@FAO-RNE Zahra Ahmed, the supervisor of FAO Nutrition project in Egypt shows products made by rural women

Cairo 9 March 2017

FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva completed on Thursday 9 March a two-day visit to Egypt aiming at boosting collaboration between the Organization and the most populous Arab Country. 

His visit included meetings with the President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, H.E. Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, the Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation H.E. Abdel Moneim Al-Banna, the Minister for Investment and International Cooperation H.E. Sahar Nasr, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs H.E. Sameh Shoukry, as well as the Secretary General of the League of Arab States H.E. Ahmad Abou El-Gheit.

Moreover, he met beneficiaries from FAO projects, signed agreements on supporting an agri investment forum and met with beneficiaries from the Nutrition project.

During his meetings with Egyptian officials, Mr. Da Silva discussed a number of important issues, including water scarcity, climate change adaptation, in addition to ways and means to boost investment in the agricultural sector.

The High-Level officials hailed the FAO cooperation with Egypt and renewed their commitment to take this cooperation to a new level. The Director-General expressed his strong support to the Egyptian Authorities and committed to support programmes aiming at addressing water scarcity and promoting climate resilient agriculture.

The DG announced FAO’s support to holding an agricultural investment forum towards the end of the year aiming at boosting investment in the agriculture value chain to support economic growth and employment generation with the focus on four areas: wheat, sugar, meat and horticulture.

Mr. da Silva met with farmers and families benefiting from the Nutrition Project, and its dimensions, mainly the Junior Farmer Field and Life Schools, the nutrition Kitchen, household food production and income-generating activities through the micro-credit revolving community development fund targeting women and unemployed youth who are seeking ways to increase their homegrown food.  He inaugurated the first Egyptian street-food mobile kitchen which is one of the fruits of the nutrition project, and will be implemented in five governorates in upper Egypt.