Archive
Newsletter Volume 21 –February 2023
Comments Off on Newsletter Volume 21 –February 2023Dear Reader,
This is volume number 21 of Organic Egypt project newsletter. It reviews our activities in February 2023 and illustrates all interventions conducted with our partners IDAM and Demeter Egypt (EBDA).
We hope you are all doing well and hope you enjoy the reading!
Stay safe and healthy!
TRAININGS AND WORKSHOPS FOR PARTNER ASSOCIATIONS
Training on the Economy of Love (EoL) standard
A one day training on the Economy of Love (EoL) standard was conducted for the engineers of EBDA. The training started by a revision of the biodynamic and organic practices and their holistic impact (e.g., biodiversity, climate change mitigation..etc). Followed by discussing the EoL standard benefits like; receiving technical training, higher income through EoL carbon credits, among many other benefits.
The last session focused on the EoL standard criteria and checklist and the best and easiest way for the engineers to get the data and to support the farmers through the certifying and auditing process.
Training on Data Visualisation
A one day practical training on data visualization tools was conducted to 17 of the partner associations staff. Two experts prepared and implemented the training. At first, Dr. Amr Ghanem defined data and its types with an explanation of data processing methods and different ways of displaying it. He explained how this can be applied to google sheets more accurately and to all types of graphs and further, showed how compound graphs can be constructed. In addition he explained how to prepare data for dashboard work, how to prepare dynamic graphs and how to build dynamic dashboards. Then Dr. Abdelrahman Ali introduced and explained the Canva website and its features. He worked with the participants on different and varied designs (pictures, videos, presentations, etc.) and the differences between the free and paid templates. Also editing and modifying pictures, videos, presentations, ppt, infographics, design posters and book covers and personal cards (business cards) have been discussed and applied.
Training on Biodynamic agriculture
Our partener association (EBDA) participated in a training organized by the Goetheanum section for agriculture in Switzerland. The 4 days training covered several topics including biodynamic research in the past, present and future as well as the implementation and training challenges of biodynamics in different climates and cultural conditions. The training was attended by many representatives of demeter associations world wide. Through different workshops in the topics of fiber, soil, crops and vegetables amongst others, exchange of knowledge and information and experiences was made. Also, success stories of women pioneers in biodynamics from all over the world were shared by the participants.
Strategic Planning Workshop with IDAM
Organic Egypt together with IDAM team had a complementary strategic planning workshop to develop the strategy paper of IDAM’s agricultural program. The workshop consisted of several sessions and meetings with organic agriculture specialists to better understand the sector and to get insight to develop the strategic plan. During the three days workshop, a SWOT analysis was conducted from which outcomes and objectives were defined. In groups, indicators for each outcome were defined. In the coming months, a workshop will be conducted to determine the short and long term activities and to make an action plan.
Training on how to onboard new farmers in the EoL certification
Organic Egypt co-organized a one-day training for IDAM and RDNA suppliers to learn how to onboard new farmers in the EoL certification system. The training was conducted by EBDA representatives, who explained the various services of EBDA and how to get enrolled in the EoL certification. One session covered the basics of the EBDA consultancy programs and training systems, another session explained the Economy of Love standard, its criteria, its services, and its benefits.
NEW INNOVATIVE SERVICES OF OUR PARTNER ASSOCIATIONS
Evaluation and further development of the ERPnext system
The EBDA team hosted Gabriel Morgen, the chief technology officer (CTO) at Producers trust Company.
He came to analyze and understand the ERPnext system in order to support EBDA to improve and upgrade it. He visited the EBDA farms to meet the field engineers and understand the data entry system. His visit was very productive as he helped in outlining the challenges and map out the points EBDA want to achieve and upgrade. He also provided innovative solutions to facilitate the process of registering the EBDA farmers.
TRAINING AND LEARNING MATERIAL CREATED WITH OUR PARTNERS
Recipe Videos for consumer awareness
Organic Egypt in cooperation with RDNA Food store, is producing recipe videos to raise awareness on natural, local and organic food. The recipe videos are a short, fun, visual way to communicate with the consumers and easy to do at home. This February the recipe videos included Orange Veggie Lamb, Fereek with baladi Sausage, Honey Mustard Duck, Roasted Honey Sweet Potato! All recipe videos can be watched on the social media platforms of RDNA and Organic Egypt.
Videos on the benefits of Economy of love standard
In light of Organic Egypt’s and EBDA’s cooperation to raise awareness, several videos on the benefits of the Economy of Love standard were produced by EBDA this February. In the videos, certified farmers are sharing their stories, challenges and benefits to inspire other farmers to convert their farms to a sustainable agricultural practice. All videos will be published in the coming weeks and can be watched on the social media platforms of EBDA and Organic Egypt.
EDUCATIONAL AND AWARENESS RAISING CAMPAIGNS
Farmers and Processors Market
Organic Egypt in cooperation with RDNA, implements Farmers and Processors Markets in an open space at KMT house, Maadi in Cairo. 10 vendors participated in this market with around 300 guests. The day was filled with lots of great conversations and discussions, tastings and more to bring consumers closer to producers and farmers.
Consumer Excursion
Consumer excursions are designed to bring consumers closer to farmers and producers. With our strategic partner RDNA we conduct monthly consumer-farmer excursions. The excursion this February was organized to Wiiwii’s Farm a farm for vegetables and fruits cultivated in a natural way. The participants were 15 adults and 6 children. The program included a farm tour walk and farm lunch. The children got a chance to play in a designated playing area and pet the farm animals all day. There was also farm shopping for eggs, beans, and other veggies.
NETWORKING ACTIVITIES OF ORGANIC EGYPT PROJECT
BIOFACH 2023
BIOFACH is the biggest exhibition for organic products worldwide, where the opportunity for networking with international stakeholders is significant. Organic Egypt team attended this year with a lot of scheduled meetings and sessions which had displayed many interesting and insightful topics related to advocacy and marketing. It was a great chance to meet stakeholders from the African organic movements like Kenya Organic Agricultural Movement (KOAN) and Heritage Foods Africa. Also, meetings with IFOAM and CIHEAM Bari representatives were conducted to share and learn about organic agriculture movements.
Visiting IDAMs Farm in Minia
IDAM has a big farm that consists of about 70 feddan (35 hectares) in the north of Minia. The farm is called Shosha farm and has, besides the open fields for agricultural cultivation, an aquaculture system, beehives, and a compost unit that is in the planning phase, also they have a big facility for poultry and livestock production that is currently not running. Shosha farm has a great potential to be converted into a certified organic or EoL farm. The cultivation there is without any synthetic fertilizers or plant protection remedies, but the farm is not certified yet. Consequently, IDAM team invited Organic Egypt with the project coordinator Martin Wahl from bbw international to visit the farm. After a farm tour, discussions took place to get to know the challenges and elaborate ideas on developing and converting the farm. Moreover, the participants had a long meeting to discuss the current running activities and services for IDAM members, possible cooperations between IDAM and Demeter Egypt, and the upcoming training programs for IDAM staff.
Newsletter Volume 20 – January 2023
Comments Off on Newsletter Volume 20 – January 2023Dear Reader,
This is the twentieth newsletter of Organic Egypt project. It reviews our activities in January 2023 and illustrates all interventions conducted with our partners IDAM and Demeter Egypt (EBDA).
We hope you are all doing well and hope you enjoy the reading!
Stay safe and healthy!
TRAININGS AND WORKSHOPS FOR PARTNER ASSOCIATIONS
Training on the Demeter standard and its regulation
A one day training on the updated version of the Demeter regulation,‘Demeter 2022 regulations’ was conducted for the engineers of EBDA. The training started by discussing how the Demeter standard purports to be global in scope and yet, how difficult it is to establish global cultivation and processing standards due to climate and cultural variances. In the following sessions they discussed the role of biodynamic and organic farming in promoting biodiversity and its role in climate change mitigation.
They emphasized that the Biodynamic farmers and growers must encourage biodiversity on their farms and gardens, as a priority, so their crops can benefit from this balancing effect. The third session included the Demeter animal criteria by which farmers should include animals in their farms. Ongoing training is required to keep the EBDA staff up to date and best informed about the Demeter and other international standards.
English language course
Organic Egypt supports the capacity building of the partner associations employees, for that, a 6 months English language course started in November 2022 for 11 of IDAM staff. The course includes methods and skills of writing emails in English, making reports and proposals. IDAM’s team showed enormous progress the first three months and are looking forward to the coming three months of the course.
Farmer field school on IDAM Demo plots
The Agricultural Learning Center (ALC) of IDAM aims to showcase sustainable/organic agricultural cultivation methods. With the support of Organic Egypt, IDAM team designed 2 demo plots of ½ feddan anise and ½ feddan fennel during this winter season for their members. The third farmer field school with around 30 IDAM members was conducted in January. The topic of this session was how to control pests and diseases. The consultant Dr. Saber Hendawy also listened to the challenges and problems the farmers were facing during cultivation and supported them in finding solutions. The next session will cover the topics of how to harvest and store the crop.
TRAINING AND LEARNING MATERIAL CREATED WITH OUR PARTNERS
Recipe Videos for consumer awareness
In light of the cooperation between RDNA and Organic Egypts to raise awareness, RDNA is producing and sharing recipe videos which are healthy, engaging and easy to do at home. The recipe videos are a short, fun, visual way to communicate with the consumers. This January the recipe videos included Healthy Halawa Spread, Egyptian Meatloaf – Hawawshi meatloaf, Rye Bread “Champions Bread” Egyptian Style and Lentil Breakfast Dish!! All recipe videos can be watched on the social media platforms of RDNA and Organic Egypt.
Video on a long term field trial
In light of the Organic Egypt’s and EBDA’s cooperation to raise awareness, a video on the long termin field trail, “DOC trial” was produced. The DOC trail is a long term research trial comparing Demeter (now converted to Economy of Love), Organic and Conventional “DOC” farming systems. The trial started in 2016 and measures the evolution of soil conditions and profit generation. The trial results so far are showing that Demeter, EoL respectively are the best practices in building soil fertility and soil health.
Furthermore, the revenues of each cropping system are being measured, and the EoL managed crops have up to 28% higher the profits than the conventional counterpart; this comes amongst others, from the EoL carbon credit systems that rewards carbon sequestration. The video was published on Organic Egypt’s and EBDA’s social media platforms.
Manuals for organic Anise and fennel production
In order to spread knowledge about organic agriculture in Arabic language, two Manuals were created for the production of organic anise and fennel. The manuals include all steps of cultivation, good harvesting practices, post-harvest treatments like drying and appropriate methods for storage and packaging. The manuals are provided for free on the Knowledge Bank of Organic Egypt. Following the links: Organic Anise Manual and Organic Fennel Manual
Organic Agriculture Advice
With the support of the organic agriculture experts, we publish advices on organic agricultural cultivation methods on our social media platforms in a simple Arabic language. During this January we published an advice on the nicandra plant, including a brief description of the plant, its origins, and how to make organic pest control out of it. We get very high reaches on this post and many questions from interested people.
EDUCATIONAL AND AWARENESS RAISING CAMPAIGNS
Farmers and Processors Market
Organic Egypt in cooperation with RDNA, implements Farmers and Processors Markets in an open space at KMT house, Maadi in Cairo. In January, RDNA conducted a Farmers Market where 10 vendors participated. The day was filled with lots of great conversations and discussions, tastings and more to bring consumers closer to producers and farmers, around 300 guests visited the market.
