Egypt faces great challenges due to the increasing demand for natural resources in line with the rising population, Egypt’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Dr. Hussein Gadeen said on Monday during a celebration organized by the Bibliotheca Alexandria and the FAO on the World Food Day.
According to statistics from the Central Auditing Organization (CAO), the population will reach 120 million people by 2030 and reach 150 million by 2050, Gadeen said.
He added that Egypt has succeeded in achieving food security through a strategy based on adopting sophisticated agriculture methods, including modern irrigation methods.
Agriculture still consumes 85 percent of Egypt’s water resources, which requires more investment in the fields of agriculture and scientific research, he said.
The population growth continues to consume immense proportions of Egypt’s water resources due to still depending on traditional irrigation methods, Gadeen explained.
Gadeen said that the FAO is currently working in cooperation with the Egyptian Ministry of Agriculture to support sustainable agricultural development in Egypt within the framework of the Egypt’s 2030 Vision.
He called on citizens and officials to help pump more investment in the agricultural field and scientific research.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
