In order to expand production and attain its goal of achieving an agricultural GDP of US$17 billion by 2020 Morocco started leasing agricultural land to domestic and foreign investors for agriculture projects. In 2008 Morocco created the Green Morocco Plan with the goal of investments of US$1.1 billion by the end of the decade and to double the country’s agricultural GDP from US$8.5 billion in 2008 to US$17 billion by 2020. So far 100,000 hectares have been leased for terms over 40 years by the United Arab Emirates, France, Portugal, and Spain and another 600,000 hectares are planned to be leased for agricultural projects with added value by 2020. Morocco has promoted its geographic location as giving other countries close proximity to the growing markets in Africa, and its trained, less-expensive work force, gaining the interest of investors from the U.S., Belgium, Argentina, Gabon, Senegal, Tunisia, South Africa, and Australia.
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