Consumer Excursion
Consumer Excursions are designed to bring consumers closer to farmers and producers. With our strategic partner RDNA we conduct monthly consumer-farmer excursions. The excursion this January was organized to Sara Organic Farm, a farm around 70 km north-west of Cairo. 20 adults and 13 children participated. The program included a farm tour walk and farm lunch. The focus of this excursion was on Kohlrabi (german turnip) with a talk and harvest. Another activity was baking Egyptian baladi bread, animal petting and planting seedlings in a pot to take home.
NETWORKING ACTIVITIES OF ORGANIC EGYPT PROJECT
Meeting with the Agricultural Export Council
Organic Egypt team organized a meeting with Dr. Hany Hussein (General manager of the Agricultural Export Council) (AEC) to discuss possible cooperation and check the status of the committee for organic produce and how to activate it. The Agriculture Export Council is a non profit organization aimed to develop the export sector of agricultural products. It’s an advisory council to the Minister of Trade and Industry, and it represents the Egyptian agricultural exporters. They have different committees within the AEC on each crop, some years ago, they had a committee for organic producers as well, but this committee stopped working. They have significant experience in conducting trainings on specific crops and its quality standards, and how to understand the international market and facilitate the exportation processes. During the meeting, we found a lot of common interests, which will motivate us to conduct a fruitful cooperation in the future.
Workshop with GEBAL about microcredits for small scale farmers
Organic Egypt was invited to attend a workshop with GEBAL company, which brought together farmers from Upper Egypt, the Delta, and the Western Desert, as well as representatives of different Egyptian banks and insurance companies, international organizations such as UNDP and FAO, as well as representatives of GIZ and the EU Delegation to Egypt to discuss microcredit systems for small scale farmers in Egypt. They used the design thinking method, to find solutions for the financial issues that face the farmers, specially small farmers who want to implement sustainable agriculture practice in Egypt. Many different options and bank products were discussed in group works. The day was very fruitful and full of interesting activities and insightful ideas.
Meeting with J-PAL
Organic Egypt project organized a meeting with J-PAL MENDA, Demeter Egypt and the Economy of Love team to discuss possible corporations. J-PAL Global conducts research, policy, education, and capacity building work to ensure that policy is informed by scientific evidence. They provide research and policy expertise in each of J-PAL’s 11 sectors: Agriculture; Crime, Violence, and Conflict; Education; Environment, Energy, and Climate Change; Finance; Firms; Gender; Health; Labor Markets; Political Economy and Governance, and Social Protection. J-PAL Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is the youngest office from all seven offices worldwide and is based at the American University in Cairo.
It leads J-PAL’s work in the MENDA region and conducts randomized evaluations, builds partnerships for evidence-informed policymaking, and helps partners scale up effective programs. J-PAL MENA is interested in increasing their scope of work in the MENA region in the topics of Agriculture, Environment and Climate Change and asked for a meeting with Organic Egypt and EBDA team. EBDA is very much interested in measuring the impact of the Economy of Love Carbon Credit standard as well as elaborating ways to scale the EoL CC in Egypt. Ways of cooperation are being discussed at the moment.
Kick-off event for opening a new EBDA branch in Nuweiba, Sinai
In cooperation with Habiba Organic Farm, the EBDA held a kick- off event to open a new branch for EBDA in Sinai as requests from many farmers that want to convert their farm to organic and EoL cultivation were received.The meeting started with an introduction about EBDA and how to get a member and what the membership benefits are.
The kick off event was attended by 25 people, several topics, including organic pest control and organic fertilization were discussed. The Kick-off event included farm visits to get an overview on the challenges encountered by the farmers. Also visits to the women farmers of Nuweiba were conducted, where discussion around their agriculture knowledge and challenges were elaborated.
To open a branch in Sinai is a first step for EBDA’s towards achieving its vision, a future where biodynamic and organic agriculture are in the spotlight as mainstream models in Egypt.
Newsletter Volume 19 – December 2022
Comments Off on Newsletter Volume 19 – December 2022Dear Reader,
Merry Chrsitmas and Happy New Year!
This is the nineteenth newsletter of Organic Egypt project. It reviews our activities in December 2022 and illustrates all interventions conducted with our partners IDAM and Demeter Egypt (EBDA).
We hope you are all doing well and hope you enjoy the reading!
Stay safe and healthy!
TRAININGS AND WORKSHOPS FOR PARTNER ASSOCIATIONS
Training on Soil Microbiology
Organic Egypt organized a 5-Days training for its partners EBDA and IDAM on soil microbiology. The training was based on understanding the basics of the dynamic relationship between plants and the soil microbiome. This included the soil microbiome’s role in nutrient cycling, building of soil structure, and successional selection. An outline of the practical process for applying this knowledge in the field was also provided, along with an intensive introduction to soil microscopy with hands-on practice. A new method for quickly assessing the makeup of the microbiome according to morphological and functional groups was derived from the process used by certified Soil Food Web (SFW) laboratories and taught to the participants. The participants were very interested in the new analyzing technique and expressed their wish to have a second training in 2023 to further increase their skills and knowledge in the SFW method.
EDUCATIONAL AND AWARENESS RAISING CAMPAIGNS
Organizational Development Workshop with EBDA
Organic Egypt organized a 2 days workshop on organizational development for its partner association EBDA . The workshop was conducted at the Heliopolis University, with the participation of 7 EBDA team members. The consultant started with reviewing EBDA strategy and their SWOT analysis as well as their action plan, and if it’s aligned with their vision, mission and values. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) were discussed and we elaborated, which SDGs are covered by EBDA’s outcomes and goals. The EBDA team got many insights on how to further develop their strategy paper.
Training on Leadership skills
Representative of the partner association EBDA, attended a 2-day program at the Presencing Institute, integrating the application of new forms of leadership skills based on Theory U.
The Presencing Institute was founded in 2006 by Otto Scharmer and colleagues at MIT Sloan School of Management to create an action research platform at the intersection of science, consciousness, and profound social and organizational change.
The training mainly focused on the intersection of different sectors working on sustainability solutions. A part of the training implemented the application of Case Clinic. This is a peer coaching process designed to identify innovative solutions and next steps for addressing a pressing and immediate leadership challenge. In a Case Clinic, a case giver presents a case, and peers or team members act as coaches, based on the principles of the U-process and process consultation. This training enabled EBDA representative to identify current challenges and explore how innovative methods – using the U-Process – can be applied to address them.
NEW INNOVATIVE SERVICES OF OUR PARTNER ASSOCIATIONS
Production and expansion of Native Chicken Breeds for IDAM members
IDAM with the support of Organic Egypt, started the pilot project of producing and distributing native chicken breeds in Minia. In the 4 villages, 21 chosen female breeders are raising the native breeds. Unfortunately, in December, there is a loss of almost a quarter of the chickens due to severe infections from flu, coccidia and clostridium, but around 1500 chicks are still there and no infections are listed anymore. In April 2023, they will produce eggs that will be hatched in the incubators and distributed amongst all IDAM members.
Demo-plots at IDAM Agricultural Learning Center
The Agricultural Learning Center (ALC) of IDAM aims to showcase sustainable/organic agricultural cultivation methods. With the support of Organic Egypt, IDAM team designed 2 demo plots of ½ feddan anise and ½ feddan fennel for their members. The second farmer field school with around 15 IDAM members was conducted in December. The topic of this session was how to control weeds and which biofertilizers can be used that are available on the market. Next session will be held in the beginning of January, covering the topic of pests and diseases that might appear on the 2 crops and what preventive measures can be taken as well as the biocontrol agents that are available on the market.
EDUCATIONAL AND AWARENESS RAISING CAMPAIGNS
Recipe Videos for consumer awareness
In the light of the cooperation between RDNA and Organic Egypts to raise awareness, RDNA is producing and sharing recipe videos which are healthy, engaging and easy to do at home. The recipe videos are a short, fun, visual way to communicate with the consumers. This December the recipe videos included Lemon Tahini Broccoli, Cauliflower Soup, Creamy Spiced Apple Oatmeal and the best chicken noodle Soup!! All recipe videos can be watched on the social media platforms of RDNA and Organic Egypt.
Farmers and Processors Market
Organic Egypt in cooperation with RDNA, implements Farmers and Processors Markets in an open space at KMT house, Maadi in Cairo. The December Market was conducted as the Christmas edition, 15 vendors participated in this market with around 400 guests. Different activities and christmas gifts were distributed among consumers and it was filled with lots of great conversations and discussions, tastings and more to bring consumers closer to producers and farmers.
NETWORKING ACTIVITIES OF ORGANIC EGYPT PROJECT
Financing Roundtable on Water-Energy-Food-Nexus Farming
Organic Egypt was invited to attend a session about Water-Energy-Food Nexus policies using Design Thinking methodology! Creative thinking and empathy-based design techniques took the discussions towards more concrete policy frameworks and ideas for initiatives that will help advance and upscale WEF Nexus farming across Egypt. The hands-on workshop took place on 5th of December, and was attended by representatives from different ministries, academic and research institutions, international organizations, the private sector, and NGOs. The event was part of a project implemented by GIZ and co-funded by the EU and BMZ.
Attending the Kick off Meeting of the BioTex Egypt project
Organic Egypt participated in the planning workshop of the BioTex Egypt project. The project’s main objective is to identify the needs of the organic textile and cotton sector in Egypt in order to create additional new and fair jobs in the organic textile sector. The project is funded by the German Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and started its inception phase on the 1st of December 2022 for a duration of 12 months. The workshop was attended by representatives of farmer organizations that are working with organic cotton farmers, with representatives of the private sector, as well as a representative of a vocational training center that has a textile training section. The inception phase intends to investigate the potential of organic textiles in more detail, both in cultivation and processing, and to test initial measures. During the one day Kick Off meeting, an outline for the log-frame as well as a finance plan for the 1 year project was set. Both projects are strategically aligned, and with its particular focus on organic cotton, the BioTextil project builds on the work and endeavors, Organic Egypt project has already created in Egypt.
Meeting with Dr. Maisa Lotfy
Organic Egypt team organized a meeting with Dr . Maisa Lotfy (Director of the Central lab of Organic agriculture manager (CLOA)) to discuss the status of the Egyptian organic law as well as possible cooperation between the Central Lab and Organic Egypt project.
The meeting was conducted at the office of the CLOA, which will be transformed to the general administration of organic agriculture once the law is implemented. According to the Egyptian organic agriculture law, the administration will be responsible for implementing the law and supervising the whole sector in cooperation with the National Food Safety Authority. Dr. Miasa, indicated that the law hasn’t been implemented yet, and once it starts, they will effectively work to support the sector on different levels (i.e., knowledge dissemination, platform, facilitation and raising awareness campaigns etc.) with all the stakeholders. Moreover, the implementation of the law will help in providing accurate data related to the organic agriculture sector like the total organic cultivated area, which crops, etc. Dr. Maisa welcomed the idea of cooperation with Organic Egypt on knowledge creation, raising awareness and networking for the sector’s stakeholders as well as disseminating the knowledge on the project’s website and social media channels.
Newsletter Volume 18 – November 2022
Comments Off on Newsletter Volume 18 – November 2022Dear Reader,
This is the eighteenth newsletter of Organic Egypt project. It reviews our activities in November 2022 and illustrates all interventions conducted with our partners IDAM and Demeter Egypt (EBDA).
We hope you are all doing well and hope you enjoy the reading!
Stay safe and healthy!
