Al-Raya: Food Security Is Qatar's Top Priority

Doha, August 11 (QNA) - In its editorial Wednesday, Al-Raya newspaper underlined food security issue, as it directly affects security, stability and development in countries that always seek to build national strategies that achieve food security and support their plans towards achieving self-sufficiency. In this regard, the newspaper highlighted Qatar Food Systems National Dialogue, kicked off Tuesday and organized by the Ministry of Municipality and Environment, within the framework of the preparation for the UN Food Systems Summit 2021, scheduled to be held in September with the participation of leaders of the member states. The two-day event will review aspects of developing food systems and ways to overcome challenges and obstacles, in accordance with the objectives of the United Nations, providing an opportunity to all stakeholders, including consumers, producers, wholesalers and retailers, researchers, students and policy makers, to discuss and develop the food system in Qatar, the paper said. The newspaper referred to HE Minister of Municipality and Environment and Acting Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Subaie's affirmation that the State of Qatar has made great strides in making its food system more flexible to face any supply disruptions or price hikes, and that the efforts has been made to increase local production and build a strategic stockpile covering six months of basic commodities, in addition to diversifying the sources of international trade through various alternative methods and improving local markets and logistics services. Over the past period, there was a great development in the agricultural and food sectors, as Qatari agricultural producers contributed to a major boom in the field of agricultural production and in this context, the Ministry of Municipality and Environment launched several projects for the production of vegetables and fish farming and to support the animal sector, Al-Raya added. The newspaper concluded by saying that the State of Qatar has developed the National Food Security Strategy, which is based on four pillars - local production, internal supply chains, international trade and logistic services and strategic reserve- which are pillars that Qatar has succeeded to manage despite what the world is currently suffering from the repercussions of Covid-19 and the climate change crisis. (QNA)