The unique case of Egypt
Arguably the oldest nation in the world—and its 10’000-year-old agriculture experience provides an outstanding backdrop to AF&Co.’s activities that are in direct connection with the country’s millennia-old recorded indulgent history with aromatics.
The quality of our products start with the planted seed. We keep an open door for continuing development, collective experiences, and partnership.
We like to think disruptively, for out-of-the-box, tailor-made solutions.
AF&Co. believes that agricultural sustainability stems from the continuous training and development of its agro-team combined with deeply rooted agricultural Egyptian traditions.
The company strives to develop new partnerships with local communities to promote a sustainable type of agriculture which it believes is paramount to a sound development of Egypt’s agricultural future against the jeopardizing effects of a rampant demography and urbanization.
The roots of AF&Co.’s agricultural activity date back to the early days of the 19th century when the family’s estate was primarily growing cotton and different food crops.
In 1955, Ahmed Fakhry (4th generation), founder of AF&Co., redirected farming activities towards aromatic botanicals to supply the newly established industrial facilities with the necessary raw materials to produce essential oils and the likes.
AF&Co.’s agricultural property acts as a fab-lab pilot farm — where introductions of new botanical varieties are permanently happening.
Hussein Fakhry takes charge of the company in 1997 converting the farm under Organic/Demeter certification. Today, Hussein and wife Chérifa have brought AF&Co.’s farming to integrate—additionally to its own properties—a 65+ year old conventional network of partner aromatic farms; as well as a 20+ year old certified organic farming network, spreading over Egypt. Altogether the company provides livelihoods to a 5’000 ha network of small farmers.
AF&Co. believes that agricultural sustainability stems from the continuous training and development of its agro-team combined with deeply rooted agricultural Egyptian traditions.
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