Editing Economy of Egypt (section)

=== Arable land ===
{{Further|Khedivial Agricultural Society}}

{{multiple image
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 | footer = Satellite images depicting the reclamation of desert landscapes on the outskirts of the [[Nile Delta]] into agricultural land, before (left) and after (right).
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Practically all Egyptian agriculture takes place in some {{convert|42,000|km2|e6acre|abbr=off}} of fertile soil in the Nile Valley and Delta,<ref>{{cite news |title=Cabinet says cultivated lands up in 2024 to 10 million feddans |url=https://www.sis.gov.eg/Story/194723/Cabinet-says-cultivated-lands-up-in-2024-to-10-million-feddans?lang=en-us |publisher=State Information Service (Egypt) |date=2024-02-26 |access-date=2025-02-27}}</ref> with the rest of the country being primarily desert.<ref name=ipi-report>{{cite web | url=https://www.ipipotash.org/publications/eifc-269 | title=Country Report on Egyptian Agriculture and Summary of IPI Experiments | website=International Potash Institute (IPI) | publisher=IPI | date=March 2013 | access-date=2025-04-22 }}</ref> Egypt’s generally favorable climate allows for the cultivation of multiple crops annually, with most fields producing two crops per year and some vegetable areas reaching a cropping index of 300 percent.<ref name=ipi-report/>

Since 2009, the growing issue of [[desertification]] has emerged as a significant challenge.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/news/2011/07/11/desertification-threat-local-food-production|title=Desertification threat to local food production|date=11 July 2011|website=The New Humanitarian}}</ref> To address this, as well its limited arable land and growing population, Egypt has long pursued land reclamation, with efforts dating back to the 1930s. Since then, 2.6 million [[feddan]] have been reclaimed, increasing agricultural land by 44%.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://sis.gov.eg/Story/162017/New-Delta-project?lang=en-us | title=New Delta project | access-date=1 March 2025 }}</ref> The latest initiative aims to reclaim 4.5 million feddan by 2027, nearly half of Egypt’s existing cultivated land. The largest of these projects, the New Delta Project, spans 2.2 million feddan, the project accounts for about 25% of the country’s historically reclaimed agricultural lands. The Future of Egypt, the first phase of this initiative, covers 1 million feddan and includes an industrial zone for agricultural industries.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/2/523526/Egypt/Society/President-Sisi-inaugurates--harvest-season-at-%E2%80%98Fut.aspx | title=President Sisi inaugurates harvest season at ‘Future of Egypt’ project | date=7 February 2024 | access-date=1 March 2025 }}</ref>
[[File:ISS049-E-33726 - View of Egypt.jpg|thumb|right|[[Center-pivot irrigation]] in the [[Sharq El Owainat]] project]]
To provide water for the project, Egypt constructed the [[New Delta Wastewater Treatment Plant]], the largest of its kind globally, as a key component of the country’s strategy to expand agricultural land and enhance water security.<ref name=treatmentplant>{{cite news | url=https://www.metito.com/news-detail/egypts-new-delta-treatment-plant-sets-four-guinness-world-records-revolutionizing-and-setting-unprecedented-agriculture-and-environmental-preservation-standards/ | title=Egypt’s New Delta Treatment Plant Sets Four Guinness World Records | date=29 March 2023 | access-date=1 March 2025 }}</ref> With a daily capacity of 7.5 million m³, the plant supports irrigation efforts and mitigates pollution in [[Lake Mariout]] and the Mediterranean Sea.<ref name=treatmentplant/>

Additionally, the [[New Valley Project|Toshka Project]], initiated in the 1990s, was revived under President El-Sisi’s administration. This initiative aims to reclaim 1.5 million feddan<ref>{{cite news | url=https://english.ahram.org.eg/News/491770.aspx | title=Egypt racing against time to add 3.5 mln feddans of agricultural land, says Sisi | date=15 March 2023 | access-date=1 March 2025 }}</ref> in the [[Western Desert]] using water from [[Lake Nasser]], transported via the Sheikh Zayed Canal.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://wilo.com/en/Pioneering/Stories/Toshka-reclaiming-land-for-sustainable-use-_28417.html | title=Toshka: reclaiming land for sustainable use | access-date=1 March 2025 }}</ref>

Acquisition and ownership of desert land in Egypt is governed by the [[Egyptian Desert Land Law]] (Law No. 143 of
1981). It defines desert land as the land two kilometers outside the border of the city.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gafi.gov.eg/English/StartaBusiness/Laws-and-Regulations/Documents/LandandRealEstateOwnershipLaws.pdf |title=Land and Real Estate Ownership Laws |publisher=General Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI) |access-date=2025-04-22 }}</ref>