Urban Gardening Takes Root In Egypt

CAIRO — Interested in planting summer vegetables such as pepper, zucchini or molokhia? Now is just about the right time of year to plant, says Hany El Khodary, head of urban farming company Green Zone Egypt.

Even city dwellers with no outdoor space apart from a small balcony can grow small gardens or recycle some of their own food waste into nutrient-rich soil.

Along with organizations such as Nawaya and Schaduf, Green Zone is among a small group of food activists and entrepreneurs who have worked to popularize urban gardening in Egypt.

Nawaya has a community bent, devoting much of its energy to working in poor, rural areas. Schaduf pairs a program working with poor city dwellers to grow produce with a line in designing and installing upscale rooftop and indoors gardens.

Khodary, for his part, is targeting people who are already highly motivated to try their hand at growing food or to set up a composting system. "People who like plants, who like nature and want to use organic waste in the best ways," he says. "People who are interested in sustainability but don't know how to do it."

A member of Schaduf — Photo: Schaduf's website

Khodary has plans in the works to launch training programs for kids: A paid version for private schools and a partnership with a local non-profit to set up free summer sessions for public school children. Until then, he relies largely on attracting those looking to introduce green practices into their urban lifestyles and willing to spend 120 Egyptian pounds ($15) for gardening advice.

Since he started giving workshops in 2013, that audience has largely been...