No abstract

Wheat is the world"s most widely cultivated cereal. By 2050, global demand for wheat is projected to increase by 60%. In the CWANA region which ICARDA is tasked to serve, wheat is the basic staple and food security crop, contributing over 60% of people"s daily calorific and protein needs. Due to the large proportion of subsistence farmers, wheat production also has a major impact on household food security. Despite this, the productivity of wheat in the region is very low (less than 2.5 t/ha) due largely to the major abiotic (drought, cold, heat, salinity) and biotic (stripe rust, leaf rust, stem rust and Hessian fly) stresses encountered. Most countries in the region are net importers of wheat for human consumption, with regional demand predicted to continue rising. Egypt alone currently imports 9 million tons annually. The situation is further complicated by food production shortfalls associated with climate change which can cause food crises, civil unrest and even migration. The wheat breeding program at ICARDA has developed high yielding and heat tolerant wheat genotypes which have been tested and released as cultivars by many countries in the CWANA region. Out-scaling and intensification of wheat cultivars combined with other improved crop management practices have been carried out by ICARDA in partnership with the national programs in Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Morocco, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia and Yemen resulting with an average increase of wheat production by 28%. The result clearly indicates that development and utilization of climate smart wheat technologies including high yielding and stress tolerant cultivars; integrated crop management systems; establishment of conducive policies and infrastructures are crucial to increase productivity and ensure food and nutrition security.

Countries in the West Asia and North Africa (WANA) region are dependent on imports of wheat to meet their food security needs. Mechanized raised-bed wheat production is an effective means of increasing productivity and saving scarce water, but the technology needs substantial adaptation to local conditions. This paper estimates the economic benefits from a long-term adaptive research project designed to adapt and promote mechanical raised-bed wheat production in Egypt. The technology itself is associated with a 25% increase in productivity due to higher yields, 50% lower seed costs, a 25% reduction in water use, and lower labor costs. The mechanical raised-bed program is now a component of Egypt's national wheat campaign and it is estimated that by 2023 approximately 800,000 ha of wheat will be planted with the technology. This paper estimates that over a 15 year project horizon, the benefits will exceed US$ 4 billion, with most of the benefits accruing to more than one million Egyptian wheat producers. Other benefits include reduced wheat imports (by more than 50% by 2025), reduced dependence on international commodity markets and increased productivity on more than 200,000 ha of water-starved lands.

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Pushing yield frontiers of cereals and legumes is becoming increasingly difficult, especially in drylands. This paper argues and provides empirical evidence that food loss and wastage constitute a sizeable proportion of the total wheat supply in Egypt. By following the life cycle of food and using standard measurement protocols, we estimated the levels of food loss and wastage along the wheat value chain in Egypt and their socioeconomic, biophysical, and environmental implications. About 4.4 million tons (20.62% of total wheat supply from domestic production and imports in 2017/2018) is estimated to be lost or wasted in Egypt which is also associated with the wastage of about 4.79 billion m3 of water, and 74.72 million GJ of energy. This implies that if Egypt manages to eliminate, or considerably reduce, wheat-related losses and wastage, it will save enough food to feed 21 million more people from domestic production and hence reduce wheat imports by 37%, save 1.1 billion USD of much-needed foreign exchange, and reduce emissions of at least 260.84 million kg carbon dioxide-equivalent and 8.5 million kg of methane. Therefore, investment in reducing food loss and wastage can be an effective strategy to complement ongoing efforts to enhance food security through productivity enhancement in Egypt.