Did You Know? Egyptian Fava Beans Are a Food Security Staple for Over 400 Million People

Few agricultural commodities carry the cultural and nutritional weight of the fava bean in Egypt and across the wider Middle East, North Africa and East African region. Known as ful in Arabic, the fava bean (Vicia faba) is Egypt's most consumed pulse — and Egyptian production and processing feeds markets across more than 40 countries.

The Scale of Fava Bean Consumption

Conservative estimates put combined fava bean consumption across Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Libya, Algeria, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and East African markets at over 2.5 million MT annually. Egypt is both the largest producer and the largest re-exporting hub for this commodity.

Egypt's Role: Producer and Processor

Egypt plays a dual role in the global fava bean supply chain:

• Domestic production: Egyptian-origin fava beans (primarily small-to-medium seed varieties) grown in the Nile Delta and Middle Egypt
• Transit processing hub: Egypt imports large-seeded Australian and UK-origin fava beans, processes and re-exports to Gulf, African and European markets
• Split fava specialist: Egypt's dehulling and splitting infrastructure — operational since the 1990s — produces split fava beans (ful maqdous) that supply North African, European and Gulf foodservice markets

Quality Grades and Market Destinations

• Large seed (Australian/UK processed): Premium grade for Saudi, UAE and European retail
• Medium seed (Egyptian origin): Standard for wholesale foodservice across MENA and East Africa
• Split/dehulled: Food manufacturing input for hummus, dips, falafel mixes and instant dal products