Ministry of Agriculture and FAO Collaborate to Lay the Foundations for Developing the Ministry’s Strategic Plan

Ministry of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform, in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), held a preparatory workshop today in Damascus to lay the foundations for developing the ministry’s strategic plan.

The event was attended by representatives from Arab organizations, local, governmental, and international entities. In his speech, Minister of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform Mohammed Taha Al-Ahmad emphasized that the current phase requires concerted efforts and unified visions to create a future vision that is capable of revitalizing the agricultural sector and achieving sustainable development to build a new Syria.

FAO Resident Representative Tony Al-Attal expressed the organization’s readiness to support the Ministry of Agriculture to formulate a strategic vision that promotes its advancement and helps it respond to the current demands facing Syria, through collaboration among all concerned partners and benefitting from expertise and efforts.

Al-Attal noted that this requires updating policies and plans based on current data, establishing market-oriented profitable agricultural cooperatives, engaging with the private sector, and building the capacities of workers in the agricultural sector to empower them and addressing climate change.

In his remarks during the workshop, Director General of the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development Professor Ibrahim Al-Dakhiri discussed agricultural development and ddressed the state of agricultural and food systems in countries affected by instability and conflict, asserting that strategies should be built on resources and should focus on operational systems.

In a statement to SANA, Secretary-General of the Arab Union for Food Industries Dr. Fadi Jabr highlighted the necessity of establishing structural systems and a complete food chain to develop both animal and plant industries, achieve food safety, and elevate Syrian products to high quality. He mentioned that they would contribute to this through experts and consultants from the union.

Several working sessions were held to discuss the current state of the agricultural sector in Syria (opportunities, challenges, priorities), its issues, working to define its strategic objectives, challenges, risks it faces, possible solutions, and establishing a timeline for implementation.

Souha Suleiman