TRAININGS AND WORKSHOPS FOR PARTNER ASSOCIATIONS
Organizational Development Workshop with IDAM
Organic Egypt organized a 2 days workshop on organizational development for its partner association IDAM. The workshop was conducted in a village in Minia with the participation of 12 IDAM team members. The consultant started with reviewing IDAM’s strategy and their SWOT analysis as well as their action plan, and if it’s aligned with their vision, mission and values. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) were discussed and we elaborated, which SDGs are covered by IDAM’s outcomes and goals. IDAM’s team got many insights on how to further develop their strategy paper.
On the next day, the focus was mainly on IDAM’s advocacy activities and if they are included in their strategy paper. And since IDAM did many workshops on the new Egyptian organic law and how it can be implemented and how they can support their farmers, thus, we concluded that advocacy activities need to be clearly mentioned in their strategic paper.
By the end of the workshop, we talked about the internal processes of IDAM and how they could be improved. The workshop was a very important step for IDAM to further develop their strategy and align it with their activities.
EDUCATIONAL AND AWARENESS RAISING CAMPAIGNS
Recipe Videos for consumer awareness
In cooperation with RDNA and Organic Egypts to raise awareness, RDNA is producing and sharing recipe videos which are healthy, engaging and easy to do at home. The recipe videos are a short, fun, visual way to communicate with the consumers. This November the recipe videos included dishes like Lemon Tahini Broccoli and Cauliflower Soup as well as Creamy Spiced Apple Oatmeal and the best chicken noodle Soup. The recipe videos include products from IDAM and EBDA partner farms, as well as other organic and clean products. They can be watched on the social media platforms of RDNA and Organic Egypt.
Consumer Excursions
The excursions supported by RDNA and Organic Egypt are designed to bring consumers closer to farmers and producers. In November, an excursion was organized to Hazel Farm, which is an organic farm that is built around the concept of agritainment, meaning hosting consumers in a fun and educational space to learn more about organic cultivation. The excursion included various activities including a farm tour, organic vegetables and fruit picking “shopping in nature”, tractor tour and a delicious farm to fork lunch and lots of educational games for children. 23 adults and 19 kids participated in the excursion, and it was a day full of joy in nature.
Farmers and Processors Market
Organic Egypt in cooperation with RDNA, implements Farmers and Processors Markets in an open space at KMT house, Maadi in Cairo. The November farmers and processors market focused on natural cosmetics and personal care as well as other eco products from small scale suppliers. This market was conducted in partnership with the “Beehive” which focuses on arts and music festivals and contributed with a large number of activities such as dance, music and painting. 10 vendors participated in this market.
NEW INNOVATIVE SERVICES OF OUR PARTNER ASSOCIATIONS
Organic Agriculture Input Exhibition
An exhibition for organic agricultural inputs was done in cooperation by various projects supporting organic agriculture at the Heliopolis University. Around 40 companies specialized in producing organic and natural agricultural supplies presented their products. The exhibition was well attended by around 700 visitors of various backgrounds like farmers, researchers, farm owners and interested people that were networking and exchanging telephone numbers and emails to facilitate communication in the future. The exhibition also included presentations and lectures for some entities and companies discussing topics such as the Economy of Love carbon credits and Integrated Pest Management and many other topics related to organic farming.
Attending the Future Economy Forum at Heliopolis Universtiy
Organic Egypt team participated in the Future Economy Forum, which was held at the Heliopolis University (HU) for two days.The Forum was attended by national and international entrepreneurs and researchers, who are interested in finding sustainable solutions for mitigating climate change. During the forum three parallel sessions were held:
1- The agriculture session, that was discussing the role of agriculture as a solution for climate change
2- The business session, that was discussing the role of business across corporate functions, supply and value chains
3- And the Capital session, that was discussing the role of finance including the impact of environmental, social and governance (ESG) banking
Then sub-groups were formed, where the issues of each sector were discussed more in detail and each group exchanged their point of view on solutions that could save our planet and solve the climate change crisis, such as establishing the Economy of Love standard that promotes sustainable agriculture practices with validating the carbon that was sequestered by issuing carbon credits that can be sold on the global market. Eventually, all the discussed points and possible solutions were a preparation for the Climate Conference COP 27, that was held this year in Egypt.
Participation of EBDA and IDAM in COP 27
Our partners, Demeter Egypt (EBDA) and the Integral Development Action of Minia (IDAM) participated in COP 27, this year’s UN Climate Change Conference in Sharm El Sheikh. They attended a range of events in the Blue and Green Zones as well as various side events that took place there.
Representatives of the partner association had the opportunity to speak with presidents, prime ministers and CEO’s of global companies as well as indigenous leaders which inspired them very much. EBDA was invited to speak at several events, where they always promoted and represented the biodynamic farmers, that are, as they believe, the „Climate Heroes“, stewards of the land, handling highly complex ecosystems, regenerating soil and biodiversity and providing healthy food.
As the local farmer association, EBDA has developed the Economy of Love (EoL) standard, aiming to strive for a holistic transformation of their farms and partner companies. Within this EoL standard they are financially rewarding their biodynamic farmers for their ecosystem services (planting trees, applying crop rotation & cover crops, installing renewable energy and increasing compost production), through agriculture Carbon credits. This standard provides regenerative farmers a higher income compared to conventional farmers.
Besides all the COP events, EBDA cohosted, together with Future Economy Forum, NOW Partners, Heliopolis University and the SEKEM initiative, a series of Future Economy Form Solutions Dialogues opened for everyone to participate with high level speakers. Around 200 participants attended these side events every day with great networking opportunities. Furthermore, in cooperation with the UNDP, UNDP Accelerator Labs, the Zero Fund and Economy of Love, a virtual campaign called www.zeroCOP27.com was developed as a pilot project to encourage individuals and companies to offset the carbon footprint of their travel and stay at COP 27 in Egypt.
Attending the Changemakers Climate Change Event
Organic Egypt project was invited to attend the ChangemakerXchange event at KMT house. ChangemakerXchange is a global community of 800 of the world’s most dedicated social entrepreneurs, innovators and activists from 100+ countries. They are running on- and offline summits and activities worldwide to provide supportive, fun and empowering spaces for changemakers in order to foster profound connections, learn from each other and collaborate towards creating, sustaining and scaling positive change. The event was full of networking activities, and each one from the community introduced himself and his initiatives or activities that he carries out in order to preserve the environment. The presentation of the activities was very inspiring, and everyone benefited from the experience of the other.
Water – Food – Energy Neuxes policymaking workshop
Organic Egypt project was invited to attend a policy-making workshop with GEBAL and GIZ. The workshop consisted of a one-day training session, attended by representatives of different Egyptian ministries, universities, the League of Arab States, the EU, the private sector, research institutions, and the financial sector. During the day, the main question was how can policy-makers and planners implement the Water-Energy-Food-Nexus on a daily basis? What is the level of thematic and institutional integration needed, and what tools are there to use for exploring these questions. The group work and discussions led to interesting and innovative ideas that will inform the next steps in order to upscaling Nexus Farming in Egypt; Water, Energy and Food. In addition to all these insightful brainstorming, the day was a good opportunity to network and meet with different people from different backgrounds that have one objective, which is, to make the agriculture sector in Egypt more sustainable.
Newsletter Volume 17 – October 2022
Comments Off on Newsletter Volume 17 – October 2022Dear Reader,
This is the seventeenth newsletter of Organic Egypt project. It reviews our activities in October 2022 and illustrates all interventions conducted with our partners IDAM and Demeter Egypt (EBDA).
We hope you are all doing well and hope you enjoy the reading!
Stay safe and healthy!
TRAININGS AND WORKSHOPS FOR PARTNER ASSOCIATIONS
World Goetheanum Forum
The World Goetheanum Forum is hosted annually by the World Goetheanum Association (WGA) in Dornach, Switzerland. The WGA is a worldwide network for the future development of humanity and the earth. Here, partners from all fields of life connect; agriculture, education, medicine, the arts, commerce and banking. Justus Harm from the Egyptian Biodynamic Association (EBDA) was invited to make a workshop and share the status of the holistic sustainability standard: Economy of Love (EoL). The idea was to further develop the standard in participation with experts from many different fields. Outcomes of the workshop was amongst others, that EBDA needs to look into global reporting, to be equivalent to other global standards and can partner with standards having a similar approach. These corporations could offer the possibility to avoid double inspections and auditing for licensees. Another outcome was the need for a feasibility study for the European market and that the Forum can be used to connect to stakeholders worldwide wanting to apply EoL values.
African Biodynamic Trainers’ Workshop
The Agricultural Section at the Goetheanum and the Biodynamic Federation-Demeter International initiated the African Biodynamic Trainers’ Workshop. 30 experienced biodynamic trainers from Egypt, Israel, Kenia,Tanzania, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Namibia, Zambia, Mozambique and Uganda participated in this workshop. The goal of this workshop was to pave the way for the biodynamic trainers to exchange knowledge to raise training capacities and skills in biodynamic agriculture technologies throughout africa. Angela Hofmann, representative of EBDA participated in the workshop to elevate her trainers skills. It was a very successful and fruitful exchange between the trainer group, they agreed to conduct the next African Biodynamic trainer workshop in June next year.
Training on Organic Feed Production
In the Light of the cooperation between Organic Egypt and IDAM and the newly established feeding unit for IDAM members, a training on feed production has been conducted where the responsible IDAM facilitators were introduced to the components of the feed manufacturing line and what must be taken into account when dealing with equipment as well as the importance of conducting periodic maintenance. Moreover, they learned about the raw materials and how to ensure the quality of the ingredients of the feed mixes. The training included a practical part, where they produced 3 tons of poultry feed.
Training on the Concepts of Development and the Theory of Change
Organic Egypt project attended a workshop held by the partner association IDAM in Minia on the “Concepts of Development and the Theory of Change”. During the 3 day workshop the different development theories were discussed, starting from the classic theories that focus on economic development only, passing through the modern development theories that focus on human and social growth, to the theories of comprehensive development that integrate the economic with the social and human. On the second day, Paulo Freire’s method of identifying the real needs and problems of society was discussed.
His method depends on the researcher’s involvement in society, and observing the causes of people’s happiness, sadness and anxiety, through observation and inspection, and not by asking direct questions. He states that direct questions to the community concerning their needs often gives false results, somewhat far from the truth. On the third day, the focus was on the theory of change, the trainee groups presented their projects that involved a practical part. The trainees were divided into groups and were sent to the nearby hospital, market, school, cafe, and post office to observe the needs of the community and choose an approach that develops the association and society.
Workshop on Agricultural Entrepreneurship
Organic Egypt team was invited by GEBAL, a company concerned with advancing sustainable agriculture and livelihoods across Egypt and the MENA region together with GIZ, to attend a workshop on “Agricultural Entrepreneurship ”. The workshop forms part of the project “Water-Energy-Food-Nexus Farming: Upscaling Solutions for Small and Medium-Scale Farms” funded by the EU and the German government and implemented by the GIZ. The one day workshop was held in El Heiz, south of Wahat Bahariya, which is one of the strategic locations of the project. The workshop was designed to build the capacity of the participants in the field of agricultural entrepreneurship. We talked about how to create and manage a business model for an agricultural enterprise, specifically the WEF-Nexus farming. The example used by the trainer was a business plan for a greenhouse. Around 20 farmers from El Heiz and from Oasis Farafra, Agricultural teachers from the agricultural school in Wahat Bahariya and Wahat Farafra attended the workshop. For Organic Egypt team it was a great opportunity to network and connect and get to know the challenges and questions the farmers in the western desert have.
