About the Project
Agriculture is one of the largest sectors in Egypt, employing around one-third of the Egyptian labor force (32%) and representing 13% of GDP, while agro-industry constitutes 2% of GDP and employs 6% of the national labor force. Both sectors have great scope for improvement in both the quantity and quality of final products for local and external markets. In particular, while Egypt is among the top producers of fresh crops in the world, the level of processing still remains low in terms of volume (around 10%) and quality (e.g. safety measures and product range) compared to other competitors in the same market segment.
The example of tomatoes is even more striking. Egypt produces about 8 million tons of tomatoes per year and is the world’s fifth largest producer, which can be attributed to its suitable climate, dual seasonality, and fertile lands. However, only 3–4% of the tomato crop is processed.
The “Inclusive and sustainable development of the tomato value chain in Egypt” project, funded by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) and implemented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), aims to address the aforementioned challenges and support the development of an inclusive and sustainable tomato value chain in Egypt by increasing value-addition and by enhancing technical capacities of youth.
One of the main pillars is the creation of a Tomato Learning and Service Center primarily serving the tomato processing value chain by:
-
Linking primary producers with the processing industry;
-
Offering a set of services for the existing and new tomato processors to develop their business;
-
Upgrading labour skills through specialized training courses; and
-
Introducing innovative products and/or processes to compete in the internal and external markets.
The project officially commenced in November 2020, with a 3 months inception phase during which an intensive consultation process took place with relevant stakeholders to ensure their active involvement and contribution early on in the project. The options for the Tomato Learning Service Center (TLSC) were developed and conceptualized in close coordination with relevant partners. Furthermore, the project’s implementation approach was developed, verifying and improving the logical framework indicators, and setting the preliminary monitoring plan.
Starting date
November 2020
Duration
2 Years (Including 3 months inception phase)
Project site
Egypt
Government counterpart agency
Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI)
Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation (MALR)
Executing agency
United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)
Donor
Government of Italy - Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS)
Government of Slovenia
Donor Funding
EUR 2,000,000 - AICS
EUR 120,000 – Government of Slovenia
The project officially commenced in November 2020, with a 3 months inception phase during which an intensive consultation process took place with relevant stakeholders to ensure their active involvement and contribution early on in the project. The options for the Tomato Learning Service Center (TLSC) were developed and conceptualized in close coordination with relevant partners. Furthermore, the project’s implementation approach was developed, verifying and improving the logical framework indicators, and setting the preliminary monitoring plan.
About UNIDO
The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) is the specialized agency of the United Nations that promotes industrial development for poverty reduction, inclusive globalization and environmental sustainability. The mission of UNIDO, as described in the Lima Declaration adopted at the fifteenth session of the UNIDO General Conference in 2013, is to promote and accelerate inclusive and sustainable industrial development (ISID) in Member States. The relevance of ISID as an integrated approach to all three pillars of sustainable development is recognized by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which will frame United Nations and country efforts towards sustainable development in the next fifteen years. UNIDO’s mandate is fully recognized in SDG-9, which calls to “Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation”. The relevance of ISID, however, applies in greater or lesser extent to all SDGs. Accordingly, the Organization’s programmatic focus is structured in four strategic priorities: Creating shared prosperity; Advancing economic competitiveness; Safeguarding the environment; and Strengthening knowledge and institutions.
Each of these programmatic fields of activity contains a number of individual programmes, which are implemented in a holistic manner to achieve effective outcomes and impacts through UNIDO’s four enabling functions: (i) technical cooperation; (ii) analytical and research functions and policy advisory services; (iii) normative functions and standards and quality-related activities; and (iv) convening and partnerships for knowledge transfer, networking and industrial cooperation. Such core functions are carried out in Departments/Offices in its Headquarters, Regional Offices and Hubs and Country Office.
Slovenian Component
In line with the overall objective of the project to improve the tomato value chain inclusiveness and sustainability, the Government of Slovenia has agreed to support the initiative with the aim to support the transfer of a new technology for protected cultivation.
In this regards, the proposed financial and in-kind contribution will cover the testing of the Green Dome technology for optimal tomato cultivation in Egypt.
The Green Dome is a greenhouse, with climatic control and management, which has already proven higher yield in crop production as well as reduce use of water and chemicals in cultivation, in line with the project objective of more sustainable tomato production from farm to industry.