Alaa Farouk: “The Italian agricultural sector can look to Egypt as a hub for Africa. We are ready.”

In the four-pillar strategy presented in April 2026, you set out the objective of building a highly productive, export-oriented and environmentally sustainable agricultural sector, capable of ensuring food security despite regional instability and climate change. In light of the instability of global food markets and major desert land reclamation projects, such as ‘Future of Egypt’, how do you envisage a modernisation strategy for the country that goes beyond simply increasing the area under cultivation and production levels?

‘These four pillars concern boosting agricultural productivity, increasing agricultural exports to support food security, tackling the effects of climate change, and expanding land reclamation and the restoration of agricultural land. This will be achieved through the development of national projects such as ‘Future of Egypt’, the New Delta, Toshka, Sharq El Owainat, as well as land reclamation projects in central and southern Egypt and the Sinai. We expect these projects to generate significant economic returns not only at national level, but also regionally, given that Egypt is one of the region’s leading exporters of agricultural produce. Figures for 2025 show that Egyptian agricultural exports reached approximately 9.5 million tonnes of agricultural produce, notably citrus fruits, potatoes, grapes and other produce, destined for over 160 countries worldwide, including the European Union, the Gulf States, Africa, the United States and Latin America. The performance of the Egyptian agricultural sector is also confirmed by export figures: in 2025, agricultural exports, including fresh and processed products, reached approximately 11.5 billion dollars. I would like to emphasise that the European Union, and Italia in particular, is one of Egypt’s main trading partners. Every year, around 25 per cent of our total agricultural exports are destined for the European Union. In the coming years, we aim to further increase agricultural exports, particularly to the European Union and Italian markets, in light of our close relations and ongoing cooperation with Italia, both through the Italian Embassy in Cairo and through specialised technical institutions, including CIHEAM Bari. We were delighted to host the annual meeting of the Board of Directors of CIHEAM Bari, the Regional Centre for Euro-Mediterranean Agricultural Studies, in Egypt. The event reflects Egypt’s regional and international role in supporting food security and strengthening cooperation between Mediterranean countries in this field. In recent years, we have witnessed numerous political and commercial meetings between Egypt and Italia, with the aim of strengthening bilateral cooperation not only in the agricultural sector, but across all other sectors as well. An investment forum between the two countries was also held, alongside meetings between the chambers of commerce and the private sector in Cairo. These meetings have led to the creation of a direct transport route for perishable agricultural and food products: the RoRo Line between the Egyptian port of Damietta and the Italian port of Trieste, which now operates regularly. There are still significant opportunities for Italian private-sector companies wishing to expand their agricultural investments in the coming years, particularly in light of the Egyptian government’s commitment to boosting investment in the sector and encouraging foreign companies to enter into partnerships with Egyptian entities and the private sector. This could have an economic impact on the countries of the Mediterranean basin and North Africa.”

Once the current programme has come to an end, what indicators should potential Italian investors use to measure the progress of Egyptian agriculture? Which indicator do you consider essential? And what is currently the main obstacle to a greater inflow of Italian private capital into Egyptian agriculture?

Promoting investment in the agricultural sector is one of the main pillars of the Agricultural Strategy 2030. It is also a priority for the State, in line with the political leadership’s directives aimed at encouraging investment across all sectors, particularly foreign investment in agriculture. The aim is to achieve food security at both the Egyptian and regional levels, whilst increasing employment opportunities. The State also attaches great importance to increasing the agricultural sector’s contribution to GDP. This reflects the State’s conviction regarding the importance of developing and investing in the agricultural sector. We measure the success of our efforts by the agricultural sector’s ability to increase its contribution to the national economy. The main challenge I see is to intensify dialogue between the business communities of the two countries, through the regular organisation of official meetings, workshops, conferences and investment forums bringing together Egyptian and Italian investors. It is also necessary to strengthen the role of the Italian-Egyptian economic and business councils, so that they can present investment opportunities in the agricultural sector, compare their respective visions and build partnerships capable of generating shared interests.”

Could Egypt become not only a market, but also a production and export hub for Italian companies looking to serve markets in the MENA region?

‘Absolutely. Egypt faces enormous challenges, but despite this, it offers very promising opportunities thanks to its strategic geographical location, which makes it a regional hub for the countries of the Mediterranean and a prime gateway to African markets. We have discussed with the countries of the European Union the proposal to set up a centre for the production and marketing of high-yield seeds, in collaboration with specialist European companies, including Dutch ones. We are ready to welcome the participation of Italian companies in this initiative and to collaborate with the Italian side to make Egypt a base from which to launch exports and enable Italian products to access African markets, not only in the agricultural sector but also in other sectors of the economy, by making use of Egypt’s network of trade agreements. Furthermore, Egypt regards the European Union as a whole, and Italia in particular, as a strategic partner. Egypt and Italia were among the first countries to establish the RoRo Line between the Italian port of Trieste and the Egyptian port of Damietta, which enables the transport of perishable goods by lorry in around 48 hours. This helps to make Egypt a regional hub for trade, thanks in part to its significant membership of COMESA and other free trade agreements, which can, on the one hand, facilitate trade between Egypt and African countries and, on the other, offer European businesses, including Italian ones, new opportunities for access to African markets.”