AHDO: Cultivating a Greener Future for Arab Agriculture
Updated 9/12/2024 12:38:00 PMArab Finance: The Sahara International Agricultural Exhibition and Conference (Sahara Expo) serves as a cornerstone for promoting sustainable agriculture in Egypt. This event presents a significant opportunity for Egyptian companies to expand into global markets and highlight their contributions to sustainable agriculture.
On the sidelines of the exhibition, Arab Finance engaged in a dialogue with the seasoned expert in food safety and sustainable development Mamdouh Issa, Managing Director of Arab Health and Development Corporation (AHDO). The discussion encompassed the initiatives undertaken to foster sustainable agriculture, the challenges confronting farmers, and the sector’s aspirations for the current year.
1-What is your vision for AHDO in the context of agricultural development in the Arab region?
For AHDO, the Arab world has always been our starting point. We are committed to leading agricultural development in the region by tailoring our integrated solutions to address specific challenges in the Arab region. These challenges include public health, food and water safety, agricultural sustainability, and overall food security.
We have undertaken several initiatives and projects with our successful partners from Egypt and the Middle East, primarily to be introduced in Egypt, the Middle East, and Africa. These projects and initiatives cover many crucial topics, such as food safety, good agricultural practices, IPM, post-harvest management, hazard analysis critical control point (HACCP), food and water security, human security, and sustainable development.
However, we aim to expand our influence across the entire region by 2030.
2-Can you elaborate on AHDO's initiatives to promote sustainable agriculture in Egypt and the broader Arab world?
At AHDO, our agriculture and sustainable development sector focuses on introducing farmers, especially small farmers, to the principles and practices of the 'Low-Budget Natural Farming' approach.
Given the increasing costs of agricultural inputs such as fertilizers and chemical pesticides, this approach helps save water, maintains soil health, and emphasizes waste management.
We are currently collaborating with the Agriculture Export Council to qualify Egyptian farmers and exporters for the new requirements of the European Green Deal, ensuring our continued export position to the European Union and creating new export opportunities. Additionally, we plan to implement a similar initiative in the African region in cooperation with AGRA.
3-What is the importance of networking opportunities provided by the Sahara exhibition for both local and international stakeholders?
The Sahara Exhibition offers great opportunities for networking with more than 20,000 agriculture experts, making it the largest gathering of food and agriculture stakeholders in Egypt and the region.
For local businesses, the exhibition provides a platform to showcase their products and services to a wider audience, both locally and internationally, and to explore potential partnerships and opportunities for business growth.
For international stakeholders, the exhibition presents significant opportunities to explore investment, find mutual trade opportunities, and understand local market dynamics. Additionally, it provides a viable chance to enter the Egyptian and North African markets.
4-What kind of feedback have you received from past exhibitors and participants? And how has it influenced the planning for this year's event?
Feedback from previous years was very encouraging, leading us to participate effectively for eight consecutive years.
Therefore, we remain committed to continuously improving the integrated solutions we offer based on the needs of stakeholders and bridging gaps in the food and agriculture sector in Egypt and Africa.
Accordingly, this year we are organizing a workshop in cooperation with local authorities and international and African bodies to address the food security situation on the African continent and provide solutions within this framework.
5-With over 250 exhibitors from various countries, how does AHDO ensure a diverse representation of agricultural practices and technologies?
We are pleased to have partnered with the Sahara Conference over the past years and are excited to continue this collaboration this year.
Our participation in delivering, mentoring, and organizing the workshop, 'Food Security, the Future of Africa,' and the conference itself, serves as an important platform for knowledge exchange during the exhibition and experience. It brings together experts and stakeholders from around the globe, sharing the latest agricultural practices and technologies.
The event will be conducted in both Arabic and English and will include farmers, professionals, agribusiness companies, government authorities, and local and international NGOs.
6-How does the support from the Egyptian government enhance the effectiveness and reach of the Sahara exhibition?
The exhibition, held under the patronage of the Egyptian Cabinet and the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, greatly increases its reach and demonstrates government support for such events.
Moreover, the participation of representatives from the Agricultural Research Centre and the Desert Research Centre during the conference and seminars enhances the exhibition’s role in transferring technology and sharing information.
7-What are the biggest challenges currently facing the agricultural sector in Egypt? And how is AHDO addressing them?
The Egyptian agricultural sector navigates a complex landscape but also offers exciting opportunities for innovation and improvement. By tackling challenges such as climate change and market access, we can unlock the sector's full potential.
AHDO is addressing these challenges by focusing its efforts on providing integrated solutions in food and water safety, integrated pest management, agriculture, and sustainable development.
We emphasize stakeholders' capacity building through various tailored international training and professional postgraduate education programs, as well as off- and on-site consultancy.
8-What is the expected growth rate of the agriculture sector in Egypt in 2024? And what is the role AHDO plays in this growth?
The opportunities in the Egyptian agricultural sector are substantial, with an expected growth rate of 4.1%. However, there is still an unmet demand that needs to be addressed.
Our efforts are focused on empowering Egyptian farmers and making agriculture both socially and economically viable. Our focus is also on ensuring food security and building effective, inclusive food systems—from farm to fork—with minimal loss, maximum efficiency, and optimal return for all involved.
9-How does AHDO collaborate with other organizations and governments in the region to promote agricultural innovation?
Alongside the integrated solutions we provide at AHDO for food and agriculture sustainability, we recognize that capacity building and the exchange of expertise are crucial for promoting sustainable agriculture.
In this effort, we have collaborated with many local, Arab, African, European, and American bodies, including universities, research centers, regulatory authorities, NGOs, and the private sector. Through this, we plan to train farmers, exporters, professionals, and inspectors from Upper Egypt, the Delta, Cairo, and various Arab, African, Asian, and Latin American countries on international food safety requirements for food and agricultural products. We have also participated in projects aimed at promoting climate-smart agricultural systems.
Additionally, we have continued our partnership with The Central Laboratory for analysis of pesticide residues and heavy metals in food (QCAP) in Egypt and Konya University of Food and Agriculture in Türkiye.
This partnership aims to develop and offer international diplomas in food safety and quality, agriculture and sustainable development, integrated pest management, and health and nutrition, with partially funded scholarships to support the development of Egyptian, Arab, and African graduates in the food and agriculture sector.
10-Finally, what are your long-term plans for AHDO?
Our long-term plan includes establishing more partnerships, both locally and internationally, to expand the scope of our solutions.
This expansion will focus on translation, localization, training and educational programs, developing manuals, consultation, and research, with a priority on reaching more Arab and African countries, followed by the global South as a whole. This has been AHDO's vision from the beginning.
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