Ashraf AboArafe
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia called for the necessity of adopting long-term strategic transformations to achieve food security around the world, and taking effective measures to meet the growing food needs, in addition to the importance of enhancing international cooperation; to develop practical and innovative solutions to build sustainable and healthy food systems.
This came in a speech by His Excellency the Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture, Eng. Abdulrahman bin Abdulmohsen Al-Fadhli, during the first ministerial session of the G20 Agriculture Ministers’ Meeting, which was held yesterday in Brazil. The session addressed priorities (1 and 2) of the Declaration of the Working Group of Agriculture Ministers; which focuses on the sustainability of agriculture and food systems through its multiple paths, in addition to enhancing the contribution of international trade to food security.
Minister Al-Fadhli explained that despite the great development in the fields of technology, innovation and science; progress in the field of enhancing global food security is insufficient, which confirms the need to enhance investment in agriculture, by enabling innovation; to increase productivity, and build adaptive capacity in food and agricultural systems, in addition to the need to improve access to sustainable innovative financing.
He said: “The Kingdom has worked to encourage and stimulate local and foreign investments in the agricultural sector, by adopting a number of national strategies; as the significant increase in the percentage of loans during the past four years has contributed to strengthening agricultural activities; which led to an increase in the levels of GDP in the agricultural sector by (35%), calling for concerted efforts to address the issues of supply chains and production inputs; in order to achieve price stability, and maintain effective food markets, which mitigates the negative effects imposed by trade restrictions on supply chains and global food security.
He noted the importance of involving stakeholders, including private sector institutions and civil society; to achieve common goals in enhancing the sustainability and resilience of food systems, praising the Brazilian presidency initiative of the G20, regarding the Global Alliance to Combat Hunger and Poverty, noting that the King Salman Center for Relief and Humanitarian Action is working to complete more than (900) projects related to food security, in (78) countries worldwide; where direct food aid plays a fundamental role in providing rapid responses to achieve food security,
Minister Al-Fadhli indicated that the One Health approach constitutes A key element to achieve balance, in addition to improving and enhancing the health of humans, animals, plants, and all ecosystems; which makes working on antimicrobial resistance essential to protect food systems, calling on the attendees to participate in the Fourth Global Ministerial Meeting on Antimicrobial Resistance, which the Kingdom will host next November in Riyadh; with the aim of enhancing the global response to public health challenges.
