Dr Abdul Moneim El-Banna, Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, and FAO Representative in Egypt Hussein Gadain during World Food Day celebrations.

Cairo, 17 October 2017: Egypt's Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) today celebrated World Food Day 2017, held under the theme "change the future of migration; invest in food security and rural development." This year, the celebrations highlighted the critical link between immigration, food security, and rural development.

Held under the patronage of His Excellency Dr Abdul Moneim El-Banna, Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, the ceremony was attended by FAO Representative in Egypt Hussein Gadain, a number of officials from FAO and other UN agencies, and representatives of the civil society, academic institutions, and the media.

In his speech at the ceremony, Dr El-Banna said that Egypt's political leadership and incumbent government are eager to encourage investments and improve the investment environment in all activities related to agriculture and animal production. He referred to mega national projects launched by President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, such as the 1.5 million Fadden project, the million head of livestock project, and the 100,000 greenhouses project.

"Such mega agricultural projects would attract huge investments in these industries, creating jobs for the youth, reducing the food gap, and achieving comprehensive development," he said. He pointed out that the private sector is a key partner in the achievement of comprehensive development in all sectors, particularly agriculture, which would serve Egypt's public interest and achieve food security.

The minister said major facilities and incentives have recently been offered to investors in the animal and poultry sectors, noting that Ministerial Decision 773 of 2017 gives all animal, poultry, and fish development projects the same treatment as agricultural projects. "This shows our interest in investment in food security and rural development in the framework of our agricultural policies and strategies to fight hunger and malnutrition and improve the conditions of the rural areas and the standard of living for their population," he said.

El-Banna added that the Ministry of Agriculture is currently implementing a number of programmes and projects to achieve those objectives, such as expanding the marketing and manufacturing of agricultural inputs and products in the rural areas; establishing integrated agricultural-industrial-service communities in the new agricultural expansion regions; maximizing farmer benefits from agricultural waste; supporting smallholder institutions, especially with regard to agricultural marketing in rural areas; and activating the role of women in rural development and agri-industries.

In a speech he delivered on behalf of FAO Director-General Jose Graziano da Silva, Hussein Gadain said, "Conflict, hunger, poverty, lack of resources, and climate change are the main reasons of migration. These factors affect the rural communities in particular. Here, FAO plays an important role in helping countries invest in livelihoods and build more resilient rural communities. This way, people in rural areas can have the choice to stay in their lands or leave if they wish."

"FAO also works to improve food security for internally displaced persons or people living in refugee camps. We are also calling for a safe, regular, and orderly migration so that it can contribute to the growth of the global economy and improve people's lives," he added.

Noting that FAO will next year be the co-chair - with the International Organization for Migration – of the United Nations Global Migration Group, Gaddain added that the organisation will work in alignment with the acknowledgment that food security, sustainable agriculture, and rural development are essential parts of the solution to the global migration problem.

"FAO and the Egyptian government, along with other UN agencies, the private sector, the civil society, and the local communities, play an important role in addressing the root causes of local and international migration and displacement and in using the potential of migration to achieve food security and reduce poverty. And through its various projects in Egypt, FAO also works with stakeholders to enhance their livelihoods in agricultural aspects and rural regions," mentioned Gadain.

"Creating the conditions that allow the rural population, particularly the youth, to stay in their homes when they feel safe and when they have more resilient livelihoods is a crucial element in any plan to confront the migration challenge. Rural development can also address the factors that force people's movement. This includes the creation of business opportunities and jobs for the youths in sectors that are not limited to crop production, such as small diary projects, poultry farming, food processing, and horticulture,” he added.

It is noteworthy that reports from the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics in 2017 indicated that the proportion of rural population in Egypt is 57.8 percent of the total 95 million of the population.

During the ceremony, a FAO-produced documentary on the impact of migration was presented. The Minister of Agriculture also awarded a number of people for their efforts on World Food Day. An exhibition of FAO publications was also organised on the sidelines of the celebration.