Food security in Egypt is a driving force for policy development and the physical reshaping of the country. Recently the OECD published a very insightful report on the status of Egyptian Agriculture and de food system as a whole: Policies for the Future of Farming and Food in Egypt (EN). The LAN-team in Cairo was happy to be of assistance in giving feedback on earlier drafts and by participating in the peer-review session.
The report gives a clear insight into the societal cost-benefit of the current food-support and agricultural policies. It places the agri-and food policy-development in historical perspective and suggests strategies for improving Egypt’s food system.
The key policy recommendations include:
- Strengthen food systems co-ordination to oversee policy interactions and facilitate reforms to meet multiple goals. Commission an independent expert review of existing government interventions in the agriculture and food value chain, including analysis of the role of government agencies, SOEs* and MOEs*. This review would bring clarity and transparency to the current policy environment, and facilitate comprehensive consideration of government strategies, goals, and policy tools. Introduce a co-ordination mechanism across government ministries and agencies to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the entire policy package.
- Improve the availability, transparency and quality of data on agricultural public expenditures, market interventions, nutritional outcomes, and agri-environmental performance.
- Progressively shift the focus of policy support towards nutrition targets and innovation, while gradually reducing support for staple crops and the overall burden of agricultural support for the economy.
- Enhance the agricultural knowledge and innovation system as the main tool to support production by improving sustainable productivity.
- Strengthen the sustainable management of Egypt’s natural resources for agriculture, developing policies to reduce water demand and fertilizer use, while stepping up enforcement of pesticides regulations.
The Netherlands engages with Egypt on many of these aspects. Main milestones are the 50 years Water Collaboration - Egypt-en | The Netherlands and Egypt, the recent signing of an MoU between Wageningen University and Research and Egypt’s Agricultural Research Center, and the project portfolio on Climate and Water Smart Agriculture: 1-Climate and Water Smart Agriculture – Dutch collaboration in Egypt | Agroberichten Buitenland
For more information, please contact the agricultural team at the Netherlands Embassy in Cairo at Kai-lvvn@minbuza.nl
*SOE, MOE – State/Military Owned Enterprise