Faced with a rapidly growing international market, Moroccan operators are struggling to find their place and to offer organic products with high added value. High production costs, lack of adequate regulations, labels, unfair competition, Moroccan exporters face several challenges which were the subject of a webinar organized by ASMEX and FAMIbio.
Entitled ” Global export opportunities for cosmetics & organic products », the Moroccan Association of Exporters (ASMEX) in partnership organized a webinar which saw the participation of more than 120 companies in the sector, with the aim of highlighting the potential of national local products, but also the changes in the requirements and regulations of the organic cosmetics market.
International expert in the field of natural ingredients, Charles Mordret stressed during his speech that the world cosmetics market represented 341 billion dollars and that it is set to increase to more than 480 billion in 2030, i.e. a growth of more by 5%.
The advent of new segments such as plant-based ingredients, anti-aging products and beauty care for men have revolutionized supply and demand for these products, helped by the development of e-commerce. , said the expert, noting that internet sales today constitute 34% of global sales and which remains an important potential for Morocco which it does not fully benefit from.
The Kingdom is certainly one of the main producers of raw materials and plants used as a basis for organic cosmetic products such as Argan, prickly pears, roses or even some specific fruits and vegetables, but it is lagging behind when it comes to the transformation of these raw materials and the creation of added value, underlined the speakers during the webinar.
Quoted in the ASMEX press release, Slim Kebbadj, president of FAMIbio indicated that ” the organic cosmetics industry in Morocco is almost non-existent. Yet the demand is there. We must therefore find a way to structure the achievements to move towards an export market “.
According to him, this begins with the adoption of strict but clear regulations and with an adequate supervisory administration, noting that the sector today depends on the same supervision as medicine and pharmacy.
To enable Moroccan companies in the sector to take advantage of the growth currently experienced by organic cosmetics in the world, it is important that all public and private stakeholders mobilize, say the experts.
In this sense, Ismail Lachgar, Head of Department for the promotion of local products on an international scale at the Agency for Agricultural Development (ADA) cited some actions undertaken by the Agency to support Moroccan producers so that products comply with international standards in terms of quality, product enhancement and health safety.
These programs aim to create a collective brand for local Moroccan products ” Terroir of Morocco » and the registration of this collective label with the OMPIC and the WIPO in addition to the organization of promotional campaigns at the points of sale of the GMS and the shopping malls during periods of high consumption. It also involves organizing targeted media communication campaigns in order to establish a brand image and a strong reputation for local products.
However, many other obstacles persist, note the speakers. Indeed, the transformation of 100% natural cosmetic products is a complex and sometimes extremely expensive process, which constitutes an obstacle in the face of small local producers.
The other danger comes from unfair competition and barriers to entry into international markets. Abderrahim Taibi, general manager of IMANOR, for his part, confirmed the absence of sufficient regulations to promote Moroccan organic cosmetics.
” We were inspired by international standards to provide Morocco with local labeling and certify organic products and protect them against fraud and fraudulent declarations through labeling in particular. With regard to export, unfortunately, Moroccan products, although they comply with local regulations, sometimes face obstacles imposed by European countries to favor their own products (…) “, he said.
This observation is confirmed by the testimony of Nadia Boutdarine, president of the Yacout cooperative: “ We have been in the field since 2013 and ISO certified since 2016 and we come up against the same obstacles to export, namely, going to administrations related to the food industry, while we are specialized in cosmetics. “.
At the end of this meeting, several possible solutions were identified and the participants called for a general mobilization and a dialogue between the operators and the institutions such as Imanor, the ADA and the government to make up for the delay and above all to develop a exportable supply of organic cosmetics.
A roadmap should follow from FAMIBio and ASMEX, in partnership with the main players in the sector.
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