International partnerships, technology key to ending world hunger

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International partnerships, technology key to ending world hunger
Mariam bint Mohammed AlMheiri, UAE Minister of State for Future Food Security, with international officials at the forum.

Published: Mon 18 Feb 2019, 4:14 PM

Last updated: Mon 18 Feb 2019, 10:38 PM

Stable international partnerships and the adoption of technology will be the key to meeting growing global food demands, and ending world hunger, said Mariam bint Mohammed AlMheiri, UAE Minister of State for Future Food Security.
Speaking at the Russia-UAE-Africa Food Security Forum 2019, she said that food security is one of the most pressing issues facing mankind today. "We are at a critical junction, and we need to act now if we are going to evolve as a global community for a brighter and sustainable tomorrow. In this regard, the global food and agricultural sector offers a wealth of contradictions. On one hand, it is the single largest employer in the world; on the other hand, the majority of its workers live in poverty."
"Nearly one third of global food production is wasted, but around 800 million people go to bed hungry every night," she added. "If we were to take 25 per cent of what we waste, we would have zero hunger. Even in countries that are considered to be food secure, populations are at threat of malnutrition. Poor diets have led to the rise of issues such as obesity and diabetes. Easy access to food is something we take for granted in affluent nations."
She revealed that at present, the UAE is food secure and ranked 31st on the Global Food Security Index, mainly due to its economic and political stability. Since the UAE imports over 90 per cent of its food, it is vital for the country to develop its resilience against the effects of climate change and growing global food demands. Towards this end, the UAE National Food Security Strategy was developed as a nationwide effort and launched in November 2018, with the aim of making the UAE one of the top 10 most food secure countries in the world by 2031.
AlMheiri highlighted some of the pillars of the strategy that will result in the UAE becoming a world leader in innovation driven food security. "We will facilitate agribusiness and diversify food import sources. We will enhance our domestic food production by adopting technology, and we will reduce food loss and food waste. In addition, we will elevate food safety and improve nutritional intake among our communities. Lastly, we will be prepared for any future shocks in our system."
"We know that global food security challenges cannot be overcome alone; we need to look at the creation of stable international partnerships to meet global production targets sustainably," she added. "Adoption of technology will also be key to meeting our targets."
Sergey Levin, deputy minister of Agriculture of the Russian Federation, also spoke about how Russia has plans to meet the growing demand for food across the world, especially in Africa and the Middle East, which are recording sizable increases in their populations.
"In recent years, Russian agriculture has been growing tremendously. Our exports have grown by almost 20 times, and last year, we set very ambitious targets to increase our exports. Russia is today ready to meet the needs of Africa and the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region. Historically, the Mena region has been one of our main customers. In addition, Russia is one of the largest exporters to several African nations. An important initiative for us is to increase the production and export of halal products," he explained.
Similarly, Micheal Werikhe Kafabusa, minister of state for Trade Industry and Cooperatives of the Republic of Uganda, spoke about the nation's strong agricultural sector and how it is a prime destination for investment.
"Uganda is known as the power of Africa due to a number of reasons," he said. "We have very fertile soil that hardly needs any additional pesticides or fertilizer. Uganda is one of the leading coffee and banana exporters in the world. In the years to come, we will continue to be known for our high quality agriculture. We know that we need to work as partners to tackle the issues of food security. Agriculture will always be our focus and we are ready to welcome investments in the sector."
- rohma@khaleejtimes.com

by

Rohma Sadaqat

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