HARIRY, Esraa Mahmoud & Mohammed Zakaria

Organic Food & Agriculture

HARIRY is a startup that specializes in the production of high-quality natural silk in Egypt. It seeks to narrow the market gap where only 1.5% of total consumption of 350 tons is locally produced.  Since the decline in natural silk production not only affects the country’s cultural heritage, but also impacts tourism and national economy, HARIRY’s solutions have a significant impact on nurturing the natural silk industry in Egypt. It feeds carpets and fabrics manufacturers, thus satisfying local demand and diminishing the need for imported silk. HARIRY aims to establish and supervise Indian mulberry fields, establish silkworm breeding units, and produce high-quality natural silk using sewage water in irrigating fields in the desert lands.

Social Impact: 

• Empowering local communities and creating green job opportunities.
• Supporting small farmers, housewives, and young graduates who wish to establish small businesses by offering training, follow-up, and purchasing their products, thus increasing their income from available resources and increasing local production of high-quality natural silk. 15 out of 17 small farmers have expressed their willingness to establish businesses, and 5 are ready to start immediately.

Environmental Impact:

• Environmentally-friendly agricultural startup
• Improving air quality as mulberry trees absorb greenhouse gases
• Applying sustainable consumption and production patterns; i.e., reusing wastewater in irrigation