Among the essential sections that define the quality of a scientific article submitted for publication, there is the chapter “Materials & Methods” explaining the conditions of the protocol followed and the workflow. The major scientific journals are particularly demanding on this chapter, among which is the “European Journal of Physiology” in which I had the privilege of publishing an article in the past*. The instruments, equipment, materials, consumables, etc., and the various tools (statistical and other) used to conduct the tests to estimate errors and uncertainties inherent in any experimental work are also defined. This approach to the judicious work and the importance of conforming to it are still current because the lack of mastery of this arsenal makes meaningless any research work, or routine control and analysis, and of course cancels out the results that flow from. On the other hand, for considerations that now incorporate the commercial dimension, there has been a reformulation of the concept that is now called ISO 17025. In any case, it can be inferred that, prior to the opening of an analysis and control laboratory, the competent authorities shall ensure that the designated person responsible for the activity has in his / her curriculum mastery of the above – summarized under this denomination ISO 17025, before giving it the authorization to exercise. That is what is being done elsewhere in the world. In our case, this charge should normally go back to the CMC (Moroccan Accreditation Committee) which is empowered, according to “Law 12-06 on standardization, certification and accreditation”. In fact, this is not the case. In the absence of legislation specifically addressing the authorization to open a food testing laboratory, those interested in working in this area may enter this activity within two steps. First, they request the opening of a design office. Then, depending on the motivations of the individuals, a person can very well approach customers and offer them to do the analysis of their products. To “retain” these people, while guaranteeing the profitability of his operations, this person can also issue Analysis Bulletins (BA), possibly “cut according to the desire of the operator”.
In reality, there are very few food analysis laboratories in Morocco, maybe a dozen, compared to several hundred for medical analyzes for example. The fact that, in practice, state laboratories monopolize work on this niche, offering relatively low official prices, largely explains the investors’ lack of interest in this activity which is hardly profitable in the current state of affairs. There is also history that shows that the services of the repression of the frauds have always been very close to this sector, lucrative for them. Even today, under ONSSA (National Office for Food Safety), these services seem to have difficulty in limiting themselves to the role assigned to them by the Food Safety Law 28-07, i.e. to ensure the application of the Law while submitting themselves, for good example, to the traceability of their actions. The net result is that our expertise in general, and laboratory analyzes in particular suffer from an inadequacy (or lack thereof) of credibility and the information available to me shows that this is also the case elsewhere in Africa. While we have the aforementioned CMC, it is essentially foreign service providers, paid for their service, who accredit to the official laboratories of the State and set the private rules of certification that they impose us as in many other African countries. Today it is ISO 17025 that is featured. Tomorrow, always in the interest of maintaining their monopoly over the different components of the expertise activity, it will be the turn for another standard set by these “credibility donors” according to their agenda and not that of Africa. Morocco, the African country with the greatest agri-food potential, has the duty to move on the front of the expertise to gain its independence in this register, a sine qua non condition if it really wants to take the continental leadership. This is what Moroccan officials keep repeating to the print and audiovisual press. Indeed, the credibility, on which one can establish his leadership, is not declared but gained by the force of the work and the example. There is still work to be done and Morocco can choose to erect it as a priority or simply to refer it to the Greek calendars and bury at the same time its chance to serve as an example to follow for the other African nations.
The case of post-war Japan could serve as an example. In the book by Nikos Kazantzakis, Travels: China-Japan, the author describes a devastated country where poverty and hunger were visible everywhere. Japan was flat and bloodless. But Japanese professionals have not given up. A Dutch engineer of that time, who worked for a British textile company, told me that in every trade show of the fifties where he had been, there were always Japanese. They came to the opening and left at the closing of the salon. They observe study, ask questions, and take notes and drawings of exposed machines. Six months later, they put on the market machines comparable or more efficient. At the end of the 1960s, just twenty years after the war, Japan was already a serious competitor in the textile industry.
This example should encourage reflection on the role of our country for Africa. After the Cop22, which the Kingdom organized successfully in record time, African nations have asked him, among others, to be their spokesman for the defense of the environment. This mark of confidence implies that Morocco is seen as a leader capable of implementing independent and credible expertise to enable reasoned opinions in the environmental field that can be used for the protection of African natural resources. These same natural resources have been used until today as a cash economy for many European countries. In this respect, if Morocco does not develop its own expertise, it must not count on the countries mentioned to offer him theirs against their own interests.
*: Essadki, A, J. ATKINSON (1981). Renin release by renin-depleted rats following hypotensive haemorrhage and anesthetics. Pfluegers Arch., 392: 56-50
Note: this work was unprecedented at the time
