CAIRO, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- Egypt has succeeded in achieving food security with a strategy based on modern methods of agriculture including irrigation, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said on Monday.
"Egypt is still facing huge challenges in the light of the increasing demand for natural resources, particularly water, because of the growing needs of its large population," said Hussein Gadin, FAO representative to Egypt, in a statement.
Gadin's remarks came during a celebration held by Bibliotheca Alexandrina to mark the World Food Day, under the theme of "Ending World Hunger by 2030, is Possible."
According to Gadin, agriculture still consumes 85 percent of Egypt's water resources with traditional irrigation methods.
Egypt largely depends on import to meet its needs for basic food crops such as wheat and corn, he noted.
The FAO urged Egyptian officials and citizens to pump more investments and pay more attention to scientific research in agriculture.
The UN organization is jointly working with the Egyptian Ministry of Agriculture to support sustainable agricultural development in Egypt within the country's development plan 2030.
