FAO and EAPD sign agreement promoting South-South and Triangular cooperation to support agrifood systems transformation and improve food security

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and Egyptian Agency of Partnership for Development (EAPD) have signed today a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at strengthening efforts in promoting south-south and triangular cooperation (SSTC) to boost the transformation of agrifood systems, improve food security, and support the global efforts towards the 2030 Sustainable Agenda.

“South-South Cooperation is key to upscaling and sharing expertise to meet the 2030 Agenda. We also encourage Egypt to intensify its involvement through SSTC; confirming FAO’s readiness to support these efforts, and this MoU is testimony to that promise,” said AbdulHakim Elwaer, FAO Assistant Director- General and Regional Representative for the Near East and North Africa.

SSTC plays a pivotal role in accelerating progress towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This cooperation between and among countries of the Global South can act as a key delivery modality to catalyze agricultural development, food and nutrition security, rural development, and poverty reduction.

The MoU aims to facilitate the exchange and transfer of knowledge within the agricultural sector among Egypt and African countries to contribute to the eradication of hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition and to increase and improve the provision of goods and services from agriculture, forestry and fisheries in a sustainable manner. Knowledge exchange will also focus on reducing rural poverty; to enable more inclusive and efficient agricultural and food systems at local, national and international levels; and to increase the resilience of livelihoods to threats and crisis.

FAO and EAPD will work to deliver the outcomes of the MoU through capacity building and training courses, including lectures, field visits, practical work, and study tours, as well as institutional exchange with relevant national institutions, in addition to various other planned activities.

The MoU underlines Egypt’s efforts to prioritize the sustainable development of agrifood systems in Egypt and Africa, which is in line with FAO’s Strategic Framework 2022-2031.

Egypt has been one of the leading countries in Africa in regards to technology transfer over the past decade and therefore it is essential for Egypt to further extend its technical excellence in support to countries in the region and beyond to support the development of the region.