Transforming Waste: Egypt’s Ambitious Plan to Recycle 65 Million Tonnes of Food Waste Into Animal Feed

Serious conversations are happening in Egypt about turning agricultural and food waste into animal feed. Dr. Mohsen Shukry from the Academy of Scientific Research and Technology shared insights at a recent industry event. He revealed that Egypt generates around 65 million tonnes of waste each year. This includes about 50 million tonnes from agriculture and 15 million tonnes from food production.

The push to recycle this waste into animal feed could help bridge the gap between supply and demand in Egypt’s feed market. Dr. Mohamed El Shafei, a board member of the Chamber of Food Industries, highlighted various ways to recycle fruits and vegetables. This could reduce reliance on imported feed and boost local production.

As part of Egypt’s Vision 2030 development plan, there’s a strategy to collect surplus fruits and vegetables from stores to process them into animal feed. However, progress on building the necessary processing facilities has been slow.

In 2024, the government plans to make it easier to register new feed products, which could open the door for innovative feeds crafted from local resources. Currently, Egypt depends heavily on imports for feedstock, bringing in about 90% from other countries, mostly corn and soybeans.

Recent droughts in Brazil, one of Egypt’s main suppliers, have raised concerns about an increase in feed prices. To combat this challenge, local authorities are focusing on reviving soybean cultivation. After decades of decline, from 62,000 hectares in 1983 to just 14,000 hectares in 2021, officials expect soybean production to rebound. Projections suggest the area designated for soybean cultivation could expand to 500,000 acres in the coming years, improving yields as well.

This shift towards local production and recycling food waste signifies a growing awareness of sustainability in Egypt’s agriculture. Addressing these issues not only encourages better resource use but also lessens the economic impact of reliance on foreign feed sources. As the country moves forward, embracing these innovative solutions could play a crucial role in building a more resilient food system.

For more information on Egypt’s agricultural practices and sustainable farming, you can check out reports from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

Source link

circular agriculture,sustainability