For the tenth time SEKEM Initiative has published a comprehensive integrated annual report, which presents its efforts to sustainable development in four dimensions: economy, ecology, cultural and societal life. This year, SEKEM has specifically targeted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which were published by the United Nations at the beginning of 2016 as a global target for 2030.

SEKEM shows how the initiative has been working on all 17 targets already for 40 years and is actively promoting many of them. Further significant developments in 2016 have been:

Organic agriculture is growing: Also SEKEMs agricultural activities could achieve a growth of 38%, although no new investments had been made in 2016. The number of supplying farmers has grown, which shows that the biodynamic cultivated land in Egypt is increasing. As a result, more products have been certified by Demeter.

Less water, lower CO2 emissions: Despite the economic growth in 2016, the overall CO2 balance of SEKEM was 3,017,332 tCO2e compared with 3,237,623 in the previous year. Although the overall water consumption increased, the groundwater use in agriculture was reduced by 16%. 100% of the water is continuously reused by SEKEM.

Strengthening community development: In 2016, SEKEM has focused on promoting community development among its contracted farmers. Additional trainings, monthly meetings and social events had been held. This shall not only contribute to a stronger social development in Egypt, but at the same time supports the food safety issue, which is promoted by a more comprehensive understanding of the farmers to their activities.