Practical Inspection Training
In the context of supporting national certification bodies, Organic Egypt organized a field training targeting mainly organic inspectors from national certification bodies with different levels of experience. Moreover, 3 academic staff from Heliopolis University and Ain Shams who are teaching organic certification attended the training. Bernd Köhler from Ceres GmbH, was the expert who led the training. El Zahwyeen farm in Qalyubia governorate was chosen to be inspected for the training which is a member farm of the Egyptian Biodynamic Association (EBDA). The expert asked one of the participants to lead the “rehearsal” inspection. Afterwards, he commented on the inspection steps and a discussion round with all participants was made. Also the difference between the National Organic Program (NOP) and EU organic law was discussed. It was a very interactive and successful practical training.
Farmers and Processors Market
Organic Egypt in cooperation with the RDNA, implements Farmers and Processors Markets in an open space at KMT house, Maadi in Cairo. The theme for this market was Halloween, and hence there were many activities such as pumpkin carving and face painting for kids. There were 12 vendors present from the RDNA partners network, providing tastings and products to buy for consumers. Around 400 visitors came to the market. All participants – especially families – provided extremely positive feedback and are waiting for the next one in December!
NEW INNOVATIVE SERVICES OF OUR PARTNER ASSOCIATIONS
Production and expansion of Native Chicken Breeds for IDAM members
IDAM with the support of Organic Egypt, bought 2000 pure fayoumi chicks and distributed them to the 21 chosen female farmers in the 4 communities. They are well trained female farmers that will only raise the fayoumi breed to ensure its purity. The eggs will then be hatched in the incubators and distributed amongst all IDAM members. Monthly visits will be conducted from IDAM staff to follow up on the female breeders.
Further, a training was conducted with 10 facilitators on how to run the feeding unit and how to produce clean feed for poultry. They produced 3 tons of clean feed that they are distributing in the villages.
Demo-plots at IDAM Agricultural Learning Center
The Agricultural Learning Center (ALC) aims to showcase sustainable/organic agricultural cultivation methods, amongst others. With the support of Organic Egypt, IDAM team designed 2 demo plots of ½ feddan anise and ½ feddan fennel that will be cultivated this winter season 22/23.
The first farm field school with around 30 IDAM members was conducted in October discussing how to prepare the land for the cultivation of anise and fennel. The consultant explained the perfect planting time for each crop, as well as the proper irrigation timing. He also talked about organic fertilization and the importance of compost. Overall, the farmers asked many questions and were very interactive. Next session will be held at the beginning of December, covering the topics of weed control and fertilization in organic farming.
EDUCATIONAL AND AWARENESS RAISING CAMPAIGNS
Recipe Videos for consumer awareness
In cooperation with RDNA and Organic Egypt’s to raise awareness, RDNA is producing and sharing recipe videos which are healthy, engaging and easy to do at home. Raising awareness for locally produced (and especially organic) products is crucial for small scale farmers and RDNA partners, as they usually don’t have the means to show their products. The recipe videos are a short, fun, visual way to communicate with the consumers. This October, 4 recipe videos were developed, Tiger nut cakes, Alexandrian gourd, Romneya – Pomegranate meatballs and Roz Ma3amar. The videos will be published in chronological order from pharaonic to modern times. The recipe videos include products from IDAM and EBDA partner farms, as well as other organic and clean products. They can be watched on the social media platforms of RDNA and Organic Egypt.
Consumer Excursions
The excursions supported by RDNA and Organic Egypt are designed to bring consumers closer to farmers and producers. On Saturday the 22nd of October, an excursion was organized to Wiiwii’s farm in Cairo Alexandria desert road. The owner of Wiiwii’s farm promotes it for ecotourism hence, many school trips are done there. The day was fun, full of activities such as planting seeds, playing with livestock, collecting knowledge on the planted trees. With a vegetarian farm lunch and a relaxing time in nature with great weather.
Professional Seminar of Organic Food Industry
Over three days in three different governorates, Organic Egypt co-organized a series of professional seminars on organic food industry with the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy, and Bildungswerk der Bayerischen Wirtschaft, bbw International. The seminars were provided by 4 representatives of Bavarian companies; Berned Köhler from Ceres GmbH who shared his 30 years of experience in obtaining organic certification. Dr. Tarek Sassy, the owner of sasa med company for black seeds production for medicinal purposes. Christoph Fischer, the owner of EM chiemgau company, which has been developing products based on active microorganisms for nearly 20 years. And Dr. Andreas Kappl, owner of Nature Health Concept company, shared his 20 years of experience in the field of medicinal herbs and nutritional supplement production. Around 200 interested people attended the seminars in the 3 governorates (Sharkia, Cairo, and Minia). Business contacts were exchanged and the feedback was very positive.
NETWORKING ACTIVITIES OF ORGANIC EGYPT PROJECT
Financing Roundtable on Water-Energy-Food-Nexus Farming
GEBAL Company invited Organic Egypt to participate in a roundtable to create a dialogue between actors who are interested in the issues of environment, renewable agriculture and sustainable development. This session was attended by representatives from government agencies, the private sector and civil society organizations. The opening of this roundtable emphasized that the main problem is not the lack of technical solutions, but the lack of a real and serious collaboration to implement those solutions. GEBAL illustrated the outcome of their work in the four project locations Dandara and Esna in Upper Egypt, El Heiz Oasis in the Western Desert,and Cairo, where they are exploring the conditions that enable Egyptian farmers to replicate successful models of sustainable, nexus farming and climate-smart agriculture. The attendees discussed solutions and stressed the need for an interdisciplinary body working to link between governmental entities as well as the government sector and the private sector to activate solutions in the best possible way.
Regenerative Future for Wahat Bahariya
An Event, under the theme “Regenerative future for Wahat Bahariya ” was held in Wahat Sekem farm to bring together local stakeholders with Wahat residents to create a vision and eventually a roadmap for the development of Wahat for a regenerative future.
The participants were diverse; farmers, agricultural associations, academic, development projects, individuals, and artists. The following five pillars were discussed in this workshop:
- Culture
- Agriculture
- Arts and crafts
- Wild areas
- Housing and roads
Wahat residents started to determine the places related to the mentioned pillars on Wahat map. Further, they started writing down the problems/challenges related to each pillar and wishes/solutions which can solve them according to the local residents of Wahat. Moreover, they started determining 3 priorities of the challenges for each pillar and consequently 3 wishes to possibly be worked on. The participants were very happy with this workshop as they had the chance to meet and exchange and listen to the needs of the residents of Wahat. Furthermore, they agreed to have a complementary workshop after 3 months.
Newsletter Volume 16 – September 2022
Comments Off on Newsletter Volume 16 – September 2022Dear Reader,
This is the sixteenth newsletter of Organic Egypt project. It reviews our activities in September 2022 and illustrates all interventions conducted with our partners IDAM and Demeter Egypt (EBDA).
We hope you are all doing well and hope you enjoy the reading!
Stay safe and healthy!
TRAININGS AND WORKSHOPS FOR PARTNER ASSOCIATIONS
Training on Biodynamic Agriculture
Over a 2 days training, Demeter Egypt engineers received several sessions on biodynamic agriculture. The training started with introducing the basics of biodynamic farming and highlighting the difference between organic and biodynamic farming.
In the following session, the participants learned about the origin of the ingredients and the used tools. This included a practical session, where the participants visited a slaughterhouse and understood the whole process from obtaining the organs to cleaning, and storing it.
The second day of the training consisted of a practical activity where the participants produced the 6 biodynamic compost preparations. They were divided into groups, working according to the steps in the biodynamic preparation manual (that can be found on Organic Egypt website) which included the number of preparations, its name, what the preparation is made of and the process on how to make it.
Poultry incubator processing training for female farmers of IDAM
After the success of the Fayoumi chicken pilot project, where IDAM introduced the very robust Fayoumi breed chicken to its members; a reproduction unit was established with the support of Organic Egypt. 4 incubators were delivered to IDAM and distributed in the 4 communities that IDAM work in.
With the processing of the reproduction unit, the female farmers faced technical problems with running the incubators like adjusting the temperature and humidity. Hence, IDAM organized a one day training with an engineer from the manufacturer company. He came to Minia and did a practical training on site.
NEW INNOVATIVE SERVICES OF OUR PARTNER ASSOCIATIONS
Economy of Love standard accreditation
The Economy of Love (EoL) Standard is certified by the Center of Organic Agriculture in Egypt (COAE) – which is an Egyptian certification body, accredited by the Egyptian Accreditation Council (EGAC) according to ISO 17065. In addition to the certification, COAE is validating and verifying the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) statements of the EoL licensees; the validation is based on the EoL project design document provided by the Carbon Footprint Center (CFC). Mainly, the CFC is managing the EoL carbon registry, and to avoid double accounting; each EoL project certificate receives a serial number connected to invoices, issue date and amount of CO2 tonnes.
Organic feed production unit for IDAM members
In the framework of establishing a new service for IDAMs members – rearing and distributing the very robust fayoumi breed chicken in Minia – a number of native breeds had been distributed to IDAM members and several training have been conducted in 2021. IDAM members were very committed and excited to work with the fayoumi variety, but unfortunately they faced a problem as the female farmers were also raising other breeds which led to mixing and losing the purity of the native breeds.
IDAM is planning to buy pure breeds again and raise them only by 5 chosen female farmers who do not have other breeds to ensure the purity of the breed.
Further, IDAM is aiming to provide natural feed at a fair cost for their female farmers from the feeding unit that was supported by Organic Egypt in 2021. They will train 10 facilitators on how to run the feeding unit to produce clean feed for poultry and also how to market it in the communities.
EDUCATIONAL AND AWARENESS RAISING CAMPAIGNS
Recipe Videos for Consumer Awareness
In light of RDNA and Organic Egypts cooperation to raise awareness, RDNA is producing and sharing recipe videos which are healthy, engaging and easy to do at home. Raising awareness for locally produced (and especially organic) products is crucial for small scale farmers and RDNA partners. Usually these farmers and producers don’t have access to Social Media or marketing platforms, and if they do they do not have the necessary tools and language to let consumers know about their products. The recipe videos are a short, fun, visual way to communicate with the consumers with an immediate Call to Action to experiment with the produce and products themselves.
Two dishes on Pumpkin as well as a Pan tomato soup and an eggplant salad were developed this September. The recipe videos include products from IDAM and EBDA partner farms, as well as other organic and clean products. They can be watched on the social media platforms of RDNA and Organic Egypt.
Farmers and Processors Market
Organic Egypt in cooperation with the RDNA, implements Farmers and Processors Markets in an open space at KMT house, Maadi in Cairo. After the summer break, where it was too hot to organize a market, the first market was held this September.
The market included various activities such as free yoga & pilates classes beside a delicious lunch. 10 vendors exhibited their products and around 300 visitors came to the market. All participants provided extremely positive feedback as the market this time was different and more fun than it usually is.
Consumer – Farmers Excursions
The excursions supported by RDNA and Organic Egypt are designed to bring consumers closer to farmers and producers. On Friday the 23rd of September, an excursion was organized to Al Sorat Farm in Giza. With the participation of 31 people, the day included various activities which were full of fun such as horseback riding, livestock and a delicious vegetarian farm lunch. Consumers tend to love and enjoy visiting farms so the feedback was really cheerful.
