Egypt - International Cooperation Forum: Agricultural technology in Africa at the heart of the continent's food Security action plans

A collaborative effort to invest in agriculture, agri-tech solutions and infrastructure can be a key driver in addressing Africa’s food security challenges, and make a significant contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), serving the African continent.   This was the consensus on the second day of the inaugural Egypt - International Cooperation Forum (Egypt – ICF), a two-day event championing the role of multilateralism in achieving sustainable development, launched by the country’s Ministry of International Cooperation.   The session, entitled ‘Food Security and Employment in the Digital Age in Africa’, convened several ministers from across the continent, alongside representatives of development partners. Each underlined the importance of the agricultural sector in their respective countries and how the introduction of modern technologies can accelerate its ability to meet the needs of food security and rural development. The session came in attendance of H.E Dr. Aly El Moselhy, Minister of Supply and Internal Trade; H.E. Mahmoud Sharawi, Minister of Local Development; H.E. Dr. Rania A. Al-Mashat, Minister of International Cooperation; H.E Al- Sayed Al- Qussair, Minister of agriculture and land reclamation; John Mutorwa, Minister of agriculture of Nambia; Ms. Dina Saleh, Director, Near East, North Africa, Europe and Central Asia, IFAD; Dr. Nasredin Hag Elamin, FAO Representative of Egypt; Ms. Corinne Fleischer, Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, WFP; Mr. Peter Musoko, DRC Country Director, WFP; and Mr. Crispin Phanzu, Deputy Minister of Planning, DRC; among many others. The workshop was moderated by Mr. Menghestab Haile, Regional Director Southern Africa, WFP.   H.E. Dr. Rania A. Al-Mashat, Egypt’s Minister of International Cooperation, showcased the Luxor Coordination Center for Knowledge Sharing and Innovation to Promote Resilience in Upper Egypt as a model for how productive partnerships can drive sustainable development in Africa.   “The work we have done with the World Food Programme (WFP), and how we have been able to work with farmers to move as evolve from traditional ways of farming, from diesel-powered irrigation to solar to more sustainable practices is a great example of coordination between local agencies and international partners,” she said. H.E. Al-Sayed Al-Qusayr, Egypt’s Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, noted that agriculture can lead the sustainable development agenda. “Agriculture is a sector that can reach every corner of the country, and it can provide employment and crop yields in the most remote and least developed areas; this is genuine sustainable development.”   He added that while there are challenges, support and investment from the private sector, particularly in technological advancements, has been integral to the fulfillment of food security; explaining that the agricultural sector is intertwined with growth, lying at the heart of development.   H.E. Mahmoud Sharawi, Egypt’s Minister of Local Development, agreed that agriculture can be a tool of development, suggesting that employment is a key driver of food security. “This is one of the reasons why the presidential initiative, Hayah Karima (Decent Life) , came about to help vulnerable communities in Upper Egypt.”   “We worked with the private sector, universities and the World Food Programme (WFP) to enhance agricultural products, improve their distribution and also develop and promote handicraft industries. It has become one of the most important projects in Egypt and sustains 18 million people,” Sharawi added.   H.E. Dr. Aly El-Moselhy, Egypt’s Minister of Supply and Internal Trade, highlighted the potential for digital transformation in addressing the opportunities of food security from the perspective of infrastructure. “When we talk about food security, it’s important that we don’t just talk about production, or just talk about manufacturing. We must include logistics and the last-mile delivery to the consumer,” he said. Mr. Crispin Phanzu, Deputy Minister of Planning, DRC, commended the Ministry of International Cooperation for holding the first edition of the Egypt - International Cooperation Forum catalyzing the sustainable development momentum induced by the challenges faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. He stated that, “we must excel on all levels to become a world that is food secure. All systems, domestic, regional and global, must work together. The rules must be based on multilateral support.” The Egypt-ICF is a two-day forum that took place on September 8-9, organist by the Ministry of International Cooperation under the patronage of H.E. Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. The forum aims to convene the world’s global development leaders and think tanks, in order to lay down an efficient and effective sustainable agenda that is suitable for all; focusing on the global pledge to “Leave No One Behind” while building back better from the pandemic.