To keep pace with changes in agricultural input prices
"Food Security" recommends reviewing and setting the price ceiling for "staple foods"
During a virtual meeting of the Council to discuss the objectives of the National Food Security Strategy.
From the source
Maryam Al Muhairi: "The UAE is working to strengthen the food system, through many innovative solutions."
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The Emirates Food Security Council reviewed an action plan for 2021 and discussed ways to achieve the goals of the National Food Security Strategy, as part of the continuous follow-up of the progress of the food supply chain system in the country, and to discuss developments in food trade in the UAE and the world, in order to take the necessary measures to strengthen the food system in the country. .
The council recommended establishing a mechanism to review and determine the price ceiling for the main food products, in line with the changes in the prices of agricultural inputs, including feed, to support facilities for the production of poultry, eggs and fresh milk.
The meeting also recommended commissioning the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA) to prepare a prediction model for the impact of climate change and drought rates on local agricultural production, within the system of managing future risks on national food security.
The meeting also recommended working on extracting the logistical lessons learned, which led to an increase in the rates of export operations to more than 20%, and re-exports to approximately 60% of the food in 2020, compared to 2019, thus strengthening the role of the state as a global center for food trade.
This came during a hypothetical meeting of the Council, which was held under the chairmanship of the Minister of State for Food and Water Security, Maryam Bint Muhammad Al Muhairi, and in the presence of the members of the Council from representatives of the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, the Ministry of Health and Community Protection, the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology, and the Authority Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety, Dubai Municipality, Sharjah Health Authority, Ajman Municipality and Planning Department, Environment Protection and Development Authority in Ras Al Khaimah, and Fujairah Municipality, and a representative from the International Center for Local Agriculture (ICBA) also attended the meeting.
Al Muhairi stressed that the UAE is working to strengthen the food system, through many innovative solutions that ensure food sustainability, facilitate food trade, and use the latest modern technologies to enhance local production and increase strategic food stocks.
She said: “The UAE has many tools and opportunities available to enhance its readiness for any future variables, noting that the (Covid-19) crisis confirmed that the country has greater opportunities to enhance its food security and increase a certain percentage of self-sufficiency for some basic food commodities, in addition to Working to diversify food sources and facilitate its trade from different countries of the world ».
She added that "the approach of cooperation and partnership between the various actors in the Emirates Council for Food Security is a means to ensure the achievement of the various vital objectives of the Council, through continuous coordination to reach the best solutions, to develop the entire food value chain in all the emirates of the state."
She explained: “We put in mind many vital goals, during the current year and the coming years, in order to contribute to achieving sustainable development in the Emirates, and actively participate in preparing for the fifty, and we are confident that we are able to continue our march and strengthen our food system, to keep pace with the growth of the local demand for food. And transforming the UAE into a leading global center for innovation-based food security.
The Emirates Food Security Council operates according to a mechanism that takes into account the common trends in managing the food security system in the country, which are represented in water security, energy security, emergencies and crises, strategic stocks, local agricultural production and food safety, foreign investment, and the diversification of import and nutrition sources.
The discussions of the Emirates Council for Food Security reviewed the developments and recommendations of the previous meetings and the developments of the national committees, in addition to discussing the strengths and development of the National Food Security Strategy, and the achievements made during the year 2020 in terms of reality through which the country was able to confront the effects of the "Covid-19" pandemic on Food supply chains in the country.
During the meeting, the Office of Food and Water Security also reviewed food trade data for the year 2020, in addition to a report on the rise in grain and feed prices, and considered any implications that may occur on the world food system.
The Assistant Undersecretary of the Ministry of Economy for the Foreign Trade Sector discussed the work of the National Committee to Facilitate Global Food Trade and Diversify Food Import Sources.
The Director General of the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority, Saeed Al Bahri Salem Al Ameri, also presented the agricultural registry project for the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, in addition to that, the forward-looking model for the impact of climate change on agriculture in the UAE was reviewed by the Acting Director General of the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA). Dr. Tarifa Al Zaabi.
First reference
The Emirates Food Security Council is the first and main reference for everything related to food, and it is the central authority concerned with following up the implementation of the National Food Security Strategy with the concerned authorities. The council’s tasks include overseeing the implementation of the strategy’s plans and objectives, which include five strategic objectives: «Facilitating the global food trade Diversifying import sources, developing sustainable local production possible with technology for the entire value chain, reducing food loss and waste, ensuring food safety and improving nutrition systems, and enhancing capacity to face food security-related risks and crises.
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