NETWORKING ACTIVITIES OF ORGANIC EGYPT PROJECT
Organic Egypt attend a meeting with WATDEV and Stakeholders from different countries
WATDEV – Climate Smart WATer Management and Sustainable DEVelopment for Food and Agriculture in East Africa – the project aims to develop an in-depth understanding of small and large-scale water and agricultural resource dynamics and management while boosting people’s resilience to climate change. The stakeholders held this meeting with the aim to carry out a participatory discussion about used farming practices and an evaluation of the local stakeholders’ ability to work together to adopt (or adapt) sustainable farming practices as well as to share the experiences. The meeting consisted of 2 parts; the first part was based on presentations from the stakeholders to introduce the project, objectives, methodology, followed by introducing all the participants in the meeting.
The second part was a discussion between all participants including Egyptian farmers, where everyone shared knowledge and experience on the problems farmers face during the cultivation processes and how they deal with those problems.
Demeter Egypt introduced the Economy of love standard which provides the farmers with social and cultural impact, besides the environmental and economical impact. EBDA also explained the EoL carbon credits system and how it ensures a stable income to the farmers during the cultivation process. At the end of the meeting, the importance of having helpful laws and regulations to ease the work were discussed.
Organic Egypt team visited Sahara exhibition
Sahara is the largest and most important agricultural, animal production, and aquaculture exhibition in the MENA region. Every year in September, Sahara is held for four days. This year, it was from September 11th to September 14th, 2022. Organic Egypt team visited the exhibition on the 2nd day to network and have an idea about the input suppliers in Egypt. The team attended a variety of sessions with different topics such as smart regenerative agriculture, and geographic information systems (GIS). The team also conducted several side meetings with different stakeholders like Dr. Adel Abdelsalam (the project’s consultant for sustainable poultry production and representative of the “Slow Food Organization” in Egypt), Waleed Ramdan from GIZ, Sigward Von Laue from Devilag project, and Omar Abdellatif from the Dutch embassy. Moreover, Heliopolis University including all its projects and Demeter Egypt had a booth at the exhibition.
Newsletter Volume 15 – August 2022
Comments Off on Newsletter Volume 15 – August 2022Dear Reader,
This is the fifteenth newsletter of Organic Egypt project. It reviews our activities in August 2022 and illustrates all interventions conducted with our partners IDAM and Demeter Egypt (EBDA).
We hope you are all doing well and hope you enjoy the reading!
Stay safe and healthy!
TRAININGS AND WORKSHOPS FOR PARTNER ASSOCIATIONS
Training on Biodiversity
This one day training was conducted by Dr. Saber Hendawy who began the first session by defining biodiversity and that it describes the great variety of life on Earth. Dr. Saber continued by explaining the human activities that are putting many species in danger of going extinct and endangering the planet’s incredible biodiversity. Intercropping and agroforestry farming were discussed as a solution on how to encourage biodiversity and assist farmers and the environment.
Training on ERP Next program
The definition of carbon credits, indicators, and a practical data entry exercise were covered on this one day training with Eng. Thoraya Saeda. She began by highlighting the significance of carbon credits and how they would benefit farmers financially and environmentally. The second session was a practical session, covering the challenges the engineers face while putting the data in the ERPNext software.
Training on the principles of organic agriculture
The consultant, Dr. Hassan Aboubakr conducted a training session for our partner associations Demeter Egypt (EBDA) and IDAM, about the principles of organic and biodynamic agriculture. The sustainable development concepts, agroecology and the relation between agriculture and climate change were discussed during the training. Dr. Hassan presented the history of agriculture and the alternative agricultural systems. Practical activities were conducted during all sessions, to emphasize what was explained. E.g., the engineers were divided into groups to collect soil samples from different places; the samples were analyzed and conclusions were drawn to the soil living ecosystem, the soil fertility and the soil formation and structure. The overall goal of the training was to give the engineers a common understanding of the challenges the world has and how to best consult the farmers who want to convert to organic and biodynamic agriculture.
Announcement of the winners of Grow Organic competition
The Social Initiative Forum (SIF) is a monthly event, held at Heliopolis University in order to network and support sustainable social initiatives. The SIF of August 2022 was under the theme “international cooperation for sustainable development”. Organic Egypt project and the Faculty of organic agriculture Heliopolis University took the advantage to announce in this SIF the winners of the “Grow Organic Competition”! “Grow Organic Competition” is a competition co-organized by Organic Egypt project, Organic Knowledge Hub project, the Faculty of organic agriculture Heliopolis University and Devilag project, to encourage students from all Egyptian Universities to make a simple manual for organic crops for the farmers. 159 students had applied in the competition from 18 different universities!
The first place was awarded to Abd El Khalek Ahmed and Sherif Abd Elaziz from Ain Shams University, who made a cultivation and production manual for organic onion!
The second place was awarded to Alaa Saaid Mohamed from Alexandria University, who submitted the best marjoram manual!
And last but not least, the third place was awarded to Asmaa Saaid and Esraa Rabiaa from Ain Shams University. They made a manual for organic sesame. Moreover, the winners were offered to attend a training on composting to increase their knowledge on small and large scale composting. The awards were presented by Dr. Fawzy Abouelabaz as the chairman of the competition.
NEW INNOVATIVE SERVICES OF OUR PARTNER ASSOCIATIONS
Economy of Love Carbon Credits
Economy of Love Carbon Credit (EoL CC) Website
The EoL department has launched a new page within the existing EoL webpage that is primarily focussing on the communication and implementation of the carbon credit scheme. This page explains the additionalities of the EoL carbon scheme as well as the methodology used, the governance, the co-benefits and a shop for purchasing such credits. For transparency reasons, EoL included the EoL Carbon Registry, which ensures that double accounting of credits is avoided.
Economy of Love data collection for EoL Carbon Registry
The EoL team conducted a trip collecting photo and video material of the first farmers that have now been verified and validated according to the EoL CC scheme. The communication material is now available on the EoL Website under the EoL carbon registry. The team conducted interviews with the farmers as well as their experience of applying biodynamic farming principles. The team visited 2 farms in Fayoum, 8 farms in Minya and 2 farms in Assiut. In the next month, the team will visit some farms in Beheira and Menoufia.
Economy of Love Fund Website
In order to promote the transition of farmers towards sustainable and biodynamic and EoL farming principles, the Economy of Love initiative, in cooperation with the SEKEM Development Foundation has launched a microcredit project.
Farmers are now encouraged to make their first investment in buying beehives or changing to renewable energy through the support of EoL microloans. In addition, EoL designed the EoL Fund, which supports farmers in making investments like increasing compost production or afforestation projects on their farms.
EDUCATIONAL AND AWARENESS RAISING CAMPAIGNS
Recipe Videos for consumer awareness
In light of RDNA and Organic Egypt cooperation to raise awareness RDNA is campaigning for organic vs conventional products, inviting consumers to “switch” from conventionally produced to organic products, by sharing recipe videos which are healthy, engaging and easy to do at home. Recipe videos were done for various dishes, including “Watermelon feta salad” and ”Figs walnuts arugula salad”, which include products from IDAM and EBDA partner farms, as well as other organic and clean products. The recipe videos can be watched on the social media platforms of RDNA and Organic Egypt.
NETWORKING ACTIVITIES OF ORGANIC EGYPT PROJECT
IDAMs visit to “Our Seeds Our Roots” association in Lebanon
Within the framework of spreading and implementing ecological agriculture, a team of 20 participants (4 of IDAM office and 16 members) visited the “Our Seeds Our Roots” association in Lebanon. “Our Seeds Our Roots” is concerned with ecological agriculture and the production and preservation of local seeds. The association organized a training on ecological agriculture, including topics such as: Soil, organic fertilizers, biological control and local seed production and preservation for IDAM team.
IDAM members (representatives of the 4 villages in Minia Governorate), formulated and discussed projects to apply the knowledge and experiences they gained in Lebanon as community initiatives in their villages. The visit was supported by the French Development Agency.
Newsletter Volume 14 – July 2022
Comments Off on Newsletter Volume 14 – July 2022Dear Reader,
This is the fifteenth newsletter of Organic Egypt project. It reviews our activities in August 2022 and illustrates all interventions conducted with our partners IDAM and Demeter Egypt (EBDA).
We hope you are all doing well and hope you enjoy the reading!
Stay safe and healthy!
TRAININGS AND WORKSHOPS FOR PARTNER ASSOCIATIONS
Training on organic Lemon production
A training on organic lemon production was conducted by Dr. Elsayd Qaoud to our partner associations. Dr. Elsayd explained lemon cultivation methods and pre- and post-harvest treatments. He also listened to the challenges that the engineers face on the field and gave recommendations on how to solve them. With the engineers, he discussed the problems regarding weather and climate changes they encounter and how to handle them and consult the farmers best.
Training on EoL Carbon Credits questionnaire on ERP Next
EBDA field engineers are receiving continuous training on the ERP Next software for member management as well as data collection for the Economy of Love impacTrace and Carbon Credits.
The training was conducted by the IT specialists Eng. Kareem Salah, who explained how to fill every indicator in the ERP Next to ensure good quality reports of data output. The participants had the chance to explain the challenges they face on the field and how to properly use the software, it was a very helpful training for the engineers to better understand the software and its functions.
Training on the principles of organic agriculture
The consultant Dr. Hassan Aboubakr conducted a training for 8 new employees of Organic Egypt project and its partners Demeter Egypt’s (EBDA) and IDAM in the principles of organic and biodynamic agriculture. Included were also the principles of composting, certification and the relation between agriculture and climate change and how to best use and adapt the different systems to combat climate change. Also Eng. Walaa Mohamed from the local certification center COAE made a session on the different certification systems and the differences in their standard. The training was mainly to give all new employees a common understanding of the challenges the world has and how to best consult the farmers that want to convert and to enhance the organic sector in Egypt.
NEW INNOVATIVE SERVICES OF OUR PARTNER ASSOCIATIONS
Agricultural learning center using renewable energy for IDAM member
At IDAMs Agricultural Learning Center in Minia, the first step was successfully completed in July 2022, the establishment of a solar pumping system for irrigation. This will provide the learning and demonstration center a renewable and sustainable source of energy for its irrigation system. The head of the coptic catholic diocese of Minia, Anba Basilius Fawzy attended the inauguration of the solar pump!
EDUCATIONAL AND AWARENESS RAISING CAMPAIGNS
RDNA Activities for Healthy Eating
In the collaboration framework of RDNA with Organic Egypt, a series of awareness sessions about healthy eating and healthy food took place at Kmt house in Maadi for consumers and RDNA team. New food brands were presented like “Dr. Food”, “Felfelaty” and RDNA partner brand “Omelette”. Each brand gets the chance to present their products and discuss with customers about the food quality and the importance of healthy food.
Recipe Videos for consumer awareness
In light of RDNA and Organic Egypt cooperation to raise awareness RDNA is campaigning for Organic vs Conventional products, inviting consumers to “switch” from conventionally produced to organic products, by sharing recipe videos which are healthy, engaging and easy to do at home like “Muhamara Dip”,”Baked Cherry Tomatoes & Feta Cheese”,”Herby Zucchini Frittata”, “ Kofta Yogurt” and “Keto Flaxseed bread”. The recipe videos include products from IDAM and EBDA partner farms, as well as other organic and clean products. The recipe videos can be watched on the social media platforms of RDNA and Organic Egypt.
