Smart agriculture against climate change
This furrow irrigation will not work for us, it’s too much labour”, exclaims a farmer during a field visit to the trial field of ICARDA and the Ministry of Agriculture in Beni Sueif, Egypt. The Agriculture Innovation Project II, funded by Germany and Switzerland, is assessing climate vulnerability of agricultural crops and viability of different solutions, in cooperation with ICARDA and the Ministry of Agriculture, to promote green innovations for higher incomes for smallholder farmers and rural businesses in Upper Egypt.
AFS Newsletter - Member Article by
Embassy of Switzerland in Egypt, Officer for International Cooperation
LinkedIn | laila.kenawy@eda.admin.ch
Egypt is at risk from climate change, over-proportionally affecting the poor. Rising temperatures, extreme weather events, and water scarcity threaten agriculture and economic stability. In Egypt, agriculture accounts for 11.7% of GDP, absorbs 25.8% of the working population mostly of poorer families. Already suffering from decreased production means, increasing input prices and high inflationary pressures, climate change is becoming an additional burden.
Together with BMZ, SDC in Egypt is embarking to support small holder farmers cope with the effects of climate change, to improve their economic and environmental resilience. The inception phase coming to its end, prioritized a number of crops, that are most sensitive to climate change and have a disproportional effect on income and food security. The project relied on scientific partners including the research institute of the ministry of agriculture and ICARDA, to assess vulnerabilities, viable solutions and adaption approaches as well as geographical focus of the project. Farmers were included in the process, to assure a beneficiary centric approach and account for cultural specificities. Special attention was given to the role of women and possible interventions to their inclusion.
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