At the end of the four-year Swiss-funded Improving Employment and Income through Development of Egypt’s Aquaculture Sector (IEIDEAS) project, participating farmers reported US$16,000 in extra annual profit, with a total of US$D27 million added to the sector over the duration of the project.
Increased profitability was achieved primarily through more efficient feed management rather than increased production and this, in turn, resulted in reduced environmental impacts, namely greenhouse gas emissions and nutrient discharges.
The project, funded by the Embassy of Switzerland’s Office for International Cooperation, was implemented by WorldFish in partnership with CARE Egypt and the Egyptian Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation.
The IEDEAS Impact Assessment Report notes that around 2400 fish farmers benefitted from best management practice training, and that 109 million fry of the faster growing Abbassa strain of Nile tilapia were distributed to 459 fish farmers. A total of 1125 women formed six fish retailer organisations under existing community development associations. Due to IEIDEAS sponsored training and provision of small grants for equipment and self-help loan schemes, these women are now able to work together in a group and advocate for their rights with local authorities and other value chain actors, such as wholesalers.
“Switzerland has been committed to investing in environmentally sustainable aquaculture in Egypt since 2011. The IEIDEAS project has multiple economic and social benefits: it provides healthier, lower-cost food, creates jobs and boosts incomes, and empowers female fish retailers to become part of the aquaculture value chain, all of which are important drivers of sustainable development in Egypt,” says Markus Leitner, Ambassador of Switzerland to Egypt.
The impact survey showed that on average, project beneficiary retailers made significantly higher profits than non-beneficiaries. Twenty one village savings and loan association groups were also established helping women in particular escape exploitative credit arrangements and price-fixing.
Malcolm Dickson, Country Program Manager, Egypt said, “IEIDEAS has demonstrated a model for aquaculture which can easily be replicated in other parts of the country and help to alleviate poverty and boost production of inexpensive, nutritious and safe fish from sustainable aquaculture systems.”