NETWORKING ACTIVITIES OF ORGANIC EGYPT PROJECT
Demeter Egypt association (EBDA) attending BIOFACH 2022
Organic Egypt project supports its partner associations in networking, upscaling and marketing; thus, EBDA with the support of Organic Egypt and Demeter international attended BIOFACH 2022 in Nuremberg, Germany. BIOFACH is the biggest exhibition for organic products worldwide. Demeter Egypt showed some products from its members, and the team had the chance to speak about the services which are offered to their members. EBDA also introduced the Economy of Love (EoL) standard and the EoL carbon credits system. Many people and companies from different countries such as India, Tunisia, Morocco, and Italy were interested in the new standard and the carbon credits system.
Newsletter Volume 13 – April till June 2022
Comments Off on Newsletter Volume 13 – April till June 2022Dear Reader,
This is the thirteenth newsletter of Organic Egypt project. It reviews the second quarter of 2022. This newsletter will illustrate all activities conducted with our partners IDAM and EBDA, and show the status of the implemented pilot projects to foster innovations.
We hope you are all doing well and hope you enjoy the read!
Stay safe and healthy!
BASELINE ASSESSMENT OF FARMERS OF THE PARTNER ASSOCIATIONS
In light of Organic Egypt’s strategic objectives a needs and satisfaction assessment for the members of our partners Demeter Egypt (EBDA) and the Integral Development Action of Minia (IDAM) has been done. A team from Fayoum University led by Dr. Mohamed Abdelhameed was contracted in February 2022 to carry out the assessment that will be used as a baseline for the project’s second phase. The team determined a representative sample out of the total farmers for the assessment. The data collection was done in cooperation with the Heliopolis University, where 15 students from the faculty of organic agriculture were trained on data collection before they traveled to the governorates and filled out the questionnaire with the farmers.
The farmers surveyed reported high satisfaction with the availability and the level of services provided by the 2 associations, EBDA and IDAM. Nevertheless, challenges and recommendations were mentioned by the farmers from both associations to improve their performance and services. Challenges that were mentioned are the land fragmentation that could be affected by no-organic practices by neighbors, the limited marketing channels of organic products, and the lack of production inputs, amongst others. Suggestions that were mentioned are the provision of financial facilities and agricultural tools and in-kind support. Other suggestions mentioned are online marketing and postharvest treatments to ensure the quality of the market needs. All conclusions and recommendations of this assessment will be used by the associations to enhance the sector and serve the project objectives.
TRAININGS AND WORKSHOPS FOR PARTNER ASSOCIATIONS
Training on sustainable irrigation and fertilization practices
A training for our partner associations was held on the topic of irrigation and fertilization principles of organic crops. Eng. Mohamed Mustafa led the first part introducing irrigation and the interactions between soil and water in order to improve irrigation operations and exploit irrigation water in a good manner. He explained the variation of “Crop Water Requirement” based on the crop type and growth stage and how to minimize the water usage. The second part was held by Dr. Abdullah Korayem, presenting the various types of bio-fertilizers. He explained the plant’s needs and how they are diverse depending on the growth stage. Afterward, he led a discussion on converting to organic agriculture and how the cost of applying chemical fertilizers can be 4 times higher than using the organic alternatives in addition to the long-term value of enhancing soil health and biodiversity and minimizing the soil needs of fertilizers and irrigation water.
Training on EoL Carbon Credits questionnaire on ERP Next
ERPnext is a software for member management that Demeter Egypt is adapting as their association software. The field engineers are receiving continuous training on how to use and further develop the software and enable easy data entry in the database. A new section was added to the ERP Next system to collect data for the newly introduced EoL Carbon Credits. To ensure a correct and precise data entry for the carbon credits in the ERP Next software, a training was conducted by Eng. Mohamed Fouad from the Carbon Footprint Center (CFC) for the EBDA field engineers. He explained each indicator in ERPnext which should be taken in consideration; starting with “General information” containing data about the land and cultivated crops, then “Crop management”, “Sequestration”, “Livestock”, “Field energy use”, “Transport”, “Renewable Energy”, “Afforestation”, and “Soil”. While explaining these indicators, Eng. Mohamed showcased their importance and relationship to the EoL Carbon Credits.
Training on early plant diseases detection
Dr. Ahmed Bondok conducted a training for the field engineers of our partner association on the early detection and diagnosis of the main diseases and pests, especially for the summer season crops. Going through the importance of monitoring the crops, and choosing the IPM strategies based on the monitoring data to prevent or minimize the effect of the infection in the early stage. Dr. Ahmed discussed real-life examples of plant disease diagnosis for more clarification and asked the participants to share their own experience in the subject and how they used to manage the infection. At the end of the session, the training moved from the room to the field for the application of what they have learned and discussed deeper about regular check for plant infection.
Training on soil salinity and sustainable soil enhancement practice
A training on soil salinity and green manure as a soil enhancement practice was given to our partner associations staff. Talis Bosam explained the reasons for salinity and how it starts in the soil to become a main problem for the farmer. Then, introduced the symptoms that indicate if the soil suffers from high salinity or not, giving examples of different salinity levels in soil using different crops based on their salinity resistance. Dr. Saber Hendawy held the second session, explaining what green manure is and its importance as a sustainable practice. As for the practical, he led the engineers to the Libra open field at the Sekem farm to show them the green manure and how it looks on the soil, and how farmers cultivate their land with green manure.
Workshop on the internal processes and activities of Demeter Egypt (EBDA) with Ramadan Iftar
Organic Egypt project invested the inspiring vibes of Ramadan to meet with our partner association team Demeter Egypt (EBDA) , in KMT house to make Ramadan Iftar, and discussed the internal Demeter Egypt (EBDA) activities and processes that are aiming to enhance the Internal management system as well as improve the efficiency of the workflow. We also discussed the Survey of organizational performance (BMO Performance) and set priorities for the coming months. Demeter Egypt (EBDA) presented Ideas for this year’s pilot project that will be supported by Organic Egypt. The objective of all pilot projects is the improvement of services to the member farms. However this also includes broader research projects aiming to increase soil fertility or methods of fertilization like the Green Manure research project. Projects that were discussed are amongst other the newly implemented PGS system in Minia governorate and which lessons are learned to be developed for the coming governorates
MEETINGS AND ACTIVITIES BETWEEN ASSOCIATIONS
Meeting between Demeter Egypt (EBDA) , IDAM and Jesuit for possible cooperation
A meeting was held in May 2022 with IDAM, Demeter Egypt (EBDA) and Jesuit association representatives in Minia to discuss how the Jesuit members in Aswan will start converting to organic cultivation under the supervision and support of Demeter Egypt (EBDA) , during the meeting it was agreed to write a MOU between Demeter Egypt (EBDA) and Jesuit to start the work with the farmers this summer season in Aswan. Also the cooperation between IDAM and Demeter Egypt (EBDA) in Minia was discussed. IDAM wants to make a demo plot on their farm in district 8 to showcase organic crops to their members under the supervision of Demeter Egypt (EBDA) ’s engineers, as they have a strong field staff consisting of empowered engineers in all governorates with technical knowledge. Demeter Egypt (EBDA) representatives visited IDAM’s farm in district 8 in Minia as well as the farm that belongs to the Jesuit association in the same area in Minia. Demeter Egypt (EBDA) representatives gave some recommendations on how to start an organic farm and use it as a demo farm (i.e., planting a fence of 2 rows, and improving the irrigation system). The farm of IDAM needs lots of work as it has been neglected for some time. As for the Jesuit farm, it has a very good potential to be converted to organic immediately since they already make their own compost and the farm itself is working very well for the production
NEW INNOVATIVE SERVICES OF OUR PARTNER ASSOCIATIONS
Agricultural learning center using renewable energy for IDAM members
IDAM owns a farm in district 8 in Minia, which is currently irrigated by two independent motor-pump systems that are run by electricity from the national grid and backed up by two diesel generators. Using clean solar energy can be cheaper and more sustainable in the long-term, which inspires IDAM to use it. This farm is planned to be an Agricultural Learning Center with all possible learning facilities for their farmers, including organic farming inputs facilities, animal production and many other learning and production activities.
Eng. Amr Khairy (renewable energy consultant) visited the farm to get to know IDAM team closely and collect the required data that will help in installing the suitable solar energy unit for the irrigation system. In the coming months, the most suitable company will be contracted to implement the installation of the solar pump
Economy of Love Carbon Credits
The Economy of Love Standard is constantly implementing new innovative ideas, aiming to best benefit the farmer and people in the supply chain. A new project is the implementation of the EoL carbon credits. In cooperation with the Carbon Footprint Center and the use of the Cool Farm Tool, EoL is able to assess the carbon emissions and sequestration as well as active carbon avoidance on their licensee farms. This net carbon can be set in value. Currently one tonne of carbon sequestered or avoided is worth between 20-25 Euro. EoL certified farmers naturally provide a great number of trees, biodiversity, compost production, and renewable energy on their land, which they can finally be incentivized for. On the EoL Website you can find more about the development of the carbon scheme, the transparent background of tracing the carbon project, and the impact on biodiversity and people. ( https://www.economyoflove.net/)
New Marketing service for IDAM members
Organic Egypt supports IDAM in finding and developing new marketing channels for the products of their members. Within this framework, meetings had been organized between IDAM and RDNA to discuss RDNAs needs and how IDAM can support in delivering these products. IDAM is working with many women in the villages that are processing agricultural products and keeping animals. RDNA offers training and consultancy on how to improve the quality of the products to reach RDNA’s standards and to be sold in RDNA market with a higher price than the local market. Trial quantities of different products were delivered to RDNA market and plans are set for future cooperation
EDUCATIONAL AND AWARENESS RAISING CAMPAIGNS
RDNA Activities for Healthy Eating
In the collaboration framework of RDNA with Organic Egypt, a series of awareness sessions about healthy eating and healthy food took place at Kmt house in Maadi for consumers and RDNA team. The topics were various and ranged from “The benefits of eating organic food and the dangers of conventionally processed food”, to “The ecosystem of food production in Egypt”, which is still highly un-inspected in many ways, putting the word “organic” on a food product package was not regulated until recently, and implementation of this law is still lagging behind.
Consumer Excursions
As a part of RDNA’s activities to connect their consumers with the farmers and processors, excursions are being organized. A one day trip to Hazel Farm, one of RDNAs suppliers was conducted. Hazel Farm is an organic farm which is built around the concept of agritainment, meaning hosting consumers in a fun and educational space to learn more about organic cultivation. Around 30 consumers attended this excursion. The day was filled with fun activities. The highlight of the day was the picking of vegetables, or what they call “shopping in nature”. The lunch consisted of exclusively farm harvested vegetables (except for the rice!) and was meant to inspire consumers to cook creatively with seasonal ingredients. All recipes were shared afterwards.
Farmers and Processors Market
Organic Egypt in cooperation with RDNA food community implements Farmers and Processors Markets on a monthly basis in an open space at KMT house. In May, Under the collaboration between RDNA Market and the Amani Institute, (a non profit organization with the aim “to offer a new model of higher education, originating in the Global South, for social impact professionals, accessible for people all over the world.”), Amani organized and implemented a workshop on “Exploring Climates and Food Systems”. Additionally 10 vendors sold their products and consumers had the opportunity to taste, discuss and buy their products. In June, RDNA Market also collaborated with the dutch organization Ocean Love to celebrate World Ocean Day. The day included discussions about ways to stop plastic waste/use and put an end to plastic pollution affecting our rivers and seas by 2030. For the love of the Ocean and giving back to our Earth. 11 vendors participated, around half with ecologically produced food products and the other half were into environmentally friendly products such as shopping bags made from upcycled plastic bags.
