The Role of Agricultural Labor in the Development of the Egyptian Agricultural Sector | ||
| Journal of Agricultural Sciences and Sustainable Development | ||
| Volume 3, Issue 1, January 2026, Pages 1-14 PDF (1.21 M) | ||
| Document Type: Research Article | ||
| DOI: 10.21608/jassd.2025.419399.1075 | ||
| Author | ||
| Alliaa M. A. El-Dek* | ||
| Researcher at the Agricultural Economics Research Institute, Egypt | ||
| Abstract | ||
| The agricultural sector plays a strategic role in the Egyptian national economy, contributing to the improvement of its workforce's livelihoods, accelerating economic growth, reducing poverty rates, and combating unemployment. This study reveals a profound structural transformation within the Egyptian agricultural sector from 2000 to 2023. The sector's diminishing importance characterizes this transformation as a primary source of employment, while its economic value has simultaneously grown at an accelerated pace. The analysis shows that the pivotal factor is not the number of laborers but the value each worker produces. A clear decoupling is evident between the declining trajectory of employment and the rising trajectory of agricultural GDP. This divergence is driven almost entirely by a substantial increase in agricultural labor productivity, which has become the primary engine of the sector's growth. Furthermore, macro-level trend analysis confirms the declining role of agriculture as a key employer, alongside the relative stability of agricultural GDP's contribution to the national economy. Consequently, it can be inferred that the role of labor in development has not been quantitative (a function of its numbers) but rather qualitative, defined by its interaction with capital and technology. This interaction is manifested through increased capital intensity and growth in Total Factor Productivity (TFP), or "smart growth," driven by factors such as technological advancements, human capital enhancement, and structural efficiency. Therefore, the developmental role of labor was not quantitative (an increase in numbers) but qualitative, demonstrated by its capacity to become more skilled and efficient. This ability to integrate with technology and capital has led to tremendous productivity leaps, which form the essence of genuine and sustainable economic development. | ||
| Keywords | ||
| Development; Agricultural labor; Agricultural sector | ||
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