Dutch Data-driven agriculture: Empowering Egyptian Producers to further Climate and Water Smart Agriculture
Egyptian growers aim to be as efficient with water as they can be. Dutch partners come along side to support them with data-driven tools and knowledge that may improve irrigation strategies and support companies to include water in their long-term business strategies. Last week, through a hybrid workshop, the Dutch embassy in Egypt connected Dutch experts with Egyptian growers to exchange ideas, share knowledge and together look for new business opportunities.
During the workshop a consortium of Wageningen UR and Water Footprint Network presented their Dutch-funded comprehensive study on water footprint analysis. The study focusses on a number or relevant crops in the international trade between Egypt and The Netherlands: potato, onion, tomato, leaf lettuce, and strawberry. The study's results revealed that average unit water footprints across crops are comparable, with strawberry being the most water-intensive crop and tomato the least. The researchers identified various water footprint reduction measures, including improved irrigation systems, soil covers, and fertilization management, among others.
Two Dutch companies with expertise in data-driven water strategies, e-Leaf and 52 Impact, presented their tools. Both companies use satellite images for agriculture. The first for use on a daily base, while the latter supports long term strategy development for crop choice and decisions on investments. In a lively discussion growers expressed their eagerness to engage with the companies to test the tools on their farms and improve in aspects as integration with local (in-situ) data from sensors (soil)analysis as well as adding contextual knowledge on the vast land reclamation in Egypt.
The hybrid workshop provided a valuable platform for knowledge sharing, networking, and collaboration between Egyptian and Dutch stakeholders. It demonstrated the potential for Dutch water technologies to support Egypt's agricultural sector, particularly in the areas of water footprint reduction and sustainable water management.
As Egypt continues to deal with water scarcity and climate change, the adoption of innovative technologies and sustainable practices will be ever more crucial. The Netherlands embassy plans to host a Dutch Pavilion at the upcoming Sahara Expo 2024, to provide further opportunity for Dutch and Egyptian companies to engage and work towards climate and water smart agriculture. For more information about taking part in the NL Pavilion at Sahara Expo 2024.
The agriculture team of the Embassy stands ready to help any Dutch company interested to do business with Egypt. For more information, you can contact: KAI-LNV@minbuza.nl