Agriculture and Biotechnology Department

Sustainable agriculture takes into consideration both technical and public policy issues. Factors such as farmland conversion, food security, the creation of new agricultural lands, water scarcity, and land speculation impact the social and economic outcomes of agriculture as surely as the application of recent technological advances in plant propagation research, irrigation systems, or GIS (geographic information systems).

The mission of the agriculture and biotechnology department is to approach agricultural development from a sustainable platform, supporting and promoting applied agrotechnology and biotechnology research which preserve and conserve natural resources, increase the food supply, improve consumer welfare, provide for economic gain and adhere to new public policy initiatives. A six-acre "model" Egyptian farming village will be a living laboratory for the practice of improved irrigation and agricultural techniques. It will also serve as a recreational site for visitors who are interested in rural agrarian life, with a "twist."

Typical activities to be undertaken by the department include:

  • Integrated pest management
  • Soil conservation and land use management
  • Integrated water resources management
  • Wastewater management and treatment
  • Agrotechnology research and promotion
  • Agroforestry and aforestation
  • Agricultural biotechnology laboratories development
  • Bio-tissue culture laboratory for combating desertification
  • Demonstration farm and greenhouses
  • Sustainable agricultural strategy formulation
  • GIS and GPS applications