May 25, 2025
Sofitel Cairo Downtown Nile, Obelisk Hall
Overview
Egypt stands at a critical juncture, facing significant environmental stresses exacerbated by climate change, despite being a relatively minor contributor[1] to global greenhouse gas emissions. The nation’s already hot and arid climate is experiencing increasing average temperatures, with projections indicating continued increases. Climate change significantly impacts Egypt’s agricultural sector[2], a vital contributor to the country’s GDP, foreign cash reserves, food security, and employment. Absent adaptation, rising temperatures, increased land salinity due to rising sea levels in the Nile Delta, limited surface water resources and rapid exploitation of groundwater resources will reduce agricultural productivity in the future.
In response to these challenges, climate-smart agriculture (CSA) emerges as a crucial solution. CSA is a framework which encompasses adaptation measures including agricultural practices and crop choices that sustainably increase productivity, reduction of greenhouse gas emissions where possible, and early warning systems to improve resilience to shocks. By adopting CSA practices, Egypt can mitigate the adverse effects of climate change on its agricultural output, ensure food supply chain stability, conserve precious water resources, and ultimately safeguard human development.
The “Bridging Evidence and Policy” (BEP) Seminar Series is an initiative sponsored in collaboration among the Sawiris Foundation for Social Development (SFSD), the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), and the Egyptian Food Bank (EFB). Launched in May 2023, the BEP series serves as a platform for knowledge exchange and collaborative learning among donors, local and international development implementers, government representatives, academics, and researchers. Its primary objective is to integrate essential developmental best practices guided by evidence and data into policymaking in Egypt. By fostering dialogue and sharing multidisciplinary insights, the BEP series aims to enhance the effectiveness and impact of development projects and policies in Egypt.
Building on the success of these previous sessions, this 5th BEP event will delve into the critical intersection of climate-smart agriculture and development practices in Egypt. This roundtable discussion will aim to gather experts and practitioners to explore how practices such as forecasting, real-time monitoring and agro-innovation within climate-smart approaches can be effectively integrated into broader food systems, development strategies to enhance resilience, ensure food security and promote sustainable human development in the face of a changing climate.
[1] https://www.capmas.gov.eg/Admin/News/PressRelease/20149308655_684_e.pdf
[2] Perez, N. D., Kassim, Y., Ringler, C., Thomas, T. S., & ElDidi, H. (2021). Climate change and Egypt’s agriculture (Vol. 17). Intl Food Policy Res Inst.
Livestream
Agenda
Master of ceremony
Fatma Abdelaziz Senior Research Associate Senior Research Associate, International Food Policy Research institute (IFPRI)
| Opening Remarks 9:30-09:40 AM |
Laila Hosny – CEO, Sawiris Foundation for Social Development (SFSD) |
| 09:40-09:45 AM | Interactive survey Moderator: Fatma Abdelaziz, Senior Research Associate Senior Research Associate, IFPRI |
| Panel Discussion 1 Climate ForecastingModerator: Mohamed El Karamany, Director, EFB Growth Lab 9:45-10:40 AM |
Mohamed Fahim – Director, Climate Change Information Center (CCIC) Mai Mohsen – Head of Technical Office Information and Decision Support Center (IDSC) Amira Nasser – Meteorologist & Deputy Manager of the Technical Office, Egyptian Meteorological Authority Ayman Omer – Senior Field Program Officer, Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO RNE) Mahmoud Mahmoud Ali Helal – CEO, Fagr Al Gadid |
| 10:40-11:00 AM | Q&A |
| 11:00 – 11:05 AM | Interactive survey Moderator: Fatma Abdelaziz, Senior Research Associate Senior Research Associate, IFPRI |
| Presentations (15 minutes each) 11:05-11:35 AM |
Mohsen Sarhan – CEO, Egyptian Food Bank
Linda Steinhuebel-Rasheed – Research Fellow, IFPRI |
| 11:35 - 11:45 AM | Short Break |
| Panel Discussion 2 Climate InnovationModerator: Adham Hamdy, Senior Learning and Innovation Officer, SFSD 11:45 AM -12:45 PM |
Khaled Kheireldin – NAP Project Manager, Ministry of Environment Hassan Elbadawy – Advisor - Agri-digital Solutions, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) Hussein Abou Bakr – CEO, Mozare3 Alia Hafiz – Head of Nutrition, World Food Program (WFP) |
| 12:40-01:00 PM | Q&A |
| 01:00-01:05 PM | Interactive survey Moderator: Fatma Abdelaziz, Senior Research Associate Senior Research Associate, IFPRI |
| Closing remarks
01:05-01:15 PM |
Mohsen Sarhan – CEO, EFB |
| 01:15 PM | Lunch and networking |