NETWORKING ACTIVITIES OF ORGANIC EGYPT PROJECT
Meeting with Ebdaa Bnfsk association in Beni Suef
Ebdaa Bnfsk is an active association with a good reputation between farmers in Beni Suef and many agricultural funded projects. The association showed their interest to be included as a partner association in Organi) to visit the association at their headquarters. The association is a non-profit civil society organization, involved in projects concerning poverty, health, women empowerment, youth empowerment and other development programs. It consists of 45 members in the general assembly, and is based on the principle of diversity and representation of the popular base, and the beneficiaries are around 3600 members, (2200 women and 1400 males) working on 650 feddan in total. Demeter Egypt (EBDA) has been involved with the Ebdaa Bnfsk association since October 2021 in the framework of the Agricultural Innovation Project (AIP). Demeter Egypt (EBDA) supports around 15 farmers of Ebdaa Bnfsk on around 400 feddan to convert their land to organic farming. It is being examined at the moment, which form of cooperation is the most beneficial for all entities involved.
Workshop on the Future of Organic Agriculture
In cooperation with Heliopolis University; Devilag, Organic Knowledge Hub and Organic Egypt project co-organized and co-funded the workshop on “The Future of Organic Agriculture between Learning and Applications”, as the achievement of food security is one of the core concerns of all nations now, it is at the forefront of concern for leaders and decision-makers. It has become clear that achieving sustainable food security requires consideration of other dimensions beyond food availability and regular access to it. However, it is just as important to consider food production methods that are safe for human health and the environment as well.
The first session was about the organic agricultural law in Egypt and its executive regulations. Different influential actors were panelists and shared the role of their organization in the implementation of the regulation. Dr. Maysa Lotfy represented the general administration of organic agriculture and Dr. Samar Sharawy represented the National Food Safety Authority and Mr. Abdelhamed Aldemerdash represented the Agricultural Export Council. The discussion with the audience from different backgrounds were very fruitful and informative.
The second session was about organic agriculture between learning and applications. The aim of this session was to discuss the situation of the organic agriculture programs in the different universities and the problems that the students face through the learning process. Representatives of the different Universities were panelists.
The third session was about the marketing and job opportunities in the organic sector. The main objective of this session was discussing the marketing opportunities for the organic products, the different types of certifications, and the job opportunities for the organic agriculture graduates. Representatives of the organic retail market, the processing and the certification bodies were panelists.
The forum was attended by many different stakeholders related to organic agriculture; university professors, association managers, farmers and students, so the forum was a great opportunity to network and meet people. A meeting was held with Dora Fiani, the founder of Bashaier, a digital platform in the agribusiness field. We discussed the possibility of creating an online pesticide and fertilization guide of organic preparations in cooperation with the ministry, certification bodies, companies and associations. In light of the organic law and its executive regulation this guide will be of great interest for all involved parties.
Another meeting was conducted with a youth movement supporting sustainable and organic agriculture in Beni Suef called “Improve Your Land and Increase Your Crop”. They explained why organic farming? because the production costs are less than conventional and the exportation potential is higher and more profitable. The initiative is interested in a cooperation with Organic Egypt to spread the knowledge of Organic farming between farmers, youth, and consumers.
Meeting with the African Organic Network
Meeting with African Organic Network (AfrONet), to discuss possible corporations, AfrONet is the continental organization of organic actors in Africa, established in 2012 to lead, unite, network, and facilitate the development of the organic sector through policy dialogue, capacity building, information dissemination, and facilitating organic value chain development and trade. Currently the Network includes 26 countries of the 54 African countries. AfrONet works with the umbrella organizations in the respective countries. They approached Organic Egypt to discuss the possibility of including Egypt in the Network. By 2026, they want to have representatives of all 54 African countries in their Network.
Attending the event on the Entrepreneurship initiative for the blue and green economy
Center for Environment and Development for the Arab Region and Europe (CEDARE) in partnership with the Egyptian Ministry of Environment (MOE), organized the first Consultation Session in the framework of the “SwitchMed Down the Nile Project to support Sustainable Economy and Green and Blue Entrepreneurship in Egypt”, at the Ministry’s venue in Cairo. where the Consultation Session aimed at introducing the project’s objectives and components to the participants, who represented stakeholders from governmental & non-governmental business support organizations (BSOs). Organic Egypt was invited to be a part of this event as one of the stakeholders, who included international organizations, financial institutions, banks, incubators, academia, and universities’ research and innovations centers.Where the project seeks to support the circular economy, promote green entrepreneurship, and integrate the principles of the blue economy into the ecosystem, especially under the increasingly deleterious impact of climate change and global warming. Dr. Hassan Abou Bakr (Organic Egypt consultant) represented the project in the event and illustrated the project activities with partner associations in different governorate to provide services for both organic farmers and those willing to shift to organic farming, which eventually will ensure and enhance sufficient income for farmers (males and females), with green sustainable activities. Also, other stakeholders like startups spoke about their contributions and the potential opportunities that will emerge from the green and blue projects which match SDGs.
ORGANIC EGYPT AS A SUSTAINABLE ENTITY
Organic Egypt as a case study for the Adaptive leadership workshop by Amani institute
Amani Institute is a global non-profit organization whose mission is developing professionals who create social impact with their careers. One of Amani’s programs is adaptive leadership, and Organic Egypt was invited to be presented as a case study for the 3 days program. The workshop was conducted in Egypt, KMT house with 14 fellows from different nationalities and was led by Hicham Jadaoun and Geraldine Hepp. Organic Egypt team presented its activities and challenges to the participants, who chose one of the challenges as a case study and worked on it, applying all the learned steps of the program. Organic Egypt attended the workshop and learned a lot. 3 different challenges were chosen and discussed during the workshop. First, how might the relationship/dynamic between Organic Egypt and the partner associations be changed to improve the solutions and services for the end beneficiaries (farmer). Second, How to find a strong position within the organic movement in Egypt?. And the last chosen challenge was concerning the Egyptian organic law and bylaw, and how organic Egypt can support the governmental entities to apply the law effectively with the cooperation of all stakeholders. All the outcomes were documented to be used by Organic Egypt team.
Newsletter Volume 12 – january to March 2022
Comments Off on Newsletter Volume 12 – january to March 2022Dear Reader,
This is the twelfth newsletter of Organic Egypt project. It reviews the first quarter of 2022. This newsletter will illustrate all activities conducted with our partners IDAM and EBDA, and show the status of the implemented pilot projects to foster innovations.
We hope you are all doing well and hope you enjoy the read!
Stay safe and healthy!
TRAININGS AND WORKSHOPS FOR PARTNER ASSOCIATIONS
Training on the establishment of apiaries in organic farms
Pollination is needed for plants to reproduce and form seeds, many plants such as oranges, clover, fennel and anise depend on honey bees to form seeds and increase crop yield and quality. A training on this topic was conducted to our partner associations engineers by Eng. Islam Siam, who illustrated the importance of establishing apiaries in organic farms looking on different levels; economic, productive, and medical. He thoroughly explained some aspects related to beekeeping such as the establishing stages of beehives, production needs and rates as well as the good conditions for obtaining organic honey.
At the end of the training, Eng. Eslam expressed the support schemes that can be provided in the purchase and marketing of products by supporting farmers with five bee hives. The training was a good opportunity for participants to have a better understanding of organic beekeeping and start to study this opportunity for their member farms.
Training on Veterinary for Organic Livestock
Based on the needs of EBDA staff, a training on organic livestock was conducted in March 2022. The Veterinary consultant Dr. Hana Tarek presented the different types of medicine used for farm animals and how medicine is often pictured in the form of a pill, bottle or tablet. The engineers learned new ways on how to consultan their farmers in veterinary questions, the training was a vivid discussion with the consultant Dr. Hana on problems the engineers face with their farmers.
Training session on EoL EDU program
The EBDA conducted an EoL Education Training for the agricultural engineers which was facilitated by Amira Badwy. Part of the training were art, basics of geometry and movement courses as well as an insight into the Economy of Love role model – the SEKEM Initiative -. Part of the training were also exercises to learn how to bring the Economy of Love EDU principles to the farmers and workers.
Training on Carbon footprint certification
A training was conducted to the staff of our partner association EBDA in carbon footprint certification, taking into account global warming and climate change issues and its effect on agriculture. The trainer Thoraya Seada, Project Manager of the Carbon Footprint Center (CFC) at Heliopolis University conducted the one day training. The Heliopolis University, in cooperation with the Academy of Scientific Research and Technology (ASRT) set up the Carbon Footprint Center (CFC) in 2014 to become active in carbon assessment and CO2 emission reduction projects. Thoraya Seada presented the carbon footprint certificates and explained the carbon cycle, the greenhouse gasses, global warming and climate change and its causes.
In addition, eng. Thoraya discussed the possibilities to save carbon and mitigate climate change “Soil carbon, Afforestation, Composting and Renewable Energy”. She trained the engineers on the different databases that are used on farms to collect carbon credit data. The engineers were engaged along the session and requested eng. Thoraya to schedule a future session to apply the knowledge provided in a practical setting.
Training on Climate Change and its Impact on Agriculture
IDAM organized a two-day training session on the impact of climate change on agriculture for its staff and for EBDA engineers. The training was conducted by trainers from the Climate Change Information Center and Renewable Energy (CCICRE), namely; Dr. Belal Ali, Dr. Essam Hamad and Dr. Ahmed Hamed. Who Started by introducing the concept of climate change and key symptoms through concrete examples that occurred in Egypt (Heatwaves, frost, floods, disease outbreaks, etc.) and their impact on agricultural production. Over the 2 days, many related topics were discussed, starting by explaining the main reasons behind global warming and its consequences, followed by concepts of mitigation and adaptation to climate change, and how they can be ensured through agricultural practices and strategies. Going through the early detection and warning methodology and existing unit and its importance to mitigate the climatic adverse for agriculture.
TRAINING AND LEARNING MATERIAL FOR PARTNER ASSOCIATIONS
Students Competition to develop simple organic agricultural technical manuals
Organic Egypt in cooperation with the Faculty of Organic Agriculture – Heliopolis University launched a competition for students to develop manuals which will be evaluated by a committee of experts in the field.
The idea is to develop organic agricultural technical manuals in Arabic and simple language for the members of our partner associations and to encourage the spread of organic agriculture among farmers. At the same time, this competition gives the students the opportunity to learn and participate in raising awareness for organic agriculture and produce valuable manuals that will be disseminated through our partners.
Recipe Videos
Our strategic partner “RDNA food community” is now campaigning for Organic vs Conventional produce, creating lots of content for raising awareness and creating recipe videos for consumers and other interested parties. The videos include organic meat from an EBDA partner farm, and other organic and clean products. Through the recipe videos, the demand for organic and natural products will also be increased and consumers get more engaged with the food they consume. The idea of these recipes is for consumers to have an easy time trying new ingredients or familiar ingredients in a new way. The posting of each video includes the ingredients it was prepared with as well as the way of preparation so that consumers can easily repeat the recipe at home. So far, four videos about organic meat and organic peanut butter have been created and can be found on the social media platforms of RDNA and Organic Egypt.
NEW INNOVATIVE SERVICES OF OUR PARTNER ASSOCIATIONS
Organic Egypt supports the piloting of new innovative services that the partner associations – based on the needs of their members- want to offer. Also existing services are further developed and adapted.
