Egypt eyes investment in efficient and sustainable agriculture

December 5, 2017
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Egypt’s agricultural sector is facing a number of challenges, such as the impacts of climate change, scarcity of water and land, high levels of urbanisation and increasing demand for healthy and nutritious food.

These issues were the focus of Promoting Sustainable Investment in Egypt’s Food Security – a high-level forum held today in Cairo to discuss investment opportunities in Egypt’s agricultural sector, and in particular, ways to make the sector more efficient and sustainable.

More than 200 key players from the public and private sectors gathered at the forum, which was organised by the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) together with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the World Bank. This was in collaboration with the Egyptian Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, the Ministry of Investment and International Cooperation, and the Ministry of Supply and Internal Trade.

Improving efficiency

Despite improvements in agricultural productivity, Egypt still faces major constraints on water and land use, which limit its domestic food production. The UN estimates that Egypt’s population will soar by 60 per cent to over 150 million by 2050. Consequently, the consumption of staple food products, including grain and sugar, is set to increase from 2 to 16 per cent over the next decade.

Participants at the event, including producer associations, policy-makers and investors, focused their discussions on two key themes: making Egypt’s agriculture more sustainable and supporting the country’s food systems in becoming more efficient, specifically in terms of import supply chains and subsectors with high potential for exports.

“The Egyptian government is keen on creating an appropriate investment environment to attract more local and foreign investment from both the public and private sectors, advancing the country’s development and ensuring more job opportunities for youth,” said Dr Abdel Moneim El-Banna, Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation.

 

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Press Release

European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)

Countries covered:

  • Egypt