By Eman Hamed
B.TECH, Egypt’s leading integrated omnichannel retailer and consumer finance platform, has signed a cooperation protocol with the Egyptian Food Bank (EFB) to launch the ‘Supporting and Empowering Small-Scale Farmers in Aswan to Adapt to Climate Change’ project in Edfu and Al Gaafra. B.TECH will support 500 small-scale farmers and plant 10,000+ palm trees to address the risks of climate change to smallholder farmers in the governorate, embodying the company’s social responsibility commitment.
With the technical expertise of the Egyptian Food Bank, B.TECH will provide support to small-scale farmers in various stages from purchasing and distributing fertilizers and pesticides to participating farmers, training them on post-harvest processes to keep crops fresh for longer and avoid waste, establishing sorting and packaging units to ensure a high-quality final product, to grounding dryers and proper and hygienic packaging processes in the Egyptian Food Bank boxes to be distributed during the holy month of Ramadan.
The cooperation protocol was signed by Dr. Mahmoud Khattab, CEO and Chairman of B.TECH; and Mr. Mohsen Sarhan, CEO of the Egyptian Food Bank; in the presence of the executive leaders from both sides, headed by Mr. Niazy Sallam, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Egyptian Food Bank; Mr. Nadeem Khorshid, Chief Marketing Officer at B.TECH; Ms. Khadeeja Maktabi Head of Public Relations & Sustainability (CSR) at B.TECH; Ms. Radwa Khairy, Partnerships Manager at the Egyptian Food Bank; Ms. Shaimaa Nabil, Senior Partnerships Manager at the Egyptian Food Bank; and Mr. Ahmed Sayed, Customer Excellence Director at the Egyptian Food Bank.
In this context, Dr. Mahmoud Khattab, CEO and Chairman of B.TECH said, “Supporting local communities through social responsibility initiatives is embedded in B.TECH’s strategy that aligns with Egypt’s Vision 2030 for Sustainable Development. We are thrilled to join forces with the Egyptian Food Bank—one of the biggest institutions that fights hunger in Egypt. This cooperation is a testament to the company’s endeavors to intensify the efforts made to empower the most vulnerable groups and deserving families as it has a valuable impact on achieving overall sustainability.” He added, “We look forward to continuing the series of fruitful partnerships with the Egyptian Food Bank, as we believe in the significant role the bank plays in food issues, economic and social empowerment, and supporting the largest number of people all over Egypt.”
For his part, Mr. Mohsen Sarhan, CEO of the Egyptian Food Bank, expressed his happiness at signing the cooperation protocol with B.TECH, saying, “B.TECH has always proactively taken the initiative to support the Egyptian Food Bank’s efforts in meeting the essential needs for deserving individuals and vulnerable families in various ways. This protocol signifies a pivotal stride in the Egyptian Food Bank’s quest to align with the Egyptian State’s directions, establishing local partnerships to support and empower the most deserving groups, especially those affected by emergency crises, in line with Egypt’s Vision 2030. As such, this project aimed at supporting small farmers is one of our most important projects at the present time, as we confront climate change’s major threat to food security in Egypt, thrusting a looming multidimensional burden on smallholder farmers in Aswan, one of the best agricultural powerhouses within Egypt.”
The project targets contracting with small-scale farmers, those who own or lease lands from 1 to 5 feddans, underprivileged farmers, and those lacking alternative sources of income to achieve economic and food security by providing job opportunities and enhancing their skills in climate-resilient agricultural practices, which as a result, integrates them into food supply chains and protect them from commercial exploitation by traders. The project activities’ impact on crop productivity shall be measured, both before and after training, as well as on increasing crop productivity among participating farmers using field assessments and enhancing the post-harvest process by adding drying and mobilization.
Furthermore, the project plays a pivotal role in increasing the agricultural landscape, raising the national output, and reducing the State’s reliance on imports. It propels the conversion of agricultural crops into exportable end products while securing self-sufficiency in meeting annual needs through a strategic service-oriented commodity to secure food.
Raising awareness about rural women’s invaluable contribution to agricultural development, food security, and building climate resilience stands as a cornerstone of the project. It aims to increase women’s participation in the workforce through multiple roles in post-harvest activities in sorting and packaging stations through the “Feed the Future Egypt Rural Agribusiness Strengthening Project” that the Egyptian Food Bank is working on with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).