The Centre for Environment and Development for the Arab Region and Europe (CEDARE) held the second meeting of the Coordination and Planning Committee for the Smart Villages project on Monday, 28 September 2026. The project, “Enhancing Economic Independence and Social Empowerment through Climate-Smart, Technology-Driven, and Village-Based Agriculture,” is supported by the Drosos Foundation and implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation.
The committee includes representatives of national institutions and project partners, including the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, the Ministry of Local Development, and the National Council for Women. Civil society representatives from Atfih, including the “Yom” Community Development initiative, also participated. The committee provides strategic and technical guidance and coordinates efforts among partners to achieve the project’s development objectives.
The meeting reviewed activities completed during the project’s first phase, including community awareness sessions, farmer training, and farmer field schools. Participants discussed implementation challenges, assessed results and progress toward the first-phase objectives, and developed recommendations for the next phase.
Participants also reviewed activities planned from October 2026 to January 2027. These include establishing demonstration farms to apply climate-smart agricultural practices and technologies; training agricultural extension officers and community leaders in Giza and Atfih; and supporting women and youth through small and microenterprises and local income-generating activities.
The Smart Villages project is part of CEDARE’s efforts to advance sustainable rural development, help local communities adapt to climate and economic challenges, and expand economic opportunities for women, youth, and vulnerable groups in the targeted communities.