The new services range from supplying the farmers with good quality organic agricultural inputs and teaching the farmers how to do their own organic fertilizers and pest control, as this is one of the major problems the farmers face; finding organic agricultural production inputs in good quality, to new approaches for the developed and implemented of alternative certification systems to make certification more easy and accessible. Some of the pilot projects related to alternative certification systems and a research project that are tested and implemented are listed below:
Implementation of a “Demeter PGS” system in Egypt
A Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) is a quality assurance initiative that is locally relevant, emphasizing the participation of stakeholders, including producers and consumers and operates outside the frame of third-party certification. In PGS, farmers are co-owners of the guaranteed system and are therefore involved in the design and verification process. PGS is designed for the local market and cannot replace third party certification as a criterion for world trade. But it improves market access and income through reduced costs and increases access to quality products to local consumers. Also, in case PGS certified producers decide to target the export market, they will find themselves better prepared to manage the required documentation systems and compliance to standards.
Acknowledging the potential benefits PGS can provide for Egyptian farmers, a first-of-its-kind initiative in Egypt was established by the EBDA association and the Center of Organic Agriculture in Egypt (COAE) aiming to implement a “Demeter PGS” system in Egypt, representing a starting point for the mission to spread this new PGS concept worldwide. Demeter PGS in Egypt was shortly introduced after the Biodynamic Federation Demeter International (BFDI) has launched this concept as a new scope.
The initiative targets around 1500 local small-scale producers in all governorates in Egypt. Starting with the three governorates of Minia, Behera and Beni Suif as a pilot group. These pilot groups consist of 300 farmers which is a good trial size to fully assess the process and to gain extensive feedback from participants, thus allowing for appropriate interventions and improvements going forward with the rest of the governorates. The kick-off event for the PGS system was held in January 2022 in Minia city.
A peer review team of 6 farmers was internally chosen who will now perform the audits. For the first audit in Minia done in March 2022, the peer review team was accompanied by the COAE and EBDA team to support and teach them the process of auditing. In 18 days, the peer review team managed to visit around 120 farmers for a first initial audit. In May 2022, the second governorate Beni Suef will be audited with the lessons learned from Minia followed by Behera governorate.
Green Manure
Using green manure is an internationally accepted practice to improve agricultural soils. The main idea is to cover the soil with living plants; through their roots they add organic matter to the soil and create a protected environment for soil organisms and the soil foodweb. Green manure crops are seeded after a cash crop in order to cover the soil until the next cash crop is cultivated. EBDA is conducting a field research, using green manure on a EBDA member’s farm in the western desert in Egypt. Through identifying seeding date and planting density, doing regular chemical and microbiological soil analysis; the farmers can be provided with the necessary recommendations to adopt a green manure system. The trial is set for one year and will showcase the potential of increasing soil organic matter with green manure.
EOL upscaling
The Economy of Love Standard was successfully developed and launched in the previous year 2021. During that year, not only the EoL Standard criteria was developed, but also the impacTrace tool on the webpage and the EoL Education program was designed in order to support the holistic approach of the four dimensions; ecology, economy, social and cultural. With the impacTrace tool, customers can see the impact that their purchase has on the environment and people’s lives. The next step now is to apply the gained experience, adapt the standard accordingly and design the up-scaling process. Through reaching more farmers with the EoL principles, EBDA’s impact on farmer livelihoods and well-being can be sustainably influenced. EBDA aims to shift from the piloting phase towards a more mature level approaching many more farmers and companies in Egypt. In order to reach a stage where many more farmers and parties can engage in, the basic infrastructure has to be prepared. Therefore the impacTrace needs to be redesigned to be used as a simple application, also the ISO 17067 needs to be applied in order to achieve global recognition through other certification schemes. The development and need to upscale the EoL standard is a reaction to the current trends of the organic market worldwide, which is seeking higher values and standards within the organic supply chain.
EDUCATIONAL AND AWARENESS RAISING CAMPAIGNS
Awareness raising campaigns for Organic Agriculture
In 2020 and 2021, EBDA was supported by Organic Egypt project to conduct awareness raising campaigns for farmers all over the country. In total, 7 campaigns were conducted and approximately 450 new members were gained in the EBDA association!
This year 2022, EBDA in cooperation with the Integral Development Action of Minia (IDAM), and the Ebdaa Benafsak Association in Beni Suef will continue with the Awareness raising campaigns for Organic Agriculture. The project Organic Egypt supports these campaigns that aim to show the viability of organic farming as a sustainable way of preserving the value of local products and improving the local socio-economic situation. The objectives of the campaign are to introduce and familiarize farmers with the principles and aspects of organic agriculture through different study cases and expert inputs. The campaign is planned to be hosting a series of 6 sessions that are planned to be conducted from January till June 2022.
In January 2022, the first campaign was conducted in Minia, where 36 very interested farmers attended. In March 2022, the second campaign was conducted in Beni Suef where 67 farmers, mostly female farmers attended the session. Throughout the awareness campaign, EBDA is planning to support IDAM and Ebda Benafsak associations by reaching out to 200 farmers in Bani Suif and 200 farmers of Al Minya to promote organic agriculture practices. From the expected 400 campaign participants, it is aimed to onboard around 60% onto the EBDA Association. After verifying the new applications, the association will schedule a first farm visit where the validation of the new membership will be finalized. After completing the process, the two associations including the new signed farming members will benefit from EBDA’s services provided. The associations’s extension engineers will guide them with all steps to convert from conventional to organic agriculture including biofertilizers, pesticides and also marketing services.
RDNA participation in Awareness Events – Miss Xmas Basket Bazaar
RDNA participated in the awareness Event – Miss Xmas Basket Bazaar that ran for a course of 20 days from Monday 20th of December until Saturday 8th of January in Cairo Festival City in East Cairo which was one of a kind! RDNA chose to participate in this event as a way to reach consumers who are looking for healthy food options and are interested in organic products.
Miss Basket Xmas Bazar is a network and platform organizing different markets, bazaars and events for a broad follower base. The philosophy of RDNA as well as its products were explained. Visitors were also encouraged and assisted in downloading the RDNA app and placing their order. Customers did tastings of some products, mainly organic vegetables, fruits and organic meat from EBDA members farms.
Miss Basket Xmas Bazar is a network and platform organizing different markets, bazaars and events for a broad follower base. The philosophy of RDNA as well as its products were explained. Visitors were also encouraged and assisted in downloading the RDNA app and placing their order. Customers did tastings of some products, mainly organic vegetables, fruits and organic meat from EBDA members farms.
Farmers and Processors Market
Organic Egypt in cooperation with the RDNA food community implements Farmers and Processors Markets on a monthly basis in an open space at KMT house, Maadi in Cairo. In January, the Market was accompanied by the launch for the “Honest Farmer Guide” by Tayyib Society, which developed a guide that includes a list of farms around Cairo and transparently provides their farming practices. The guide also includes the SEKEM farm, which is a member of EBDA and practices biodynamic agriculture. Organic Egypt also introduced its project and work and provided a free catering menu to all participants, cooked with ingredients purchased from the farmers that are mentioned in the guide to enhance the experience and provide consumers with the opportunity to taste the organic and clean produce.
In March, the Market celebrated the “Artichoke Harvest Season” where 10 vendors sold their products. KMT house tables, the cafe in KMT house, offered a unique artichoke menu for the day with all ingredients from EBDA farms: artichokes, meat, chicken as well as vegetables. Consumers had the opportunity to taste artichokes in different dishes and get curious about experimenting in their own kitchens.
Consumer Excursions
The excursions supported by RDNA and Organic Egypt are designed to bring consumers closer to farmers and producers. Consumers have the chance to increase their understanding and awareness of what it really means to farm or produce food. In February an excursion was conducted to Makkar Farms. 20 persons attended this one day trip. There was a tour around the hydroponics greenhouses with explanations of how the system works and how it is cleaner than conventional farming.
In addition, a lunch was prepared with Makkar products for all participants. In March, an excursion was conducted to the SEKEM Farm, one of EBDA’s member farms in Sharqia, Cairo. 15 persons attended this one day trip; they got a farm tour and a light vegetarian farm lunch. The highlight of the day was picking green peas and other crops such as red cabbage from the fields.
Rdna Activities for Healthy Eating
In the collaboration framework of RDNA and Organic Egypt awareness raising campaigns, a plan was designed to organize different activities for healthy eating. In order to encourage consumers to eat healthy, RDNA will use different activities to engage consumers like cooking sessions, presentations of experts, arts classes related to the topic of nourishing, wholesome and local healthy eating. The first Awareness session took place in March, to discuss the topic of conventional vs. organic poultry with a focus on chicken in small scale production, there were around 10 participants. The Expert Dr. Hassan Awny, a professor of animal husbandry at the faculty of Agriculture at Cairo University presented this topic. The purpose of his talk was to shed light on conventional poultry raising and how this deteriorates the environment as well as our health: “how cheap is cheap chicken really”.
NETWORKING ACTIVITIES OF ORGANIC EGYPT PROJECT
Visit to Habiba Organic Farm in Nuweiba, Sinai, Egypt
Maged El Said and his wife Lorena El Said started Habiba Ecolodge in 1994, they were both working in the touristic field and had built this Ecolodge to receive tourists.
In 2007 they established the Habiba Organic Farm as they wanted to do something for the community and the region in Nuweiba. They pioneered the term “Agro Tourism” in Sinai and built a reputation as one of the first WWOOFing farms in Egypt, receiving volunteers not only from Egypt but from all over the world to work on their farm.
Lorena El Said started a learning center for the kinds of the village to give them a chance to learn through practical, playful exercises after their regular school time. The learning center includes gardening, art sessions, english and many more topics. In 2021, Habiba Organic Farm started supplying RDNA Stores in Cairo to sell their products. Mainly dried herbs and vegetables, as fresh produce is not feasible due to the long drive between Nuweiba and Cairo. Maged El Said, his wife and their two sons organize and conduct training and workshops in organic farming practices for their neighboring farms. Now they work with around 75 farms on around 800 feddan in Nuweiba. They are still in need for training in organic farming practices, especially compostaing and organic pest control for the farmers of the community.
Visit to Jesuit Association in Minia and Aswan
IDAM arranged a meeting with the Jesuit et frères association and Organic Egypt project team in Minia in January 2022 to introduce the work of Jesuit in Aswan. Jesuit started working in Aswan in Nasr El Nouba, which has 44 villages, 8 years ago with a Swiss project to improve the irrigation system there. In a period of 4 years, they established 14 irrigation unions with 50 farmers in each union. Every irrigation union has a management team that consists of 7 elected farmers from within the system union. The system helped the farmers to organize the irrigation for their land as well as preserving the land scale. Jesuit was interested to meet Organic Egypt and discuss possible cooperation with their irrigation union farmers in Awan. Based on that meeting, all stakeholders decided to visit Nasr El Nouba in Aswan to assess the situation there. A visit was conducted in March 2022 with representatives from IDAM, EBDA, and Organic Egypt to meet all employees of the Jesuit office in Aswan and visit the irrigation unions as well as agricultural associations representatives from different villages in Nasr El Nouba.
During the three days visit, EBDA representatives introduced organic and contractual farming to the farmers of the unions and explained their work with their members. The farmers of the irrigation unions did a field visit to the farmers that EBDA has been working with in Wadi El Nokra since 2020 to exchange knowledge and to share their success stories. The farmers of the Jesuit were very interested and asked many questions about the cultivation steps of organic practices and how to market the products. Some farmers showed their interest to start cultivating a trial area this summer season. Follow up meetings will be conducted during the coming months and discuss the cooperation in more details.
