Agriculture could be key to reviving Egypt's economy

For decades Egypt’s economy was guided by political forces who wanted to enjoy the fruits of western capitalist democracy without sowing the seeds for the local economy to flourish on its own. Those forces looked to remittances, tourism or the Suez Canal for revenue, but ignored agriculture, an important part of Egypt's GDP with its roots firmly planted in the country's own backyard.

Egypt’s historically powerful agriculture sector has been in serious decline over the past 30 years, but still comprised 13.7 percent of GDP in 2010, according to statistics from the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), despite what many critics say is a lack of attention.

“A country’s agricultural sector is a vital characteristic of its strength as it symbolizes a nation’s ability to sustain life,” said Shaban Salem, an economist from Egypt’s Agricultural Economics Research Institute (AERI).