Increase in agricultural production is now widely recognized as a necessary precondition for rapid industrial and overall economic growth in most developing countries.
In Egypt, a positive transition in the reform of the agricultural sector is now underway for an effective liberalization of this vital sector which controls almost 50% of the country's economy. The strategic goals of the agricultural sector include:
• Optimizing crop returns per unit of land and water consumed
• Bridging the food gap and achieving self-reliance
• Expanding foreign exchange earnings from agricultural exports.
It is therefore evident that biotechnology and genetic engineering will play a leading role in increasing agricultural production and productivity.
The use of genetic engineering tools can help dramatically in reducing the dependence on pesticides and agrochemicals known to be hazardous to the environment. It can also lead to the production of transgenic plants conferring resistance to major diseases as well as to prevailing environmental stress.
This paper describes the establishment of the first research and development facility in agricultural genetic engineering in Egypt, namely the Agricultural Genetic Engineering Research Institute (AGERI). The goals of AGERI in the agricultural community can be highlighted as follows:
• To advance Egyptian agriculture using biotechnology and genetic engineering capabilities available worldwide to solve contemporary problems of Egyptian agriculture.
• To broaden the research and development (R&D) capabilities and scope of the agricultural research centers in the public and private sectors.
• To expand and diversify the pool of highly qualified trained professionals in the area of biotechnology and genetic engineering.
• To provide opportunities for university-trained professionals, researchers, and private venture companies to cooperate in agricultural genetic engineering.
• To promote opportunities for private sector development.
The paper will also deal with examples of major problems in the agricultural sector where genetic engineering is expected to play a leading role in finding solutions. The current status of biosafety in Egypt related to field testing of genetically modified plants will also be highlighted.
The challenge facing the world today is to provide food, fiber, and industrial raw materials for an ever growing world population without degrading the environment or affecting the future productivity of natural resources. Meeting this challenge will require the continued support of science, research and education. there is a deep concern about these problems in developing countries, where 90% of the world's population growth will take place within the next two decades.
In Egypt a limited arable land base coupled with an ever growing population with an annual birth rate of 2.7% is the main reason for the ever increasing food production/consumption gap. Egypt's population will grow to about 70 million by the year 2000 and swell to 110 million by the year 2025. In recent years, only 15% of production for total agricultural commodity exports in Egypt has been exported which is indicative of the increased domestic demand due to increased population growth. Increasing the agricultural land base from 7.4 million acres to 14 million cropping acres would only satisfy 50% of the requirement for a current population of 60 million. To bridge the food gap and to fulfill the goal of self-reliance, expanding the land base and optimizing agricultural outputs are urgently needed.
Egypt is increasingly aware that it must use its own limited resources in a cost-effective way. Failure to develop its own appropriate biotechnology applications and inability to acquire technology developed elsewhere could deny Egypt timely access to new important advances that can overcome significant constraints to increased agricultural productivity. The strategic goals of the agricultural sector include:
• Optimizing crop returns per unit of land and water consumed.
• Bridging the food gap and achieving self-reliance
• Expanding foreign exchange earnings from agricultural exports.