendly poultry farming.
Zakaria Dihim, an expert in digital marketing, who presented on alternative trade circuits, focusing on e-commerce, e-showcase, and local supply chains.
Also speaking was Dr. Oumaima Arbani, a veterinarian and a researcher at the Hassan II Agronomic and Veterinary Institute. Her presentation focused on biosecurity and avian influenza prevention. She discussed avian influenza as a public health threat, outlining the virus’s zoonotic nature, economic importance, and practical consequences, and emphasized comprehensive safety measures to prevent outbreaks.
Dr. Jacob Ayang, in his keynote address, thanked participants
“for caring, not just about productivity, but about the welfare of the laying hens that make it all possible.”
He then urged farmers to join the growing Global Cage-Free Movement, calling it
“a call to improve the way we care for laying hens.”
He said cage-free systems allow birds to
“walk, flap their wings, perch, and lay eggs… just as nature intended,”
stressing the fact that it is not just about being kind but
“about productivity, sustainability, and staying competitive in a changing market.”
Noting major brands like McDonald’s and KFC have pledged to go 100% cage-free, he described Morocco as having
“a huge opportunity”
and pledged Animal Welfare League support through training, technical advice, and strategic support.
“This is more than a farming method, it’s a movement, one that builds a food system that is productive, humane, sustainable, and respected globally.”
he concluded.
Keynote Address by the AWL's corporate campaigns lead
Cage-free Directory and Signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
The Animal Welfare League (AWL) team, led by the Community Affairs manager, Dr. Richard Dogbatse, introduced farmers to the Animal Welfare League’s Cage-Free Directory, a network established to register egg producers who are committed to cage-free production systems and whose farming practices and conditions fully comply with the Animal Welfare League’s minimum animal welfare standards.
Following their introduction to the Cage-Free Directory, farmers were provided with a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to confirm their consent to be listed in the directory.
All the egg producers who attended the workshop consented to be listed in the Cage-Free Directory and signed the MOU to confirm the partnership agreement aiming to promote cage-free farming, with Animal Welfare League committed to the provision of both technical and financial support. The reported total number of layer hens presently committed to cage-free production in Rabat, Marrakech, Commune Laghnimiyine Berrechid, and Guemassa, is estimated at 20,000.
Media Coverage and Partnership
Based on the shared dedication to facilitate sensitization and awareness creation of sustainable layer poultry farming systems in Morocco, the Animal Welfare League entered into a media partnership with Al-Muhit Al-Filhi, a Moroccan media platform dedicated to sustainability and agricultural topics, to cover Animal Welfare League’s activities through magazine, articles and reports, and the promotion of media coverage of all national and regional projects and related matters.
Next Steps
Further farm visits will be conducted to provide training and personalised support to farmers on the network by the Animal Welfare League team, led by the Morocco representative, Mr Zakaria Benradi.
A multi-stakeholder national monitoring committee will be set up to pilot the adoption of floor-based and free-range eggs by the HRI sector as part of aligning with the Green Generation Plan.
The Animal Welfare League, led by the Morocco representative, will engage with FISA to develop and implement a medium-term roadmap for the progressive adoption of cage-free farming systems in line with the Green Generation Plan.
