“We produce various organic foods, health products and textiles. Apart from our biodynamic agriculture, we put emphasis on fair trade and the social and cultural wellbeing of our 2000 employees. Initially the fair trade principle only applied to our trades with industrial countries but by now we also try to establish it here in Egypt”.

The 76-year old founder Dr. Ibrahim Abouleish studied chemistry, philosophy and medicine in Graz, Austria. He has worked as a pharmacologist in Germany, Austria and the USA. When he speaks in his calm, secure manner about SEKEM it becomes clear that willpower and global understanding were the drive for the implementation of his vision. Facing this 70 hectare of inefficient, desert land Ibrahim Abouleish made a decision and said: “If in this no man’s land, under such bad conditions, we succeed in cultivating a biodynamic agriculture and making everything else I imagine possible, then this model could be applied anywhere under easier circumstances”. That was in 1977.

“Every social, economic and cultural development during all the various cultural eras had agriculture as a foundation. These coherencies are mostly forgotten today. That’s why agriculture as a “farming culture” has slowly been forced into a “farming industry”. Especially in the developing countries, this had catastrophic consequences. Using our climate adapted biodynamic cultivation system we produce valuable, healthy products, while at the same time healing and maintaining the ground. The use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers is avoided.“

The economic success of the enterprise was the foundation for various cultural initiatives such as a nursery, preliminary and high school (according to the principles of Rudolf Steiner) and a hospital and medicinal research centre. European funds have helped establish these institutions and they are now successfully in action. Furthermore, an independent University offers courses since September 2009. 

Dr. Abouleish describes his feeling, of experiencing his vision becoming reality, the following way: “The happiness, love and enthusiasm that I feel every morning, when I am looking at my work and everything that surrounds me, have created a vision of a community – a community, in which people of all nations and cultural background can work, learn and live in harmony together - just like a symphony. We are all committed to truth and tolerance. We must use our knowledge to help the earth and human kind. Those people to whom modesty and humbleness are more important than vanity and comfort, are those who can make a valuable contribution to our future.”