The Problem
The Egyptian processed food sector is plagued by several obstacles which have prevented Egypt from fully meeting its export potential. Among the largest issues is the inability of food processing SMEs to comply with the strict standards and regulations set by markets abroad. This can be tied to problems faced across the whole value chain for any given product, which end up minimizing the quality of the final input, and therefore, its ability to be exported.
The Approach
Acumen Consulting worked on developing a comprehensive strategy for an Egyptian ministry aimed at improving both the quality and quantity of local processed foods with the aim of increasing exports while also improving import substitution. The strategy included a study of different food value chains and the identification of bottlenecks at different points of the food value chains and recommendations to solve them. Furthermore, several ethnic export products were identified and a comprehensive marketing and branding analysis for each type of product was conducted in order to highlight the best practices followed by top exporters when it comes to branding and packaging presentation of these products. Additionally, the strategy included a bench-marking analysis, whereby the export policies, initiatives, and allowances set out by different countries where studied and compared to those in Egypt in order to identify best practices that Egypt can implement on a policy level to enhance export competitiveness.
