Last week, Sahara, one of the gatherings of agricultural associations and organizations in Egypt was held. Participating companies and associations displayed their products and services. The event introduces agricultural companies and associations to local farmers and promotes new ideas, products, and services.
In the event where sustainability was one of the hottest topics, SEKEM was present through its influence on local organizations and its support for agriculture. SEKEM is already involved with many associations in Egypt to help successfully disseminate knowledge on sustainable agricultural methods and provide local farmers with a set of essential tools. Therefore, the Arab Cooperation for Health and Development (AHDO) honored the founder of SEKEM Dr. Ibrahim Abouleish as pioneer of organic agriculture in Egypt.
Helmy Abouleish, the son of Ibrahim Abouleish and CEO of SEKEM, accepted the award for his father with a touching speech about the origins of the organization, its major challenges, and its dreams for the future. Helmy Abouleish also mentioned that “SEKEM used to have a hard time educating farmers about organic farming since it was not popular at the time. Now, organic farming has become widespread among farmers across the country.” And he explained: “Today we know that Organic agriculture is the future. Therfore, we want to enable at least 2500 further farmers until the end of 2022 to switsch from conventional to Organic or Biodynamic methods.”
Besides, Dr. Mohamed Yousry Hashem, president of Heliopolis University was honored for his academic approach to bio-agriculture in the academic field. Professor Mamdouh Issa, managing director of AHDO, accepted the award on his behalf.
Dalia Mohamed