Capital to coordinate food security efforts

Abu Dhabi Food Security Alliance has been launched in the capital to make coordinated efforts to secure sustainable supplies of food grain and to take measures to avoid food shortages.
The alliance was launched on the sidelines of SIAL Middle East 2015, here on Monday, which was attended by Rashid Mohammed Al Shariqi, director general of Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority, Mohammed Saif Al Suwaidi, director general of Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, Khadim Abdullah Al Dahrei, vice-chairman and managing director of Al Dahra Agriculture, Mohammed l Otaiba chairman Jenaan Investments, Dhafir Al Ahbabi chairman Agthia, and Peter Foyston CEO Emirates Food Industries. The body, which comprises the government agencies, public and private sector institutions will act as a platform to coordinate focused efforts towards attaining food security. Speaking on this occasion, Mohammed Al Otaiba, chairman Jenaan Investments which is one of the leading agricultural company, termed it "an excellent start". He hoped, "the UAE people will reap the fruits," of this initiative.
In the last four/ five years Abu Dhabi has taken several steps to help achieve food security to feed its rising population. In order to establish a regulatory body, it founded the Food Security Center in 2010 to oversee matters relating to food security as well as to build up and manage reserves of food grains. The alliance will act as a governmental umbrella to the partnership between the institutions and companies involved in the business and strengthen coordination and mutual cooperation between each other.
The platform will follow up on government initiatives, organise partnerships among relevant parties, exchanging expertise and experiences and it will ensure that foreign investments in this area are aligned with the national priorities. The alliance will develop preventive measures and response plans designed to avoid food security crisis.
Speaking on the occasion, director general of Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority said that the food security is a challenge that needs to be met with collective efforts. The UAE companies have made remarkable achievements in recent years he said. They have to meet the requirements of the region as well as go global.
Abu Dhabi Fund for Development Mohammed Al Suwaidi said that the fund which works with over 60 countries, can help the UAE agriculture firms for arranging soft loans for developing infrastructure, besides opening new markets for them. Abu Dhabi's Al Dahra Agriculture, which is leading the efforts toward food security has already acquired 150,000 acres for its farming. Khadim Abdullah Al Daheri, vice chairman and managing director of Al Dahra Agriculture said he is looking for securing one million metric ton of wheat produce from KSA.
- haseeb@khaleejtimes.com