(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Sanaullah Ataullah | The Peninsula

Doha, Qatar: Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani yesterday inaugurated the National Food Security Strategy 2030, a roadmap for achieving sustainable food security and ensuring the continuity of food supplies amid global challenges.

The new strategy which includes 17 initiatives aims to achieve sustainable food security through guiding principles that include promoting healthy consumer habits, ensuring food safety and quality, sustainability and adaptation to climate change, and building effective partnerships.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by a number of Their Excellencies the Ministers and senior officials in the Ministry of Municipality and the authorities concerned.

Addressing the event, Minister of Municipality H E Abdullah bin Hamad bin Abdullah Al Attiyah said that the strategy is in line with Qatar National Vision 2030, and the directives of Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to develop a sustainable food system capable of adapting to global changes, including climate change, geopolitical crises, and any disruptions to food supply chains.

Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani ; Speaker of the Shura Council H E Hassan bin Abdullah Al Ghanim; Minister of Finance H E Ali bin Ahmed Al Kuwari; Minister of Environment and Climate Change H E Dr. Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Subaie; Minister of Municipality H E Abdullah bin Hamad bin Abdullah Al Attiyah; and other dignitaries at the launch of National Food Security Strategy 2030 yesterday.

He said that it was prepared through close cooperation between government and private entities to be a flexible and effective framework for dealing with various variables, locally and internationally, in a way that enhances the country's ability to achieve sustainable food security.

The Minister noted that achieving the objectives of this strategy requires unified efforts and continuous coordination with all relevant authorities in the country, as well as close cooperation between the public and private sectors, to achieve a safe and sustainable food system for Qatar and enhance its ability to adapt to global challenges and changes in the field of food security.

He said that the launch of the strategy coincides with the celebration of the Food Security Day of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (QIC), which reflects the efforts of the Qatar in supporting the organisation and its role in achieving food security.

The inauguration ceremony witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Municipality and Qatar University on the commencement of the implementation of a study to identify agricultural loss and food waste in Qatar, as part of the Ministry's efforts in this field. These partnerships reflect the State's commitment to enhancing food security and ensuring the achievement of the strategy's objectives.

The National Food Security Strategy 2030 includes 17 initiatives distributed over three main pillars. The first pillar (local production and local markets) aims to develop local production of vegetables, fresh red meat (sheep and goats), fresh fish, and maintain self-sufficiency in the production of fresh dairy and poultry.

Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani being briefed about the National Food Security Strategy 2030.

This will be done by enhancing local production using modern agricultural techniques and sustainable practices, working to reduce dependence on external food supplies and ensuring the sustainability of meeting market needs through local production.

The second pillar (strategic reserve and early warning systems) aims to enhance the resilience and resilience of the local food system, by improving and expanding the strategic stock of food commodities, establishing and managing the strategic stock of agricultural inputs to ensure the continuity of local production in emergency situations, and developing central warning systems to monitor risks and response and decision-making mechanisms.

The third pillar (international trade and investment) aims to continue working to enhance capabilities in international trade, diversify import sources, and support the competitiveness of local production, thus enhancing Qatar's access to additional global markets.

This is in addition to expanding the capabilities of Hamad Port's storage facilities to become a regional hub for food trade and manufacturing through commercial partnerships and strategic investments, to ensure the safe and sustainable availability of food, and reduce the risks associated with reliance on limited resources.

Together, these pillars work to ensure sustainable food security in Qatar by strengthening local capabilities, improving crisis response, and diversifying supply sources, which enhances the country's resilience amid global and local challenges and ensures the achievement of sustainable food security. By launching this strategy, Qatar affirms its pioneering role in enhancing regional and international efforts to achieve sustainable food security.

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