It hosted the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment of the country The UAEIn cooperation with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), an interactive workshop in Dubai, with the aim of enhancing cooperation between the organization andUAE.
The workshop comes within the framework of achieving the UAE’s directions to enhance sustainable national food security, find solutions to all challenges in this field, and keep pace with the strategic vision of the FAO sub-regional office for the Gulf Cooperation Council countries and Yemen.
Officials from the FAO and the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment participated in the workshop, along with local authorities, academic bodies, and private sector companies specialized in the field of food and agriculture.
The workshop dealt with clarifying the common expectations between the Ministry and FAO regarding the structure and mission of the sub-regional office, which contributes to enhancing the common understanding of priorities and ambitions, in addition to reviewing the mechanisms and resources necessary to achieve effective cooperation, with a focus on identifying the main areas of partnership, and common challenges in food security and agriculture. In addition to exploring possible solutions.
During the workshop, it was announced the launch of the first regional center of excellence in transforming food systems in the region, hosted by the United Arab Emirates, and it is expected to play a pivotal role in driving innovation and strategic transformation in food systems at the region level.
Dr. Mohammed Salman Al Hammadi, Assistant Undersecretary for the Food Diversity Sector at the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment in the UAE, stressed that enhancing the country’s food security comes through supporting a strong food and agricultural sector, which is possible with modern, climate-smart technology.
He pointed out that the UAE launched the national program “Grow the Emirates” and the “National Agricultural Center”, as an important and effective step that brings together all concerned parties, to search for solutions to the challenges of agriculture in the Emirates, provide full support to citizen farmers and local farms, and enhance the role of smart technology in order to increase local agricultural production. And enhance its quality and competitiveness.
He stressed that the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations will play an important role in supporting the national program, expressing his confidence in the continued cooperation with the organization and consensus on advancing the agricultural sector in cooperation with all concerned authorities in the country, identifying challenges and finding practical solutions to them, and moving forward with their implementation on the ground. reality.
Kian Akram Jaff, Head of Mission of the FAO Sub-Regional Office for the Gulf Cooperation Council Countries and Yemen, noted FAO’s commitment to supporting the UAE in facing food security challenges, and said: “Our partnership focuses on strategic initiatives that are in line with our common goals and the UAE’s priorities.”
He added: “We believe that this cooperation will enable all parties concerned to benefit from the available expertise and resources to achieve sustainable food security and promote agricultural development in the region.”
During the discussions, the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment and FAO confirmed their commitment to developing a clear roadmap for cooperation in the areas of food security and agricultural practices, with the aim of enhancing food security in the region and supporting the expected mission of the FAO Regional Office.
