Egypt signs MoU with GIZ, IFAD to boost climate-smart agriculture
Egypt signed a memorandum of understanding with the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) to expand climate-smart agriculture and rural development under its national NWFE Programme, the Planning Ministry said Monday.
The agreement, signed by GIZ Country Director Regine Qualmann and IFAD Country Director Mohamed Abdelgadir, was witnessed by Planning Minister Rania Al-Mashat and Holger Illi, Head of Development Cooperation at German Embassy Cairo.
The MoU aims to coordinate technical and financial resources to increase development impact and sustainability in targeted governorates. It will support projects including the Climate-Resilient On-Farm Water Management in Nile Valley (CROWN) and the Sustainable Transformation for Agricultural Resilience Enhancement in Upper Egypt (STAR), and GIZ-managed Agricultural Innovation Boost (AIB) programme.
Al-Mashat said the partnership reflects “Egypt’s commitment to strengthening integration efforts” across energy, water, and food sectors while leveraging international expertise and financing to strengthen climate resilience and rural livelihoods.
Holger Illi noted that Germany, being among the early supporters of NWFE Programme, is expanding its focus to include sustainable agriculture and food security as part of Egypt’s climate agenda and strategic development partnership.
Meanwhile, GIZ’s Qualmann said: “By combining GIZ’s technical cooperation with IFAD’s financial strength, we aim to achieve sustainable impact for smallholder farmers and rural communities.”
IFAD’s Abdelgadir stated that the MoU “enables the scaling up of climate-resilient solutions, strengthening value chains, and improving the incomes of smallholder farmers.”
The agreement also promotes environmentally friendly farming practices, improved crop varieties, modern agricultural techniques, digital literacy initiatives, and support for farmers’ organisations to advance inclusive, climate-resilient rural development.
Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English