Food security a key part of Qatar policies, says minister

Qatar attaches great importance to food security and the development of natural resources to increase production and raise the level of self-sufficiency, HE the Minister of Municipality and Environment Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Turki al-Subaie said yesterday.
In a speech to mark the World Food Day, al-Subaie said his ministry has adopted plans to increase the production of agricultural commodities including vegetables, and red meat, poultry, eggs and fish.
These plans have helped the agricultural sector meet the requirements of the local market, raise self-sufficiency in the plant, animal and fish sectors, and provide a balanced, healthy food.
The minister said Qatar is participating with many countries and international organisations and institutions to mark World Food Day, which is held on the anniversary of the establishment of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
This year the anniversary is held in exceptional circumstances as the world is suffering from the coronavirus pandemic, al-Subaie said.
The minister said the slogan of this year's celebration "Grow, Nourish, Sustain Together" aims to increase public awareness of the importance of food for the healthy growth of humans and future generations, while preserving sustainability, as reports indicate that nearly 690mn people suffer from hunger, in addition to 2bn suffering from what is called hidden hunger, which is a lack of vitamins and minerals, which requires helping the poor in the world to obtain balanced food.
He said Qatar's celebration of World Food Day comes as an affirmation of the importance of providing food for everyone who lives on its land, in line with the state's interest, under the wise leadership, to develop natural resources and wealth, especially agricultural products, and achieve self-sufficiency in many goods and products.
Al-Subaie said the FAO has affirmed that access to safe food and growth is a basic right it has urged governments to provide food for their people and to invest seriously in agriculture and food through sound practices to maintain sustainability.
He said the Ministry of Municipality and Environment wants to see a world free from hunger, and for everyone to have access to healthy and nutritious food.
Assistant undersecretary for agriculture and fisheries Sheikh Dr Faleh bin Nasser al-Thani said the World Food Day aims to raise awareness on the importance of food security, health, and sustainable development.
He added this year's theme stresses the important role agriculture plays in sustainability, and in ending poverty.
The assistant undersecretary said sustainable agriculture can also alleviate the impact of climate change.
He said it was important to make agricultural processes more sustainable as it will ultimately lead to more yield and less food loss.
This can only be accomplished by adopting several initiatives in the fields of harvest, storage, packaging, and transport, he added.
He said all parties - the government, private sector, and non-governmental organisations - must work on ensuring food supply to the growing populations, stressing that each individual has a role to play in establishing a sustainable food system.