Country Programming Framework

The Country Programming Framework (CPF) is derived from the priority areas, outcomes and outputs of the UNSDCF while supporting the Government of Egypt in achieving its developmental and climate change objectives, as aligned with national sectoral strategies, action plans, platforms and presidential initiatives such as the: Vision 2030, 2030 Updated Sustainable Agricultural Development Strategy and Action Plan (SADS-2030), National Water Resources Plan, 2017-2037, Egypt National Climate Change Strategy-2050, and First Updated Nationally Determined Contributions (2022), National Food and Nutrition Strategy (2022-2030), Egypt National Action Plan for Antimicrobial Resistance (2018-2022), Egypt's Country Platform for the Nexus of Water, Food and Energy (NWFE) Programme (2022), National Strategy for the Empowerment of Egyptian Women, 2030, and the ‘Haya Karima Initiative (Decent Life – Sustainable Rural Communities), 2019-2030.

In terms of the agriculture sector, FAO will support all six strategic objectives of the SADS-2030, namely: (1) Enhance food security and nutrition, (2) Promote sustainable agriculture, (3) Eradicate poverty in rural areas and improve income and living standards, (4) Adapt to climate change and mitigate its impacts, (5) Increase the competitiveness of agricultural products, (6) Creation of job opportunities for employment, especially for women and youth; plus cross-cutting programmes for institutional reform, agricultural policy reform and agriculture research, technology transfer and agricultural extension.

FAO will also support the Government of Egypt with the co-ordination and programming of the country’s food systems transformation (as follow-up to the Food Summit (2021) and strengthening the governance of Egyptian food control and phytosanitary systems – both strategic priorities not directly captured by UNSDCF outcome indicators but inclusive to the context of Outcomes 1 and 3 and important to the Organization’s normative and standard-setting work in the country.

The CPF results are guided by FAO’s Strategic Framework for 2022-2031 that places the 2030 Agenda at its centre by using SDGs and their indicators to promote focus and track progress. Guided by the lens of SDG 1 (No poverty), SDG 2 (No hunger), and SDG 10 (Reduced inequalities), FAO’s contributions to agrifood systems’ transformation span across all SDGs organised along the Organization’s four Betters (Better Production, Better Nutrition, Better Environment and Better Life. FAO’s country programmes draw upon the 20 Programme Priority Areas (PPAs) under the four Betters, to leverage needed technical expertise in the context of Regional Priorities defined by the Organization’s Regional Conferences.

CPF Outcome 1: Strengthened human capital through equal access to quality services, social protection and social justice ensured for all people

FAO aims to support the Government of Egypt, NGOs and the private sector in addressing challenges of insufficient co-ordination of multi-sectoral actors for the effective policy making, strategy development and programming following up on the ‘National Pathway for Food Systems Transformation in Egypt’ (adopted by the Government prior to the UN Food Summit of 2021) and draft “National Food and Nutrition Strategy 2023-2030”. Similarly, a weak food control system cannot ensure the safety of locally produced and imported food for public health nor demonstrate compliance with food safety standards in Egypt’s export markets. Similarly, without a sound national phytosanitary system, new pests can enter the country, damage plant production and the environment and limit access to new markets.

CPF Outcome 2: Enhanced people-centred inclusive, sustainable and environmental economic/agricultural development driven by productivity growth, decent jobs, digitalisation and integrating the informal economy

FAO aims to support the Government of Egypt, NGOs and the private sector in addressing economic development challenges that include: reducing poverty and under/unemployment in rural areas, especially among women and youth; high food losses along value chains; lack of grassroots agri-business support services; lack of sectoral interaction, public/private sector engagement, quality control and transparency along agricultural supply and market chains; centralised/non-participatory Research and development approaches; and lack of public and foreign direct investment in the agriculture sector despite employing a significant portion of the population.

CPF Outcome 3: Enhanced climate resilience and efficiency of natural resource for all/rural people in a sustainable environment

FAO aims to support the Government of Egypt, NGOs and the private sector in addressing challenges of decreasing smallholder agricultural and fisheries/aquaculture production, the impact of climate change and degradation of natural resources that include: increasing scarcity of irrigation water supplies; increasing soil and water salinity and sodicity, particularly in the northern Nile Delta; increasing soil infertility and declining soil health; rising temperatures and increased evapotranspiration and transpiration in crops and livestock, particularly in Upper Egypt; increasing soil erosion, land degradation and desertification; increasing plant and animal pest and disease outbreaks and heat stress and associated viruses in fish; lack of smallholder producers’ knowledge of innovative and improved Climate-smart agriculture technologies and practices, including modern irrigation techniques; ineffectual agricultural extension services; and lack of early warning systems for weather, pests and diseases-related events.