More and Better Food An Egyptian Demonstration Project (1986) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
THE NATIONAL RESEARCH CENTRE AND THE MORE AND BETTER FOOD PROGRAM
THE NATIONAL RESEARCH CENTRE AND THE MORE AND BETTER FOOD PROGRAM
Pages 41-70
The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.
From page 41... ...
Over the past 30 years, the country has developed a sizable and well-trained scientific community of more than 24,000 M.Sc.s and Ph.D.s in pure and applied sciences who work in more than 200 research institutes. While excellence in institutional and individual research has been achieved in many branches of science, the lack of organized and systematic application of knowledge to development problems has kept the scientific community on the periphery of the development process.
|
From page 42... ...
In 1977, a cooperative program known as the "Applied Science and Technology Research Program" was begun by the Academy for Scientific Research and Technology (ASRT) and TABLE 20 Percent of Self-Sufficiency in Major Food Products Wheat Maize Lentils Sugar Red Poultry Dairy Fish Meat 1960 1980 70 25 94 77 92 9 114 57 95 75 100 65 93 62 95 54 SOURCE: "Strategies for Accelerating Agricultural Development in Egypt," A Concluding Field Report, ARCE Newsletter No.
|
From page 43... ...
, one of the demonstration projects, was set up to explore ways to increase food production to meet the ever-growing demand. It was designed as a multidisciplinary, multi-institutional project covering food, agriculture, and nutrition.
|
From page 44... ...
, and the other conducts demonstration research in such areas as solar energy, biogas, and protein from algae; there are also textile, and food technology buildings. History and Development of the NRC The NRC as it exists today is the result of five evolutionary stages begun in 1939 when certain far-sighted Egyptian leaders, exposed to international scientific development, adopted the idea of having a National Research Council affiliated with the Cabinet.
|
From page 45... ...
The councils covered such aspects as plant production, food industry, textiles, and chemical industries. The fifth stage, which started in 1975 and continues today, is marked by a basic redirection of NRC activities from "self-oriented" research to "customer-oriented" or "user-oriented" research.
|
From page 46... ...
1. Plant Production and Protection Studies on broomrape parasite of fava beans*
|
From page 47... ...
- 47 2 o ft |
From page 48... ...
Between 1968 and 1972, the NRC deepened its commitment to use its resources to serve national development priorities. During the period, activities in food, agriculture, and nutrition proceeded in three directions: *
|
From page 49... ...
Research Research Sector Completed Ongoing Contracts Patents Plant production and protection 55 39 10 2 Soil and water use 10 61 2 -- -- Animal production 10 7 1 •»• Food industries Fats & oils 9 10 4 -- Food products 14 9 3 -- Dairy products 9 17 " 1 Nutrition 7 15 2 -- TOTAL 114 158 22 3 SOURCE: "National Research Centre," Annual Report, Al-Amiria Publishing, Cairo, 1972.
|
From page 50... ...
Two councils were established within the NRC to deal with these contracts and other aspects of food, agriculture, and nutrition. The Scientific Council for Food Industries was headed by the President of the Supreme Council for Administration of Food Industries; it was composed of directors of production in 12 major industries, the El-Fayum governor, a former university professor, 5 NRC staff members, and 1 university representative.
|
From page 51... ...
o Number of qualified staff at any given time in MBF: 160-221 Average 183 o Total qualified staff involved in MBF: 400 o Percentage by sector: NRC 78% Ministries 162 Industry 4% Universities 2% o Training: 17 person/months o Consultancy: 50 person/days o Equipment purchased abroad: $600,000 Local materials: LE78.000 o Number of projects: Agriculture 17 Anima1 Production 6 Food Technology 4 Nutrition 4 TOTAL 31
|
From page 52... ...
In addition, within Egypt, other groups participating in the MBF come from the ministries, the governorates, the universities, and the food industry. Goals, Objectives, and Basic Assumptions The MBF project is designed to demonstrate that the application of science and technology increases the land productivity of food (plants and animals)
|
From page 53... ...
The following basic assumptions underlie the design and implementation of the project. o The ordinary farmer is the intended client of the project.
|
From page 54... ...
