CAPACITY BUILDING THRU RESEARCH--NARP
The National Agricultural Research Project

Funds put into the endowment could either be in the form of U.S. dollars from ESF commitments or from local currency generated through PL 480, PL 416, or other U.S. programs. Funds from these sources could be put into a "special," nongovernmental foundation annually for several years through which an endowment could build up sufficiently to help assure that the progress made through current U.S. assistance could be sustained. The foundation into which such funds would be placed could be governed by a joint Egyptian-U.S. board, if desirable.

The U.S. government provides at least $815 million annually to Government of Egypt in economic support funding as the result of a program that grew out of the Camp David Accord in the late 1970s. It was primarily these funds that were used to support the research programs discussed in this report. The continuing question is "how can these funds be used most effectively?"

A very strong case can be developed for putting significant amounts of these funds into the agricultural sector. Agriculture continues to be one of the three most important segments of the economy. Over half the Egyptian people are engaged in farming or agriculturally related business/industry. Moreover, the agriculture sector has already enacted more reforms and has moved farther toward privatization than any other sector and is therefore better positioned to use U.S. assistance more productively than any other sector. We believe that high priority should be given by the United States to supporting the agricultural sector. We further believe that, at this juncture, support for functions and needs we have addressed herein should receive highest priority in terms of future U.S. support."

The Assessment Team: Donald L. Plucknett. James Ross, Harold Youngberg, and B.T. York. Jr., team leader E.T. York. Jr.(105)