Moroccan growers slam ‘baseless’ EU media campaign against tomato exports

Morocco’s fruit and vegetable exporters have condemned what they describe as a “disinformation campaign” in European media questioning the safety of Moroccan tomatoes,saying the allegations lack scientific basis and amount to unfair trade practices.

The latest reports form part of a pattern of attempts to discredit Moroccan produce,particularly tomatoes,which have become a dominant presence in the EU market,the Moroccan Association of Fruit and Vegetable Producers and Exporters (Apefel) said in a statement.

“For years,Moroccan fresh produce has been repeatedly targeted by unfounded campaigns in Europe,” the group said.

Morocco overtook other non-EU suppliers in 2023 to become the bloc’s leading source of tomatoes,thanks to strict sanitary controls and competitive pricing.

Apefel said official EU data contradicts claims of widespread non-compliance: between 2020 and 2025,only 49 notifications concerned Moroccan produce out of 5,502 for all imported fruits and vegetables – less than 1%.

The association singled out a recent article by French consumer group UFC-Que Choisir,calling its findings “misleading” and based on outdated,limited samples.

Apefel stressed that the presence of multiple pesticide residues does not mean legal limits were breached,and that trace levels detected pose no health risk under EU regulations.

“These narratives exploit health concerns for economic ends,aiming to restrict Moroccan access to the European market under the guise of precaution,” Apefel said,describing the trend as “a form of protectionism incompatible with fair trade principles.”

The group urged European stakeholders to engage in “transparent,science-based dialogue” and reaffirmed Morocco’s commitment to meeting EU and international standards while promoting sustainable agri-food trade.