Scientists involved in food problems met to frame proposed activities that would both meet project parameters and enhance the potential for a coordinated effort on food production problems. Discussions took place among individuals, between laboratories, and at department levels.
|
From page 55... ...
food technology. It also recommended that the project have these major goals: o Improve productivity both quantitatively and qualitatively o Improve the diet of a selected group of villagers, and hence increase their nutritional status o Select two priority problems of food industries.
|
From page 56... ...
are also members of the steering committee, whose functions include: o Policy direction o Establishment of criteria for project selection, approval of team members, approval of budgets, decisions on extension or discontinuation of projects o Follow-up on project execution through evaluation, discussion, site visits, and meetings with the village community o Approval of reports, incentives, and honoraria o Enhanced utilization of project results for the establishment of national campaigns. A number of factors contributed to the success of the steering committee and, hence, the MBF project: o The steering committee had the full support of the NRC Director and complete delegation of authority.
|
From page 57... ...
The steering committee also set out sequential operational steps for the MBF project: o Village selection: The establishment of criteria that would lead to a selection of a typical rural village in Egypt was assigned to a group of specialists from the ORDEV. o Baseline data collection: Because the MBF seeks an overall program of development in the village community, it was necessary to collect baseline data on demographic, socia1, economic, politica1, environmenta1, and technical characteristics of the village.
|
From page 58... ...
Management Mechanisms Figure 10 is a diagram representing the mechanism through which the MBF operates. Inputs for projects selected for implementation include available baseline data, demands from village councils, requests from groups of farmers, and new effective practices introduced by specialists in other villages or under similar environments.
|
From page 59... ...
From a presentation to the March 1984 meeting of a Phase II Planning Committee of the MBF.)
|
From page 60... ...
The second would be a new settlement located on reclaimed land. Nile Valley Village Egypt has more than 4,100 villages that share many characteristics, yet differ in many others.
|
From page 61... ...
To determine the prevailing village population, the quartile range method was adopted because it gave a more homogenous society from which sample selections could be made. The first step in Stage I was to tabulate the
|
From page 62... ...
. TABLE 23 Upper and Lower Quartiles of Number of Villages within Quartile Range Governorate Quartile Quartile Governorate Total Sharkia 2,061 5,994 232 224 Qalubia 2,493 7,104 87 90 Menuf ia 2,250 5,808 146 160 El-Fayum 2,571 7,455 79 80 Total 2,255 6,309 544 554 SOURCE: MBF-Village Demographic Survey.
|
From page 63... ...
Before final selection of a village in which the More and Better Food Project was to be implemented, more detailed information about the 10 sample villages was gathered based on the following questionnaire: -- Is there a guest house? If not, what is the most suitable place to use?
|
From page 64... ...
At Stage III, field visits were made by the village committee to the 10 villages to update statistical data so that the villages could be ranked before final selection. During the site visits, meetings were held with the governors, governorate secretary genera1, village counci1, and executive and administrative leaders to discuss village activities related to MBF goals and objectives.
|
From page 65... ...
the villages of Omar Makram and Saladin were chosen for the study, and field visits were made to update and ensure accuracy of data before final selection. The village of Omar Makram was selected because the majority of its inhabitants are landowners; this is not the case in Saladin village.
|
From page 66... ...
724 504 287 10 5 31 0 68 o Animal Wealth Area of Holding (feddan) less than 1 1-3 3-5 5-10 more than 10 Crop corn clover wheat vegetables soybean potato cotton fruit trees 1,285 buffalo and cattle 62 sheep 1 poultry farm (60 families work in fishing)
|
From page 67... ...
o Animal Wealth; 1,077 plus a veterinary unit o Education; Three schools; literacy rate: 36.5%. o Annual Per Capita Income; LE 149 o Infant Mortality; 94/thousand; health unit exists major pest problems in the area and an assessment of the losses caused by those pests are also included in the baseline data.
|
From page 68... ...
G Nutritional: Conditions relevant to nutritional status, for example, social conditions, housing, economics, expenditure pattern, cultural background,
|
From page 69... ...
in those villages and at the same time making appropriate shortterm interventions to improve health and nutrition; and working with industrial clients in the area of food technology to solve specific problems in the market preparation of local food items. The primary goal was to further food self-sufficiency and at the same time enhance the nutritional status of the community.
|
From page 70... ...
The review identified three activities the NRC could undertake as an initial step: 1. Data analyses to determine the impact of the implemented projects on the socioeconomic development and nutritional status of the village community 2.
|
Key Terms
This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
More
information on Chapter Skim is available.