Egypt is in the throes of environmental and agricultural crisis. Domestic food needs now exceed supply and fifty percent of food is imported. The problems stem mainly from population pressure and depletion of natural resources. How can Egypt reconcile the need for growth to create employment and alleviate poverty, with the need to put her environment to sustainable productive use? A University of Leeds study examines how major macroeconomic and institutional reforms in the agricultural sector are affecting the coping strategies of rural producers in Egypt. It queries orthodox diagnoses of the cause of the crisis and prescriptions for fixing it.