FAO, Egypt’s Ministry of Agriculture ink protocol on sustainable develpoemnt

CAIRO – 28 February 2019: The Ministry of Agriculture signed a protocol with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) that aims at upgrading strategies of sustainable agricultural development in Egypt.

The new protocol, set to be financed by FAO, includes an action plan that targets to implement all proposed ideas and strategies within a short period of time.

Minister of Agriculture Ezz el-Din Abu Seteit and Professor Hussein Gaddin, representative of the FAO, signed the new protocol in the presence of a set of senior officials from the two sides.

“The action plan needs to be updated to fit the recent social and economic changes; there is a new trend towards digital agriculture. The new protocol includes activities that will develop the skills and abilities of the agricultural sector's employees,” Abu seteit said.

“Implementing the strategy of digital agriculture and upgrading agriculture guidance will be extremely beneficial as it will limit the side effects of climate change, support all employees with all the needed data, and spread awareness among them. All these factors will definitely increase productivity and agricultural products' quality,” Abu Seteit elaborated.

The Egyptian minister also lauded the role played by FAO to achieve tangible agricultural development and fruitful cooperation in investment in agriculture and reclamation. In addition, the FAO carries out workshops to qualify employees to use high technology.

The new protocol comes within the framework of the government's efforts to upgrade objectives of the sustainable development strategy 2030, where the FAO helps to achieve these aims, especially in the field of agriculture and food security.

The protocol focuses on three key axes: Improving food productivity, increasing food security of essential products and rationalizing the usage of sustainable agricultural and natural resources.