Cairo, Egypt - The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and The Embassy of Norway signed today an agreement on the implementation of the project “Improved Socio-economic Status, Food Security and Empowerment of Vulnerable Rural Communities in Minya Governorate”. The project will be implemented in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Solidarity (MoSS), as a lead government partner, and in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation (MoALR) and National Council for Women (NCW).

The project will be implemented over a period of three years with a total funding of three million US Dollars contributed by Norway.

The project aims at reducing poverty, improving food security and nutrition and livelihoods for poor rural women, youth and disabled people. It will develop a more sustainable climate-resilient food system in Minya Governorate ensuring no one is left behind, especially those most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The project will achieve these objectives through the adoption of climate smart agriculture (CSA), post-harvest management (PHM) practices and good agriculture practices (GAP).

The agreement was signed by H.E Hilde Klemetsdal, Ambassador of the Royal Kingdom of Norway in Egypt and Dr. Nasredin Hag Elamin, FAO Representative in Egypt, in the presence of Dr. Mervat Sabrin, Assistant Minister for Protection and Social Safety Nets, Ministry of Social Solidarity, and Medhat Abdel Rashid, Director of FORSA Program of MOSS.

The project is built on the national priorities in the areas of food systems, climate change, livelihoods and rural development as stipulated in Egypt’s Strategy for Adaptation to Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction, the National Sustainable Agriculture Development Strategy, Hayah Karima Initiative, the Nexus of Water, Food and Energy (NWFE) Program.

The project is aligned with the Norway’s strategy for promoting food security in development policy and FAO's strategic paths on Better Life, Better Environment, Better Production and Better Nutrition.

H.E. Hilde Klemetsdal, the Ambassador of Norway in Egypt said “I am thrilled that we are partnering with FAO in this project. We hope to contribute to improved nutrition and food security for vulnerable communities, through locally produced food better adapted to climate change”.

“The Project will work towards achieving improvements in incomes, employment and nutritional status for 2,000 poor rural households in targeted rural communities from ten selected Hayat Karima villages in Minya Governorate. It is anticipated that the Project will create 2,000 full-time direct job/self-employment opportunities and another 2,000 indirect seasonal/part-time employment opportunities for poor women, youth, disabled people and men” Nasredin Hag Elamin, FAO Representative in Egypt, said.

“The new cooperation with the Norwegian side comes as a result of the success of the Canadian project to improve livelihoods, nutrition and empowerment for rural women and their families in Minya Governorate, which FAO and MOSS implemented over two years in cooperation with the MoALR with the participation of 11 civil society organizations. 3,000 rural women benefited from the project. The project provided them with the opportunity to participate in orchard cultivation and food and agricultural processing projects” Dr. Mervat Sabreen, Assistant Minister of Social Solidarity, said.

FAO and its implementing partners, MoSS, MoALR and NCW, will be supported specialized local NGOs and public and private sector service providers at the governorate, village and community levels.