Improving the Competitiveness and Sustainability of the Agrifood Sector in Egypt and Jordan

Project Description

This Technical Cooperation (TC) aims to enhance the competitiveness, sustainability, and export resilience of agrifood sectors in Egypt and Jordan - two countries where agribusiness plays a critical role in trade, jobs, and food security, yet faces mounting resource and market pressures.

In Egypt, rapid export growth in high-value horticulture is increasingly constrained by water scarcity and climate risks. At the same time, evolving EU and global sustainability requirements are creating opportunities to enhance resource efficiency, climate resilience, and value chain competitiveness. In Jordan, a smaller but export-oriented sector faces acute water constraints and heavy market concentration, reinforcing the need to strengthen competitiveness and maintain access to international markets.

Building on EBRD’s EU-funded Trade and Competitiveness Programme and the Bank’s partnership with FAO, the TC addresses structural bottlenecks in key value chains in the agrifood sector including. The TC will support (i) irrigation sustainability in reclaimed lands, (ii) compliance and competitiveness in horticulture value chains, and (iii) compliance with emerging sustainability and circular economy standards in the olive oil sector.

Through targeted diagnostics, capacity building, and investment-oriented guidance, the project will help SMEs and value chain actors transition from reactive compliance to strategic sustainability - improving resource efficiency, strengthening traceability and food safety systems, and aligning with evolving EU requirements - thereby safeguarding export revenues, unlocking green investments, and securing long-term access to higher-value markets.

Rationale

For over 25 years, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (“FAO”) and the EBRD have been working together to drive more sustainable food systems and private sector development, combining technical expertise and investment capacity in the Bank’s regions of operations. In recent decades, the joint EBRD-FAO work has supported the emergence of commercially viable, environmentally sustainable, and resilient local food supply chains across subsectors and EBRD Countries of Operations.

Building on previous achievements and lessons learned, particularly in the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean Region, FAO and EBRD are committed to expanding support to SMEs across agrifood value chains to enhance their competitiveness, sustainability and market integration. Through improvements in environmental performance, quality standards and the adoption of industry best practices, this initiative aims to help streamline access to domestic and international markets. This, in turn, is expected to generate broader economic opportunities and strengthen value chain linkages, benefiting enterprises of all sizes.

Understanding Transition

Further information regarding the EBRD’s approach to measuring transition impact is available here.

Business opportunities

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