Farmers Strong: Nestlé Egypt and engazaat Launch Phase Two of Award-Winning ‘Grow it Smart’ Program

Nestlé Egypt, in partnership with engazaat, has announced the launch of the second phase of the “Grow it Smart” Program.

This year’s expansion aims to train over 1,000 new participants from across Egypt’s agricultural sector, bringing together smallholder farmers, professionals, researchers, and agritech entrepreneurs to adopt sustainable farming practices.

In 2025, the program graduated its first 1,000 participants after delivering intensive training in smart water and energy management, a range of sustainable agricultural practices, and financial literacy. This training equipped participants with the knowledge and skills needed to improve the sustainability and economic efficiency of their operations.

The program also expanded its reach to 10 governorates across Egypt, including Cairo, Qalyubia, Giza, Fayoum, Matrouh, Beheira, Minya, Assiut, Sohag, and Qena. By tailoring its support to the distinct needs of diverse farming communities, the program is on its way to achieving its long-term goal of training more than 5,000 smallholder farmers and agricultural professionals over the next five years.

Tarek Kamel, Chairman and Managing Director of Nestlé Egypt, said: “The success of the ‘Grow It Smart’ program in its first year reinforces our conviction that sustainable development starts with investing in people. We are proud of our partnership with engazaat and of the progress we have made in expanding the program’s reach, empowering more farmers to adopt sustainable and efficient agricultural practices. This contributes to a more resilient agricultural sector while supporting food security across Egypt.”

He added: “The achievements of the program during its first year mark an important milestone and lay the groundwork for its next phase of growth. We look forward to extending the program’s reach to additional governorates and farmers, while strengthening partnerships to maximize its developmental impact. Our goal is to further establish ‘Grow It Smart’ as a scalable and replicable model for sustainable agricultural development in Egypt and beyond.”

Muhammad El Demerdash, Co-Founder and CEO of engazaat, said, “Since the beginning of our journey in developing and operating clean energy projects in Egypt, empowering farmers has always been our top priority. They are the cornerstone of building a more efficient, sustainable, and resilient agricultural sector.”

“Through our strategic partnership with Nestlé in the ‘Grow it Smart’ program, we have successfully established a distinctive model that integrates theoretical training with real-world application. By equipping farmers and agricultural professionals, both men and women, with the tools to optimize resource management and adopt advanced farming practices, we are directly improving their productivity and strengthening their capacity to face climate and economic challenges,” Muhammad El Demerdash added. He also noted: “As we embark on the second phase of the program, we look forward to expanding its impact and reaching more farmers across various governorates. The success achieved during the first phase has proven that this model has the potential to be replicated across other development sectors in Egypt.”

The experiences and insights shared by participants during the first phase of the program played a pivotal role in refining the training curriculum and enhancing its overall effectiveness, ensuring a more tailored response to the diverse needs of agricultural communities. This reflects Nestlé Egypt and engazaat’s continued commitment to investing in the development of the agricultural sector and supporting the transition toward more sustainable and resilient production practices.

The “Grow it Smart” program represents a strong model of collaboration between the private sector and development partners. This success was notably recognized at the Egypt Entrepreneurship Awards 2025, with the “Disruptive Duo for Market Innovation” award that acknowledged the program’s contributions to advancing agricultural innovation, empowering local communities, and promoting sustainable development practices.

Directly aligning with Egypt’s Vision 2030 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, the program accelerates the transition toward smart agriculture. By optimizing natural resource utilization and empowering smallholder farmers, this initiative contributes to building a more sustainable agricultural ecosystem while delivering tangible economic and environmental value to farmers, local communities, and the nation’s

economy.