Doha, 11 Dec 2024 (QNA)
Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of State of Qatar, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani inaugurated Wednesday morning the National Food Security Strategy 2030.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by Minister of Municipality Abdullah bin Hamad bin Abdullah Al Attiyah, ministers, and senior officials in the Ministry of Municipality and the concerned authorities in the country.
The ceremony included a visual presentation of Qatar's National Food Security Strategy, its most important programs, and the goals it seeks to achieve within the objectives and pillars of Qatar National Vision 2030.
The new strategy aims to achieve sustainable food security through guiding principles that include promoting healthy and consumer habits, ensuring food safety and quality, sustainability, adaptation to climate change, and building effective partnerships.
Minister of Municipality, Abdullah bin Hamad bin Abdullah Al Attiyah in his address said that the inauguration of the National Food Security Strategy 2030 represents a pivotal step in the process of enhancing Qatar’s ability to face current and future challenges in the field of food security, noting that this strategy reflects the vision of the wise leadership towards achieving sustainable development and enhancing food security.
He said, 'Qatar prioritizes the agriculture and agricultural production sector, as it is one of the main pillars for achieving economic diversification and ensuring agricultural sustainability'.
He highlighted that the new strategy is based on three main pillars. The first pillar is local production and local markets, which includes enhancing local production using modern and sustainable technologies to meet market needs. The second pillar is strategic reserves and early warning systems, which includes ensuring the continuity of food supplies in times of crisis by establishing food reserves and developing early warning systems. The third pillar is international trade and investment, which includes diversifying food supply sources by strengthening trade relations and strategic partnerships with producing countries.
He pointed out that the third national development strategy included a special axis on food and agriculture, aiming to develop sustainable agricultural technologies and increase local production, which contributes to rationalizing resource consumption and enhancing food security.
Qatar has been keen to support local farm owners by launching various initiatives and agricultural support programmes, which have contributed to increasing the volume and quality of local agricultural production and enhancing the position of Qatari crops in the markets, he said.
'Qatar has also worked to develop a sustainable and flexible food system that keeps pace with global changes to ensure safe and sustainable food supplies, based on the consideration of food security as a basic right that enhances societal stability', he added.
Attiyah pointed out that the National Food Security Strategy 2018-2023 contributed to developing the local food system and enhancing the country’s ability to deal with global crises such as climate change, geopolitical crises, and supply chain disruptions, highlighting the importance of formulating flexible national strategies to deal with these challenges.
The minister also noted that the strategy includes a series of initiatives to address the challenges facing farm and estate owners, including improving pricing mechanisms and developing procedures to protect local products and increase their competitiveness against imported products, which contributes to enhancing the economic returns of local producers.
He emphasised that achieving the goals of the National Food Security Strategy 2030 requires concerted efforts and continuous coordination between all concerned parties in the country.
He expressed confidence that Qatar, thanks to the directives of its wise leadership, will continue to achieve pioneering steps towards sustainable food security that meets the needs of the present and the future.
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Well, Qatar's launch of the National Food Security Strategy 2030 is a commendable step toward sustainable development and resilience in the face of global challenges. By prioritizing local production, strategic reserves, and international trade, the strategy ensures a robust and adaptive food system. This initiative reflects Qatar's visionary leadership and commitment to economic diversification, sustainability, and societal stability, setting a benchmark for future-oriented food security efforts.