The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) signed a Record of Discussions (R/D) with the Government of the Arab Republic of Egypt on September 5 in Cairo on the technical cooperation project “Smallholder Market-Oriented Agriculture Improvement Project Phase 2.
Agriculture in Egypt is positioned as an important industry in terms of food supply to the growing population and employment security. Given the large number of poor people working in the agricultural sector in rural areas, increasing agricultural productivity and improving farmers’ income and living standards are important issues for reducing poverty and eliminating inequality. Small-scale farmers are particularly vulnerable to the risk of food crises caused by climate change, war, and other factors.
The project will revise and implement the ISMAP approach(*) developed under the “Improving Market-Oriented Agriculture for Smallholder Farmers Project” (May 2014 – May 2019) in the governorates of Minia, Assiut, and Sohag in the Upper Egypt Region and one governorate in the Delta, and will work with relevant institutions and Egyptian government programs to The project aims to improve the livelihoods of rural communities by establishing an extension methodology that can be used throughout Egypt by developing and implementing an agricultural extension plan through collaboration with relevant institutions and Egyptian government programs, thereby contributing to SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) Goal 1 (End Poverty), Goal 2 (Zero Hunger), Goal 5 (Achieve Gender Equality) (to achieve gender equality). The project is also expected to improve the adaptive capacity of small-scale farmers.
(*) An agricultural extension approach targeting small-scale farmers and women promoted by the Egyptian Ministry of Agriculture and Land Development and JICA. The prototype of this approach is the SHEP approach, which encourages small-scale farmers to change their awareness and behavior from producing and selling to farming to produce to sell.
© Source JICA