Schaduf
Arpi Khatcherian:
Agriculture
October 2014
Entrepreneurship
Grown in the comfort of their rooftops, disadvantaged families in Cairo can cultivate, sell and eat their own produce through a technique that doesn’t require the use of soil. Driven by a desire to transform the monochrome city to a green paradise, two Egyptian entrepreneurs founded Schaduf, an urban micro-farming and eco-friendly venture. Instead of growing plants in the earth, the entrepreneurial siblings Sherif and Tarek sought to utilize unconventional space, like roofs and walls. They came across a method in the US which makes farming in the absence of soil possible. Captivated by the possibilities, they brought the eco-friendly technology to Egypt with a two-fold goal; providing sources of income for poor households while helping people grow healthy and nutritious food in their homes.Thiscase provides a typical example of using an innovative approach which is both in tune with societal needs and generates profit.
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