One way Egyptian youth were able to adapt to the aftermath of the economic reform programme, on which the state embarked in late 2016, was to establish start-ups.

A successful start-up that has significantly grown since its inception in 2016 is Baramoda. The company is the first agri-tech start-up in the Middle East and Africa specialised in sustainable agricultural innovations.

It develops bio-fertilisers from agri-waste through a number of innovative solutions to maximise the efficiency of agri-waste management, minimise the cost of agricultural production, reduce the excessive use of chemical fertilisers, and increase crop production with the minimum amount of water.

Co-founder Mustafa El-Nabi told Ahram Online that Egypt's agricultural waste was estimated at 38 million tons. The amount was huge, he said, and it could be recycled and converted to fertilisers for agricultural purposes. This is the idea on which Baramoda was established.

Some 23 million tons of vegetable waste are produced annually, of which seven million tons are turned into animal feed, four million tons into organic fertilisers, and 12 million tons are disposed of and not recycled, El-Nabi explained.

Twelve million tons of animal waste are produced every year. Of these only three million tons are recycled into organic fertilisers, while the rest are disposed of. 

Together, 21 million tons of vegetable and animal waste are disposed of, resulting in the contamination of the agricultural environment, he added.

In other words, "only 12 percent of Egypt's agricultural waste is recycled. Officials in the agricultural and environment sectors can support start-ups working in this field to benefit from the wealth that is agricultural waste," El-Nabi stated. 

“Our products provide sustainable solutions to the agriculture sector. They can improve the quality of the soil and crops, decrease the use of water and enhance the overall land management to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all," Baramoda's co-founder said.

"We are seeking a sustainable, safe, and clean life through reducing pollution and recycling agricultural waste to provide a pollution-free environmet for the next generations. Baramoda has also been spreading awareness in the agricultural society about the importance of organic agriculture and the value of agricultural waste,” he told Ahram Online.

El-Nabi disclosed some figures on the wealth of agriculture waste in Egypt. He said Egypt was suffering from severe water scarcity, and only 20 cubic metres of water per person of internal renewable freshwater resources remain, while Egypt receives fewer than 80 millimetres of precipitation annually. By 2020, Egypt will be consuming 20 percent more water than it is now. With its loosening grip on the Nile, Egypt's water scarcity could endanger the country’s stability and regional dominance, in addition to the climate conditions that are expected to get drier and heat waves expected to become more frequent in the MENA region.

“Baramoda is focusing on solving this problem, being an innovative company and part of the agricultural community. We are aware that there is a strong relationship between agriculture and water shortage because 85 percent of Egypt’s water resources are used for agricultural activities,” he added.

According to El-Nnabi, Baramoda’s team had to find solutions to the water shortage problem through producing a compost that can reduce by 30 percent the water needed to irrigate the soil. The compost contains more than 45 percent of organic materials that help the soil be more cohesive and reduce the leaching of water from the soil. 

The compost also increases the soil’s ability to retain water and decreases run-off that pollutes the water by carrying soil, fertilisers and pesticides to nearby streams.

Baramoda succeeded in achieving a breakthrough in this field. Some 9,188 tons of agriculture waste were recycled, 5,550 tons of compost were produced in its factory in Qena governorate, and now it is cultivating 1,387 acres and minimising the use of chemical fertilisers by 25 percent by using Baramoda’s organic fertilisers. 

The road is filled with obstacles yet, said El-Nabi. "We spent more than five years trying to persuade private and national banks to finance the project to no avail. It is difficult to receive a loan because the required documents are not easy for an emerging start-up to provide, especially the documents which prove that Baramoda has an industrial record, because the activity of the company was new to the Egyptian market and could not be granted an industrial record. In addition, banks committed us to provide a feasibility study which cost no less than EGP 150,000 to prepare,” he explained.

El-Nabi overcame the challenges by participating in a number of competitions to provide the funding. Baramoda was granted five awards in various competitions.

El-Nabi called on the government to allow start-ups to benefit from the country’s potentials. Egypt has 32 public sector factories for recycling waste, of which 60 percent are in operation. The rest, he said, were not functioning although they contained equipment that cost millions of dollars.