Egyptian Food Security of Edible Oils

Abstract

The research aims mainly to study food security of edible oils in Egypt through studying of several sub-goals represented in: estimating models of general trends function for some economic indicators of edible oils in Egypt during the period (2001-2015), studying of the most important indicators of food security of edible oils, estimating the size of the food gap of edible oils and knowledge of the most important factors responsible for it, and studying the policies and tools to achieve food security of edible oils in Egypt. Descriptive and quantitative analysis were used. The study depends on secondary data, which collected from local and foreign sources during the period (2001 – 2015). A study models of the general trend function for economic indicators showed that each of the total domestic production of edible oils, domestic consumption, the average per capita consumption, the amount of edible oils imports, food gap of edible oils, the price of Egyptian imports of edible oils and periods of coverage of domestic production found that all of these variables has taken a general trend upward statistically significant at the level of probability (0.01) with the exception of a variable of coverage period of local production for daily consumption , capita consumption and food gap of edible oils which took a general trend upward statistically significant at 5% level, and also did not identify the statistical significance of the variables of self-sufficiency rate and the period of coverage of imports for daily consumption , while the annual growth rates differed according to each variable. The conduct study shows that the most important variables specific to the food gap of edible oils is annual average per capita consumption of edible oils which the impact of this variable on edible oils gap be positive. The study showed that the strategic stock for edible oils is estimated at 173 thousand tons and the average local consumption of edible oils is estimated at about 1.5 million tons during the study period (2001-2015), thus estimated food security of about 0.21 is therefore required to take various actions which lead to increase the size of the strategic stock of edible oils enough for half of it needs for domestic consumption even come close to the value of suitable coefficient of edible oils food security. The study showed that the policies and tools to achieve edible oils food security include horizontal agricultural development policy, vertical agricultural development policy, the policy of rationalizing the consumption of edible oils, policy of consumer subsidy of edible oils, and the policy of diversifying sources of imported edible oils. In the light of the results of the study illustrated by research it has been possible to reach some of the following recommendations: 1- Increasing of edible oils production through the expansion of oil crops which grow in the new land. 2- Increasing of edible oils productivity crops through dissemination of edible oils varieties of high productivity and to suit every center of administrative centers in Egypt. 3- Rationalizing the consumption of edible oils during dismiss the size of it. 4- To achieve food security has to be the need to develop awareness programs for the application of planning policy breeds where it is one of the most important determinants of the demand for Egyptian imports of edible oils. 5- It is important to put a national strategy to increase the self-sufficiency ratio of edible oils with the need to import and distribute the amounts of diversification between different sources in order to avoid what might happen from political pressure in favor of the Egyptian economy is in the case of international political conditions change. 6- It is necessary to study the reduction commitments of subsidy granted to the production and export in the edible oils-exporting countries in order to reduce the negative effects on the Egyptian saving.