Strengthening Scientific and Agricultural Cooperation between the CIHEAM and Egypt

Cairo, 17 February 2025

As part of ongoing efforts to reinforce relations between the CIHEAM and Egypt, Mr Teodoro Miano, Secretary General of the CIHEAM, undertook a mission to Cairo. This visit, marked by strategic institutional meetings, provided an opportunity to deepen cooperation in the fields of education, research, innovation, and sustainable agricultural development.

Strengthening Dialogue with the Egyptian Ministry of Agriculture

On 16 February 2025, Mr Alaa Farouk, Egyptian Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, received Mr Teodoro Miano for a meeting focused on strengthening cooperation between Egypt and the CIHEAM. Also present were Professor Adel Abdel Azeem, Deputy Minister of Agriculture, President of the Agricultural Research Center (ARC), and Delegate of Egypt to the CIHEAM, as well as Dr Saad Moussa, Supervisor of External Agricultural Relations.

Discussions focused on the development of joint agricultural projects between the Ministry and the CIHEAM, with an emphasis on the training of researchers and student, innovation, and the adoption of resilient agricultural practices to address environmental challenges. Key topics addressed included the granting of scholarships for ARC researchers within the CIHEAM institutes, the equivalence of Master’s degrees between Egyptian universities and those delivered by the CIHEAM, and the establishment of a joint master’s programme.

The discussions also provided an opportunity to consider the setting up of a CIHEAM liaison office in Cairo to facilitate the coordination and monitoring of joint projects, as well as the strengthening of academic and scientific mobility through a co-supervised PhD program between Egyptian and CIHEAM institutes. Minister Alaa Farouk highlighted the importance of this collaboration, particularly in leveraging the international expertise of the CIHEAM to integrate innovative practices into the development of Egypt’s agricultural strategies.

Cooperation with the Arab Water Council for Improved Sustainable Water Management

During his mission, Mr Teodoro Miano also met with Mahmoud Abu-Zeid, President of the Arab Water Council (AWC), and Dr Hussein El Atfi, Secretary General of AWC, to explore possible synergies between the two organisations. Discussions focused on the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the CIHEAM and the AWC, aimed at structuring collaboration on water and agriculture-related issues. The discussions also addressed the development of joint programmes for sustainable water resource management in the Mediterranean and the AWC’s participation in CIHEAM events and scientific initiatives on water, agriculture, and climate-related challenges.

Egypt, a Key Actor within the CIHEAM

As a member of the CIHEAM since 1986, Egypt plays an active role in the organisation, benefiting in particular from its training, research, and technical cooperation programmes. Over the years, several projects have been implemented, covering a wide range of fields such as food security, natural resource and energy management, irrigation modernisation, and agricultural innovation.
Recent collaborative projects between the CIHEAM and Egypt include:

SUPMED: A project funded by multiple partners, testing agroecological innovations in Luxor to tackle climate change, water scarcity, and improve the income of rural households and food security.

LAB4SUPPLY: A project analyzing five agri-food supply chains, integrating economic, social, and environmental indicators using a participatory approach with key stakeholders.

REACT4MED: A PRIMA-funded initiative supporting sustainable land and water management to boost agropastoral productivity, restore degraded ecosystems, and improve Mediterranean community livelihoods.

MEDLINKS: A project aimed at enhancing business models and market linkages for Mediterranean fruit and vegetable supply chains, offering tailored solutions to small-scale producers and improving value chain sustainability.

NATAE: A Horizon Europe-funded collaboration, bringing together research institutions and international organizations to promote agroecology and transform Mediterranean agricultural systems.

A Key Upcoming Event: the CIHEAM Governing Board Meeting in Cairo in December 2025

At the conclusion of this mission, it was agreed that the CIHEAM Governing Board Meeting will be held in Cairo in December 2025. This major event will bring together representatives from the 13 Member States CIHEAM to review ongoing projects and define new strategic directions to further strengthen regional cooperation.