Egypt, known for pyramids, dunes and hot weather, has emerged as a significant wheat producer amid a global shortage caused by the conflict in Ukraine.
Harnessing the power of cutting-edge agricultural technologies, including drought-resistant wheat and autonomous farming, Egypt, historically one of the biggest wheat importers, has overcome the disruption in supply.
After huge cutbacks in its wheat imports due to the conflict, Egypt wasted no time in seizing a promising opportunity in its Aswan region. With determination and resourcefulness, Egyptian farmers have successfully cultivated genetically modified drought-resistant wheat, enabling them to overcome the challenging climate conditions and water scarcity prevalent in their arid and semi-arid regions.
But that’s not all. The introduction of autonomous farming has turned Egypt’s southern wheat fields into a scene straight out of a sci-fi blockbuster. It has equipment that would make James Bond jealous, robots that put R2-D2 to shame, and artificial intelligence algorithms that could give the Terminator a run for his money.
With autonomous tractors cruising about; precision seeding systems that hit their mark with sniper-like accuracy; robotic harvesters doing the heavy lifting; drones spraying crops; and laser weeding zapping away intruders, Egypt has unleashed an army of farming superheroes. Even the desert sand was modified with nanotechnology, by bombarding the soil with microscopic clay pellets and creating fertile farmlands.
How El Nino could prolong food inflation
Since early 2020 we’ve seen a steady uptick in food prices, and now it has reached crisis proportions. Not only are food staples becoming unaffordable for poorer communities, but there just isn’t enough to go around. Four years ago there was an abundance of food; now more than 1-billion people are staring famine in the face.
How did this happen? Gradually, then suddenly. Covid-19 and climate change disrupted supply chains and bumper harvests; then the war in Ukraine and sanctions blocked grain exports and fertiliser supplies, while sending energy prices soaring. In a perfect trifecta of disruption, full silos could not be emptied, gas for fertiliser became scarce and costly, and fuel for planting, harvesting, and shipping surged.
Within months, 25 countries had banned the export of various food products, seeking to protect their domestic food security, which only made the global situation worse, while super-exporters such as Brazil enjoyed a demand bonanza. Depressed yields due to flood or drought on three continents added to the crisis.
“This is a worse catastrophe than the Covid pandemic,” said UN secretary-general António Guterres, “and all countries must solve it together! We must start by ceasing the production of biofuel and biodiesel, and drastically reducing the grain we feed to [farm] animals.”
Reducing meat consumption and promoting vegetarian diets will go a long way to alleviating corn shortages, but cultural habits take a long time to change. More effective hi-tech solutions are available, such as indoor and “vertical” farming, and producing protein with precision fermentation. Gene-editing crops can increase yields and lower fertiliser requirements.
All these remedies come with a cost, and the poor will suffer the most. But if we collaborate on a global scale, ramp up the technology, and fight this crisis the way we fought Covid, perhaps we can create the “good future” together.
