Today, a high-level signature ceremony took place to celebrate the start of “The Egyptian Cotton Project- Phase II”. AICS, together with the Ministry of Industry, Ministry of Planning and Economic Development and International Cooperation, and Ministry of Agriculture and Reclamation, in cooperation with UNIDO, has signed the start of the project. The signature ceremony was held on November 5th at the St. Regis Hotel Cairo, attended by H.E. Lieutenant General Kamel Al-wazir, Deputy Prime Minister for Industrial Affairs and Minister of Industry and Transport, H.E. Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of Planning and Economic Development and International Cooperation, H.E. Alaa Farouk, Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, Dr Patrick Gilbert, UNIDO regional representative and Dr Martino Melli, Head of AICS Cairo.
The ceremony started with a speech from His Excellency Lieutenant General Kamel Al-Wazir, Deputy Prime Minister for Industrial Affairs and Minister of Industry and Transport, highlighting the relevance of this project to the most important sector in Egyptian agriculture, Egyptian cotton. He highlighted that after the impact of the project’s first phase, phase II aims to strengthen and upscale the Egyptian cotton value chain’s environmental, economic and social sustainability, targeting the governorates of Damietta and Kafr El Sheikh.
Her Excellency Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of Planning and Economic Development and International Cooperation highlighted the importance of Italian-Egyptian cooperation and the impact of their initiatives on small-medium farmers and their families. She explained that the Italian cooperation is working on supporting cotton farmers and promoting value addition and circularity through innovation and technology transfer.
His Excellency Alaa Farouk, Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, explained that this project builds on Phase I: the “Egyptian Cotton Project: From Cotton Seeds to Clothing: Enhancing the Sustainability, inclusiveness and Value Addition of the Cotton Value Chain in Egypt” that was a success story and gave to about 1500 farmers access to better opportunities.
Then, Dr Patrick Gilabert, UNIDO Regional Representative, expressed his gratitude to the strategic partners and the connections established in the first phase of the project with Egyptian institutions, including the Cotton Research Institute CRI, Cotton Egypt Association CEA, Alcotexa, Cotton Arbitration and Testing Organization General CATGO and the Textile Holding Company. He also explained the importance of agricultural cooperatives and local and foreign private sectors supporting the project, like Filmar, Albini Group, Hugo Boss, John Lewis, etc.
Afterwards, the signature of the contribution agreement took place between the Prime Minister for Industrial Affairs and the Minister of Industry and Transport, the Minister of Agriculture and Land reclamation, and the UNIDO Regional Representative, witnessed by Her Excellency Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of Planning and Economic Development and International Cooperation.
