Experts have stressed that updating Egypt's agriculture law is an urgent necessity due to escalating challenges like water scarcity and climate change impacts. The call came during a workshop closing a project to enhance the private sector's role in Upper Egypt's agriculture. Participants emphasized the need for legislative frameworks to bolster food security and resource efficiency.
Mohamed El-Sebaei, former deputy head of the Senate’s Agriculture and Irrigation Committee, stated during a workshop reviewing the legislative impact assessment of Agriculture Law No. 53 of 1966 and its amendments that updating the law is no longer optional but an urgent necessity. He highlighted three major challenges facing Egypt: a persistent legislative and economic gap in the agricultural sector, the growing impacts of climate change on productivity, and severe water scarcity. El-Sebaei noted that Egypt relies heavily on transboundary water resources, with increasing pressure from its fixed share of Nile water, making efficient water governance and climate-resilient agriculture essential priorities.
Key recommendations from the discussions included adopting an integrated, participatory approach involving all stakeholders, embedding climate-smart agriculture concepts into legislation, expanding the private sector's role, accelerating digital transformation, applying smart governance tools, and strengthening links between scientific research and practical innovation.
Saad Moussa, deputy head of the Agricultural Research Center and supervisor of international agricultural relations at the Ministry of Agriculture, added that the sector faces structural challenges, primarily limited water resources and constrained arable land, underscoring the need for legislative frameworks that enhance food security and resource efficiency.
The remarks were delivered at the closing session of the project “Enhancing the Role of the Private Sector in Upper Egypt’s Agricultural Sector,” implemented by Inroot Development with funding from the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, in cooperation with the universities of Assiut, Qena, Sohag, Aswan, and Luxor. The session gathered representatives from government bodies, the private sector, academic institutions, research centers, and development partners.
Hanna Girgis, co-founder and chairman of Inroot Development, described the session as the culmination of a series of policy workshops that addressed real-world agricultural challenges and produced evidence-based recommendations for modernizing agricultural policy in line with climate realities. Meanwhile, Hany El-Salamouni, the organization's chief executive officer, reported that the project achieved tangible results in 2025, including training nearly 1,000 farmers and 600 agriculture students on climate-smart farming practices and artificial intelligence applications to boost productivity and climate adaptation.
Participants concluded that updating the Agriculture Law is a critical step toward building the sector’s resilience to climate and water stresses, improving productivity and competitiveness, and enhancing food security, particularly in Upper Egypt.