Egypt participates in the work of the General Assembly of the ACSAD Center to Support Arab Food Security

The file of Arab food security is witnessing increasing interest in light of the interconnected challenges imposed by international and regional changes that have affected supply chains, food markets, and the sustainability of natural resources, which has made strengthening Arab cooperation in the agricultural sector, scientific research, and wise management of resources a strategic necessity to ensure the stability of the food system and raise its ability to confront future crises.

Therefore, Egypt continues its efforts to support Arab agricultural integration, based on its belief that achieving food security requires effective partnerships, exchange of experiences, and integration of scientific and research capabilities, in a way that contributes to developing agricultural production and enhancing the efficiency of management.Natural resources and supporting sustainable development paths in the Arab world.

Facing the surrounding regional challenges

In this context, Mr. Alaa Farouk, Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, participated, via video conference technology, in the work of the thirty-eighth session of the General Assembly of the Arab Center for Studies of Dry Zones and Dry Lands (ACSAD), with the participation of Arab ministers of agriculture, members of the Center, heads of delegations, and representatives of the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States.

At the beginning of his speech, the Minister of Agriculture extended his sincere thanks and appreciation to those responsible for sponsoring and organizing the work of the session, praising their efforts in making it a success, and their role in supporting joint Arab action and enhancing cooperation between Arab countries in the agricultural and development fields.

The Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation confirmed thatThe holding of the current session comes under delicate regional and international circumstances, in which economic challenges are intertwined with the repercussions of climate change and increasing pressures on natural resources, in addition to the tensions the region is witnessing that directly affect food and trade supply chains, which requires strengthening joint Arab action, intensifying cooperation and coordination to ensure the sustainability of agricultural production, secure supplies, and support the most affected countries.

Strengthening Arab economic integration

In his speech, the Minister of Agriculture stressed the Arab Republic of Egypt’s firm belief in the importance of Arab economic integration in order to achieve food security and sustainable development in general, declaring that the Egyptian Ministry of Agriculture is putting all its scientific, research and training capabilities into practice, through the Agricultural Research and Research Centres.The desert and the relevant specialized institutes and departments, serving the sisterly Arab countries.

Especially in the areas of developing high-yielding varieties that are resistant to environmental stresses, sustainable water and land management, combating desertification, transferring modern agricultural technology and building human capabilities, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially Goal (2) Totally Zero Hunger, and Goal (17) Establishing Partnerships to Achieve the Goals.

The Minister praised the pivotal and historical role played by the ACSAD Center over the decades in supporting sustainable agricultural development in the Arab region, and providing scientific and applied solutions that help decision-makers deal with the challenges of water scarcity and land degradation, and achieve food and water security for Arab countries.

An integrated strategy to support Arab food security

The Minister pointed out that the agenda of this session includes a number of topics of real strategic importance for the future of development, the most important of which are:

• ACSAD’s new strategy for the coming period
• Developing innovative solutions for groundwater management
• Promoting sustainable management of coastal areas
• Employing artificial intelligence applications in the agricultural sector
• Establishment of an advanced regional early warning system

The Minister of Agriculture stressed that achieving Arab food security has become a strategic necessity imposed by international and regional changes, which requires enhancing investment in scientific research and supporting joint Arab projects, expressing his confidence.We are fully confident that the deliberations of this session will result in practical decisions and recommendations that serve sustainable development in the Arab world.

In light of the above, Arab food security has become an essential pillar for enhancing economic and social stability, and a major foundation for building a development system more capable of facing climate, economic, and geopolitical challenges.

From this standpoint, Arab integration efforts in the fields of scientific research, sustainable management of natural resources, and exchange of experiences are gaining increasing importance in supporting the ability of Arab countries to achieve relative sufficiency and enhance the flexibility of food supply chains.

The Earth Guards Foundation confirms that Egyptian participation in the work of the General Assembly of the “ACSAD” CenterIt reflects a trend towards consolidating Arab cooperation as one of the main drivers for achieving sustainable development, by supporting agricultural innovation, promoting rational management of resources, and expanding the scope of regional partnerships, which contributes to building a more efficient food system that is able to adapt to changes, and enhances the opportunities for achieving food security for current and future generations.