The Minister of International Cooperation H.E. Dr. Rania A. Al-Mashat, and officials from the International Labor Organization (ILO) and the Al Gharbiya Governorate, inspected the results of the first phase of the value chain development project in the dairy sector. This is part of the “Egypt Youth Employment (EYE RAWABET): Jobs and Private Sector Development in Rural Egypt”. The Q & A below provides the most important information about the project. What is the “Egypt Youth Employment (EYE RAWABET): Jobs and Private Sector Development in Rural Egypt”? The project “Egypt Youth Employment (EYE RAWABET): Jobs and Private Sector Development in Rural Egypt” is one of the projects that the ILO is working on in Egypt, in partnership with the Ministry of International Cooperation and with funding from the Norwegian government. The project is one of the partnerships that resulted from international agreements concluded by the Ministry of International Cooperation to support the implementation of Egypt’s national development agenda, which is consistent with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The project aims to benefit from the ILO’s experience and its longstanding commitment to promoting decent work in the rural economy. This is in addition to relying on, and advancing previous and ongoing initiatives of rural development in Egypt. The overall aim is to achieve economic development in rural areas by promoting decent work, creating partnerships between relevant parties, and developing value chains across sectors. This is done through a two-step strategy: 1) Direct Technical Support; and 2) Institutional Capacity Development. When Was the Project Launched? The program’s framework was signed in September 2017 between the Ministry of International Cooperation and ILO. Ever since, work has been done by both partners on several sub-sectors, and today the first phase of the value chain development project in the dairy sector has been concluded. Who are the Main Stakeholders in the Project’s Implementation? The ILO office in Cairo is responsible for implementing the project in partnership with the Ministry of International Cooperation, which works to coordinate between all stakeholders to ensure the achievement of desired results. The Ministry also played a role in establishing an advisory committee for the project, and in cooperating with the Federation of Egyptian Industries (FEI), and the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency (MSMEDA) for implementation. The program also succeeded in establishing a number of successful partnerships; the most important of which is the Central Bank of Egypt’s initiative “Nile Pioneers”, the National Food Safety Authority, and the Ministry of Social Solidarity. Who are the Project’s Beneficiaries? The project aims to achieve economic development in rural areas by promoting decent work at the level of: 1) men and women in rural communities, 2) MSMEs within a number of specific value chains, 3) Providers of business development and financial services, and 4) public entities that are participating in the project. What are the Sectors that are Benefiting? Based on consultative meetings with the concerned government entities, development partners and all relevant parties, and through coordination by the Ministry of International Cooperation, the dairy sector was selected as the first sub-sector benefiting from the Rawabet project. Within the project, a number of development interventions will contribute to improving the performance in this sector, especially MSMEs. The aim is to support their competitiveness and ability to achieve sustainable growth in a way that enhances the potential for generating decent work opportunities, and contributes to rural development. After selecting the dairy sector, the project undertook an in-depth study to identify the structure of value chains in the dairy sector and the different roles of all its employees; starting with small producers all the way to consumers. The study also aimed to identify opportunities and challenges, alongside an analysis on market systems and on previous initiatives that were implemented to develop the dairy sector. What are the Main Objectives of the Dairy Value Chain Development Project? It aims to improve the living conditions of small dairy producers and their families by providing a sustainable source of income and decent work conditions. This encompasses the necessary social protection, and facilitating the availability of the required technical and financial support (including the availability of financial inclusion tools). The project also aims to rehabilitate and improve the efficiency of small dairy producers. The project established partnerships with relevant entities in the dairy sector, namely the National Food Safety Authority, the Chamber of Food Industries, the Central Bank of Egypt’s Nile Pioneers Initiative, and research institutes. How was the Project Implemented? The project was implemented through a number of frameworks, namely providing agricultural services, veterinary services, and improving farmers' productivity by ensuring the quality of dairy products. It was also implemented by training farmers and improving agricultural practices to reduce dairy production costs while maximizing yield. Moreover, the project was done by establishing access to markets and improving profitability by connecting farmers with dairy collection centers (Pharaonic Company Group). Alongside this, the dairy collection centers of the Pharaonic Company were prepped and developed to be able to obtain licenses from the National Food Safety Authority. The implementation of the project also included introducing a directory for establishing dairy service collection centers, and developing business and services, training entrepreneurs, and linking them to financing programs. What are the Main Results of the First Phase of the Program? Within a year and a half, the necessary support was provided in terms of training and health care services to more than 200 farmers and nearly 1,000 cows. Moreover, their conn