Morocco: when lentils cease to be the dish of the "poor"

The price of lentils has almost tripled in recent times. The government of Morocco is trying to respond to popular discontent by blaming an increase in world market prices and a decline in domestic production by 66% due to droughts. But can we be satisfied with such explanations?

Admittedly, there is an unfavorable conjuncture with the sharp decline in stocks in Canada, the world's largest producer and exporter of lentils. However, the decline in domestic production, which is otherwise real, is not an argument that weighs too much. For the simple reason that domestic production has been low for two decades now. This leads me to believe that, beyond the economic situation, the responsible authorities should recognize and tell the Moroccans the truth around the problem, which is structural and linked to the dysfunctions of the pulses sector in general and that of lentils in particular.

[Full French article here | Photo by Nick Mote]